Battle Creek

Battle Creek residents' progressive attitudes are manifested in other issues. In the decades before the Civil War the city was an abolitionist stronghold and an overt station on the Underground Railroad. Thus the names Kellogg and Post are no more important than that of Sojourner Truth. An ex-slave, this tall, persuasive woman carried her crusade for truth and freedom from tiny rooms to President Lincoln's office. She came to Battle Creek in 1858 and died in 1883; her grave is in Oak Hill Cemetery at South Avenue and Oak Hill Drive. Statues in Monument Park and Linear Park honor her work.

Residents find respite from industrial and commercial activities in city parks. Bailey Park's C.O. Brown Stadium, between Capital Avenue and the Battle Creek River, is the setting for national amateur baseball tournaments. South of town on Goguac Lake, landscaped Willard Beach Park offers water sports and picnicking. Linear Park extends across much of the city, offering 17 miles of landscaped walkways highlighted by gazebos, boardwalks and bridges, which provide opportunities for jogging, bicycling, walking and picnicking.

Guided tours are offered of the Historic Adventist Village , 411 Champion St. The religious community features restored and re-created 19th-century buildings; phone (269) 965-3000.

Visitor Centers

Things to Do

Binder Park Zoo

Miller Children's Zoo

Leila Arboretum

GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS