Discover a city with a historic village, great spots for biking and hiking and one of the Midwest’s best zoos.
Despite its warlike name, Battle Creek is a peaceful city in Michigan, within the Great Lakes region of the United States. Find numerous paths for hiking and riding a bicycle while enjoying beautiful natural scenery. Hand-feed an African giraffe and jump on a vintage train to travel around the famous Binder Zoo. Learn and explore at the Historic Adventist Village.
The city preserves green areas where you can discover some of the original natural beauty of the land. Explore more than 26 miles (42 kilometers) of paved trails at Battle Creek Linear Park. Paths wind around open fields, forested areas and parks and also through some commercial areas.
Enjoy an early morning walk at Willard Beach Park and watch the sunrise over Goguac Lake. Hike on the nature trails of Woodland Park and Nature Preserve where you’re likely to see many native species. Appreciate this beautiful region that historically was inhabited by the Native American tribes, the Ottawa and the Potawatomi.
Binder Zoo is a renowned zoo and park where you can enjoy a fun family day. Jump aboard the tram to explore Zuri National Park, located within the zoo. See the African savanna and some of its wild animals. Join the Giraffe Experience at Twiga Overlook to hand-feed these incredible creatures. Ride on the Binda Conservation Carousel, a beautiful wooden merry-go-round with 36 animal figures carved by hand.
Visit the Historic Adventist Village of Battle Creek and learn about the Adventist pioneers of the region. See the 19th-century school, the historic church and the home of Ellen White, one of the founders of a group that later became the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Use one of two airports in Battle Creek, the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport and the W. K. Kellogg Airport, a joint civil and military aviation facility. Rail and bus services are available at the intermodal station Battle Creek Transportation Center. Drive here via the interstate highway in about 2 hours from Detroit or Chicago.
