Air Zoo

What Air Zoo does

Air Zoo (legal entity: Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum dba Air Zoo) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit aerospace and science museum founded in 1979 by WWII veterans Suzanne "Sue" Parish (WASP pilot) and Pete Parish (Marine Air Corps aviator), operating from two complementary facilities in Portage and Kalamazoo, Michigan, on the I-94 corridor between Detroit and Chicago. The museum curates 100+ rare aircraft and spacecraft, 100,000+ artifacts and archives, and signature pieces including the world's only SR-71B Blackbird, an F-117 Nighthawk, and a 30-ton USS Kitty Hawk anchor. Visitor offerings span permanent exhibits (Alien Worlds & Androids, Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight, Women in Air & Space), full-motion Doron flight simulators, indoor amusement rides, a nationally recognized restoration center, and rotating signature installations (e.g., Extreme Sports: Beyond Human Limits launched July 2025). The museum operates 360+ days/year and serves 200,000+ visitors annually, with earned revenue from admissions ($16.50-$19.50 range by age), six membership tiers ($55-$500), retail via Shopify, event hosting, and STEAM education programs (summer camps, field trips, KRESA Career & Technical Education); contributed revenue flows through the P-40 Giving Society ($1,000+ donors), corporate sponsorships, planned giving, and grants—including a $819,000 award in September 2025 for the Making Space in Michigan project.

The business model is a hybrid consumer-cultural institution monetization: per-visitor transactional revenue, recurring subscription memberships with ASTC and NARM reciprocal-network utility, philanthropy-driven contributed revenue, and contracted education/event services. Distribution combines two physical campuses, Blackbaud-hosted e-ticketing, Shopify retail, and reciprocal-network partnerships across 2,700+ museums worldwide. Key institutional moats include Smithsonian Affiliation, USA Today 10 Best recognition (2019), and a credentialed board drawn from Stryker, Upjohn, Southwest Michigan First, and area school superintendents. Strategic positioning is being formalized via a 2025 master plan by PGAV Destinations, which signals a multi-year capital and exhibit expansion trajectory following the May 2024 tornado recovery.

Name

Air Zoo

Legal name

Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum dba Air Zoo

Website

https://airzoo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Air Zoo is a Smithsonian-affiliated, non-profit aerospace and science museum in Portage/Kalamazoo, Michigan, operating two campuses with 100+ rare aircraft, a nationally recognized restoration center, and STEAM education programs, serving 200,000+ visitors annually through admissions, memberships, retail, and philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Aerospace museum exhibits
• Steam education programs
• Aircraft restoration services
• Interactive flight simulators
• Museum venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Portage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: General admission tickets provide access to all aircraft, exhibits, interactives, flight simulators, and indoor amusement rides. Single-day and two-day passes are available at varying price points by age group.
2. Memberships: Annual membership tiers (Individual $55, Dual $100, Family $120, Grandparent $140, Flying Tiger $250, Ambassador $500) provide unlimited daily admission, member events, discounts, and reciprocal benefits at other museums through ASTC and NARM programs.
3. Retail Store: The Air Zoo Store (airzoostore.org) sells apparel, books, collectibles, building sets, toys, and Air Zoo-exclusive merchandise including challenge coins, patches, pins, and apparel.
4. Event Hosting: Venue rental for corporate events, weddings, birthday parties, proms, graduations, and conferences at the museum facilities.
5. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, corporate sponsorships, planned giving, employer matching gifts, stock gifts, and donor recognition programs including the P-40 Giving Society for major donors ($1,000+ annually).
6. Education Programs: Revenue from summer camps, preschool STEAM days, homeschool programs, scouting programs, overnights, field trips, outreach programs, and adult education including Adult Space Camp.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Air Zoo operates a Smithsonian-affiliated aerospace and science museum featuring over 100 rare aircraft and spacecraft artifacts, interactive exhibits, full-motion flight simulators, indoor amusement rides, and STEAM-based educational programs. The museum generates revenue through admissions, annual memberships, venue rentals, retail merchandise, donations, and education programs for schools and families.

Product overview

Air Zoo is a world-class, Smithsonian-affiliated aerospace and science museum offering a comprehensive portfolio of attractions, educational programs, and membership services. The museum features over 100 rare aircraft and spacecraft artifacts alongside interactive exhibits including Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight, Alien Worlds & Androids, and the Women in Air & Space exhibition with its interactive timeline. Core visitor experiences include full-motion flight simulators (Doron Flight Simulator with Corsair Challenge, Cosmic Coasters, and Moon Thunder), amusement park-style rides (Ferris wheel, balloon race, biplane ride, paratrooper jump), and a nationally recognized aircraft restoration center. The education division provides STEAM-based programming through summer camps, field trips, homeschool programs, and Career & Technical Education courses in partnership with KRESA. The museum generates revenue through general admission tickets (Adult $19.50, Child $17.50, Senior $16.50), annual membership tiers ranging from $55 to $500, venue rentals for events, and an e-commerce store. Community access is supported through free SNAP-based memberships and Museums for All pricing. Recent major announcements include the F-117 Nighthawk exhibit, USS Kitty Hawk artifacts, and the new Extreme Sports: Beyond Human Limits exhibit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exhibits & Collections Over 100 rare aircraft and spacecraft artifacts, interactive exhibits, and traveling exhibitions including permanent exhibits on WWII history, women in aviation, African American aerospace pioneers, and space exploration.
• Full-Motion Flight Simulators Doron Flight Simulator offering three adventures: Corsair Challenge (WWII fighter flight), Cosmic Coasters (space roller coaster), and Moon Thunder (emergency moon mission). Included with admission.
• Amusement Park Rides Indoor amusement park-style rides including Century of Flight Ferris Wheel, Montgolfier Balloon Race, Flying Circus Biplane Ride, and Paratrooper Jump. All rides included with admission.
• Alien Worlds & Androids Exhibit 5,000 square-foot permanent exhibit exploring extraterrestrial life possibilities with 9 themed environments, Mars rover simulations, and robot displays from Terminator movies.
• Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight Smithsonian special exhibit chronicling African Americans' contributions to aerospace and aviation. Features stories of aviation pioneers and historical achievements.
• Education Programs STEAM-based programs including summer camps, homeschool discovery, preschool STEAM days, scouting programs, field trips, outreach programs, and Career & Technical Education courses.
• Restoration Center Nationally recognized aircraft restoration program working on iconic aircraft including SBD-1 Dauntless and F-117 Nighthawk. Restoration visible to public in Flight Discovery Center.
• Visiting Aircraft & Flights Historic aircraft fly-in events with flight experiences. Partnerships with Michigan Flight Museum for UH-1 Huey, C-47, and B-25 flights available for purchase.
• Women in Air & Space Exhibition Comprehensive exhibition featuring interactive timeline, profiles of pioneering women, artifacts, and hands-on activities celebrating women's contributions to aviation and space flight.
• We Did It! The Riveting Real Rosies of WWII Air Zoo original exhibit featuring women's contributions to WWII defense effort, with authentic artifacts including rivet gun, rivet manual, and paystub on loan from Yankee Air Museum.
• Museum Admission Tickets General admission includes all aircraft, exhibits, interactives, flight simulators, and indoor amusement rides. Adult tickets $19.50, Child 5-17 $17.50, Senior $16.50, Children 0-4 free.
• Membership Tiers Annual membership options: Individual ($55), Dual ($100), Family ($120), Grandparent ($140), Flying Tiger ($250), Ambassador ($500). Includes unlimited admission, member events, and ASTC/NARM reciprocal benefits.
• Community Access Membership (CAM) Free annual memberships for SNAP/EBT benefit recipients. Provides unlimited access to aircraft, exhibits, rides, simulators, education programs, and events for qualifying families.
• Air Zoo Store Online and onsite retail store featuring apparel, books, collectibles, model planes, toys, building sets, and Air Zoo-exclusive merchandise.
• Event Hosting & Venue Rental Event venue for weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, proms, graduations, and conferences. Includes conference rooms and evening banquet options.
• Super Summer STEAMfest Annual free all-ages community celebration featuring hands-on STEAM activities with local organizations, food trucks, entertainment, and more.
• Extreme Sports: Beyond Human Limits New permanent exhibit. Immersive exhibit exploring extreme sports and human athletic performance limits. Features hands-on activities and experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves over 200,000 visitors annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Michigan Flight MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Michigan Flight Museum partners with the Air Zoo to bring historic aircraft fly-ins to the Flight Discovery Center. Aircraft including UH-1 Huey 'Greyhound', C-47 'Hairless Joe', and B-25 'Rosie's Reply' visit annually, with flights available for purchase. The partnership enhances the visitor experience with authentic aviation history opportunities.
• Smithsonian InstitutionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Air Zoo is a Smithsonian Affiliated Aerospace & Science Center, one of approximately 1,000 affiliates worldwide. This affiliation provides access to Smithsonian collections, traveling exhibitions, and enhanced credibility as a world-class museum.
• IF/THEN Initiative (Lyda Hill Philanthropies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIF/THEN initiative partner providing resources to highlight women and minorities in STEM through the Women in Air & Space exhibit and Interactive Timeline.
• Michigan HumanitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichigan Humanities provided support for the 'Daughters of the Sky: The Women Airforce Service Pilots of WWII' exhibit, helping make the exhibit possible.
• KRESA (Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with KRESA's Career & Technical Education program to deliver Aviation Technology course, providing students with hands-on aviation education and career pathways.
• Yankee Air MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYankee Air Museum loaned authentic artifacts including rivet gun, rivet manual, and paystub for the 'We Did It: The Riveting Real Rosies of WWII' exhibit. The museum sits on the former site of Willow Run plant.
• USS Kitty Hawk Veterans AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterans association donated USS Kitty Hawk artifacts including anchor and deck pieces. The association's support made the acquisition possible, enhancing the museum's naval aviation storytelling.
• International Shipbreaking, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Shipbreaking, Inc. facilitated the dismantling of USS Kitty Hawk in Brownsville, Texas and transferred historic artifacts to the Air Zoo.
• PGAV DestinationsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPGAV Destinations is developing a strategic master plan for the Air Zoo to guide future growth and development.
• STEM FlightscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with STEM Flights to offer free flight experiences for local students, expanding aviation education reach in Michigan.
• Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorASTC membership provides reciprocal admission benefits for Air Zoo members at over 1,200 science centers worldwide, and provides Air Zoo members free or reduced admission when visiting other institutions.
• National Association of Reciprocal Museums (NARM)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNARM membership provides reciprocal benefits at over 1,500 museums for Family-level and above Air Zoo members.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pima Air & Space Museum: One of the largest aerospace museums in the world, located in Tucson, Arizona, with 400+ aircraft, a boneyard connection, and restoration programs. Comparable mission, scale, and breadth of aviation collection to Air Zoo.
• Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum: Denver-based aerospace museum housed in a former Air Force hangar with 50+ aircraft, restoration programs, and STEAM education. Comparable scale and non-profit museum model with strong education programming.
• Museum of Flight: Large independent aerospace museum in Seattle with 150+ aircraft, flight simulators, restoration programs, education programs, and memberships. Closest direct peer to Air Zoo in scale, exhibits mix, education mission, and revenue model.
• New England Air Museum: Non-profit aerospace museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut with 100+ aircraft, restoration facility, and education programs. Closely matches Air Zoo's size, non-profit structure, collection size, and STEAM education focus.
• Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum: Oregon-based museum housing the Spruce Goose and a large aviation/space collection with IMAX theater and education programs. Comparable in scale, exhibit mix, and family/entertainment crossover model with rides and simulators.
• EAA Aviation Museum: Aviation museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin operated by the Experimental Aircraft Association. Shares Air Zoo's focus on aircraft collections, restoration, education, and STEAM programming, and draws from a similar Midwest tourism base.
• Yankee Air Museum: Michigan-based aerospace museum at the former Willow Run bomber plant site with WWII focus, restoration programs, and educational offerings. Direct regional peer and existing artifact-loan partner of Air Zoo.
• Michigan Flight Museum: Michigan-based aviation museum operating historic flyable aircraft (UH-1 Huey, C-47, B-25) and partnering directly with Air Zoo for fly-in events. Closest regional peer with overlapping mission around flight experiences and WWII aircraft.

Broad incumbents

• National Air and Space Museum (Smithsonian): The Smithsonian's flagship aerospace museum and the world's most-visited aviation museum. It is the dominant Smithsonian affiliation benchmark for Air Zoo and competes for tourist visitation, donor attention, and exhibit prestige, though it is significantly larger and free-admission.

Emerging players

• Cosmosphere: Smithsonian-affiliated space and science museum in Hutchinson, Kansas with strong STEM/STEAM education, planetarium, and flight simulator offerings. Adjacent peer sharing Air Zoo's Smithsonian affiliation, STEAM focus, and simulator-driven visitor experiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AirZoo
• Facebookfacebook.com/AirZoo
• Instagraminstagram.com/airzoo_
• TikToktiktok.com/@air.zoo
• Xx.com/Air_Zoo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/air-zoo

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Air Zoo