Saginaw Valley
Create magical memories in Michigan’s Saginaw Valley. Bring the family or get away with friends – you’ll be welcomed with open arms!
Our charming towns invite you to explore our one-of-a-kind collection of attractions. The village of Birch Run plays host to the Midwest’s largest outlet mall and a variety of shows at the Birch Run Expo Center. Historic Chesaning will inspire you to relax and enjoy the view and our North Pole Express will make you believe in magic again. Visit Frankenmuth, “Michigan’s Little Bavaria” – one of Michigan’s most popular visitor destinations – and enjoy old-world hospitality at world-famous restaurants, the world’s largest Christmas store and throughout the town. And the action never stops in Saginaw, with the new Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, Saginaw Spirit OHL Hockey, activities at the breathtaking Temple Theatre and so much more. From sophisticated culture to down-home entertainment, unique specialty shops to outlet store bargains, it’s all here in Michigan’s Saginaw Valley.
Come, make some memories…
Learn more at: www.visitsaginawvalley.com
Photographer: George Faerber
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- Antiques – Saginaw is home to a vibrant antique market, including the Antique Warehouse, one of the largest antique malls in Michigan!
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- Bald Eagle – Rehabilitated from an accident but unable to return to the wild, this Bald Eagle now gives zoo visitors an up close appreciation of the wild eagles found around Saginaw.
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- Carousel – The Carousel features two dozen hand crafted animal rides and chariot seats for visitors. After two years and 40,000 volunteer hours, the Carousel starting taking riders in 1998. Murals cover the Carousel, featuring scenes from the history and vibrant fabric of Saginaw's communities.
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- Deer under the canopy – As the sun sets, the canopy from the trees provides a dark contrast to the reflection of a doe in the marshlands surrounding Grefe tower. Grefe tower overlooks thousands of acres of open water, grasslands, marsh and forest in the center of the Shiawassee Refuge.
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- Delicious Gelato – Saginaw is home to a vibrant small business community. With strong support from several business and economic development organizations, the choices for entrepreneurs are endless!
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- Dow Event Center Panorama – The Dow Event Center is comprised of several facilities providing a venue for the Saginaw Spirit Hockey team, the Saginaw Sting Arena Football team, as well Broadway musicals, concerts and other traveling events. This panoramic photo showcases the modern Atrium serving the facilities.
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- Eagle's Gaze – The Bald Eagle has made a dramatic comeback in Michigan since it was placed on the endangered species lists in the 1970's. More than 500 occupied nests have been surveyed in Michigan in recent years and eagles are an increasingly common sight along the major rivers in Saginaw.
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- Family at the Zoo – Children can pet Clydesdale horses and many other interesting animals at the Childrens Zoo at Celebration Square.
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- Family of swimmers – The Hooded Merganser is a crested duck native to the northern United States and southern Canada. With a preference for swamps or wooded ponds, it is a natural resident of the Shiawassee Wildlife Refuge.
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- Holy Family Church at Night – Construction on The Holy Family Catholic Church began in 1916, but was delayed due to World War I and was not completed until 1924. With roots stretching back to the late 1800's, it is now a part of the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, established on February 26th, 1938 by Pope Pius XI.
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- Hoyt Park Veteran's Memorial Plaza – Hoyt park is an expansive area that features public greenspace, a natural amphitheater, athletic fields, and the Veteran's Memorial Plaza. The 27 acres were donated to the city in 1883 from the estate of Jesse Hoyt who helped to develop much of the area.
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- Japanese Cultural Center Gardens – The Japanese Cultural Center features both a Tea House and the Gardens. Situated on the shore of Lake Linton just off the Saginaw River, the gardens feature weeping cherry trees, a stream, and a peaceful serenity perfect for an afternoon stroll. The Center is open from April to October.
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- Johnny Panther Quests Ecotours Guide – Johnny Panther Quests offers tours of the Shiawassee waterways, as well as the surrounding areas, by boat year round as weather permits. Getting out on the water is a great way to see the wildlife and natural beauty of the region.
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- Junction Valley Quarter-Size Railroad – The Junction Valley Railroad (JVR) is the largest Quarter-Size Railroad in the world. With over 2 miles of track, the JVR was designed and engineered by William A. Stenger and family. Guests can ride the trains 7 days per week from the end of May through Labor Day. A train depot stop in the park offers food and provides access to a large picnic area.
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- Leaning reflection – A small tree reflects upon itself in one of the wetland pools at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge.
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- Let's go for a ride – The Children's Zoo at Celebration Square features a miniature train modeled after vintage locomotives from the late 1800's. Nicknamed the "Iberschoff Special" after doner Dr. Carl H. Iberschoff, the train has been providing children and their parents with rides through the Zoo for over 40 years.
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- Look but don't touch – This python caught the eye and the imagination of a young visitor to the zoo.
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- Magical Evening – The Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra, led by guest conductor Milen Nachev and featuring the pianist YouYou Zhang, presented the Tchaikovsky Spectacular to a crowded theater on May 2nd, 2009. The evening concluded with a stunning laser light show set to the 1812 overture.
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- Red-bellied Woodpecker – The Red-bellied Woodpecker is one of the many birds that can be seen while hiking or boating around Saginaw.
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- Roll out the Red Carpet – Saginaw's Temple Theater has received several Historic Preservation awards since the spectacular seven million dollar renovation in 2002. The theater is not just the Showplace of Northeastern Michigan, but a vibrant hub of creativity for the local community.
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- Saginaw Children's Zoo at Celebration Square – The Children's Zoo at Celebration Square is an accessible Zoo with an emphasis on engaging exhibits appealing to children and adults. The Zoo also features over 80 spectacular garden beds maintained by community volunteers through the Adopt-A-Garden program.
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- Saginaw Water Works – The Saginaw Water Works has been serving the city for over 80 years since it was built in 1929.
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- Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Infrared – Nicknamed "The Flats," the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) first saw human activity over 5000 years ago. Today it is 9,427 acres of marshes, fields, croplands and bottomland-hardwood forests. Four separate rivers meet on the refuge, the Flint, Cass, Tittabawassee, and Shiawassee.
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- Steeped in history – The City of Saginaw was incorporated in 1857 after decades of regional growth spurred by lumber and industry. From a remote trading outpost in 1816 to the modern city it is today, signs of the rich history of Saginaw are still visible throughout the town.
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- Taking flight – The Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge has been designated as a US Important Bird Area by the American Birding Association. This is partially due to its use by genuine migratory flocks of James Bay Canadian geese which make an annual appearance. Over 250 species of birds, including nearly a hundred songbirds, have been found within the Refuge.
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- Wandering beetle – Keen eyes will discover creatures both large and small within the diverse ecosystem in and around the Saginaw valley.
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- Watchful mother – A mother Raccoon teaches her three small kits the ropes while keeping out a watchful eye for danger.
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- Water and Sky – The Shiawassee Flats represent one of the largest wetland ecosystems in Michigan. Just 25 miles from the Saginaw Bay in Lake Huron, its expansive waterways and wide open spaces are home to hundreds of species of native and migratory birds.
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- Wickes Park Sunset – H. Randall Wickes is a great son of Saginaw, born in 1889. Wickes Park is a 93 acre riverfront park made possible by the Wickes Foundation, established in 1945. Fishing, biking and walking are all activities possible at this great community resource.
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- Work and Play – The Saginaw river starts at the confluence of the Shiawassee and the Tittabawassee Rivers and runs northward through the City of Saginaw towards Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. The rivers are well used by boaters and fisherman year round, from speed boat races to firework displays and even ice fishing contests.
See the Other Spring 2009 Locations
