Theme & Amusement Parks in Kalamazoo

In 1910, Frederick Nelis sent his 17-year-old son Harry from the Netherlands to America in search of land so that the family of 14 could later join him across the pond. After a tough couple of years, the clan discovered a settlement in Holland, Michigan, whose rich soils proved ideal for growing tulips.

Over the course of the next eight decades, the Nelis’ 80-acre tulip farm blossomed into the theme park it is today. Still family operated and brought to life by the Netherlands’ signature blooms, the park is now home to myriad attractions for all ages. Traditional Dutch dancers don wooden shoes and lead lessons for visitors, and artisans hand carve candles into intricate masterpieces or slightly smaller candles. As guests stroll to the Dutch swing, petting zoo, or carousel, the notes from an Amsterdam street organ float through winding canals and over the looming windmills that, at a glance, may momentarily transport guests to the Netherlands as Harry Nelis last saw it in 1910.

Multiple rows of pinball machines manufactured from the early 1960s through today shelter plungers and flippers as they fling the silver spheres toward illumined targets. Entertaining guests between bouts of pinball, air hockey, and abundant arcade classics—such as Centipede, Ms. Pac-Man, and Asteroids —await with flashing lights infused with friendly competition. Klassic Arcade celebrates its impressive stock of more than 100 different varieties of glass-bottled soda pop during its annual Midwest Soda Pop Festival, which combines pop tastings and judging with live music and games. The arcade also spearheads the annual Pinball at the 'Zoo festival, at which attendees can play more than 100 arcade and pinball games for free in between tournaments, auctions, and seminars with the original 8-bit Mario and Luigi. Completing the lineup of exciting diversions is the outdoor M-40 Raceway track, which hosts off-road RC racers.

For their willingness to brave the winter waters of Lake Michigan, the hosts of NBC’s Today Show called the crew at Third Coast Surf Shop a “philosophical group of hardy souls.” The surfers have accepted their lot in life with cheer, working with what they have by pioneering the art of lake surfing. They’ve also shown up on the CBS's The Early Show, National Public Radio, and Newsweek in their effort to expose Midwesterners to surfing and paddleboarding and expound upon the advantages of the Great Lakes as a surfing venue. Along the sweeping shorelines, six quadrillion gallons of fresh water rise up in wind-generated waves, which are more manageable for beginners than the larger swells in the ocean and less likely to contain depressing submarines tangled in plastic bags. When not fitting patrons with paddleboards, the team of instructors leads camps, where young surfers find their sea legs, construct sand castles, and play soccer while building social skills.: