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City in Michigan, United States
Photo: Criticalthinker at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County in the south-central part of the state of Michigan, halfway between Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor, forty minutes south of Lansing and about an hour west of Detroit. Its population is 31,347 (2021) and combined with the county has a metro population of 160,050. Its tall buildings show a Jackson more populated than today, for the population had been declining since 1950 or so, but efforts have begun to flatten the curve and make the city diversified and vibrant.
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An historical site honoring the birthplace of the Republican Party.
Five galleries, including the Midwest's finest wildlife art collection, in Ella Sharp's 19th-century farmhouse with impressive Greek Revival and Italianate architecture added on. Ella's Granary Restaurant, a log cabin, a country store, a school, and a beautiful museum campus are part of the National Register of Historic Places. The grounds of the Ella Sharp Park and Museum were farmland owned by Ella Sharp's grandfather, father, and husband. Upon Ella's death in 1912, she bequeathed the site to the City of Jackson to be transformed into a museum and a park.
A private aviation airport. The airport hosts Jackson County Aviation Day which allows tours and rides in vintage World War II aircraft. There is a restaurant on site and a viewing center for visitors to watch the small planes take off and land.
In addition to the large museum, this public park (Jackson's largest) includes an 18-hole golf course, 18-hole mini-golf course (very fun!), 18-hole disc golf course, trails, a playground, basketball courts, tennis courts, pickleball courts, baseball, softball, and soccer fields, nature areas, and pavilions. Open year-round and hosts many events.
This park occupies 465 acres and contains the illuminated Cascades, a giant waterfall and six fountains over which water tumbles in continually changing patterns. There also is a small museum depicting the history of Cascades Falls, two golf courses, tennis courts, a picnic area, lagoons, paddle boats, batting cages and a miniature golf course.
Pleasant, somewhat "old-fashioned" ice cream parlour with delicious and generous servings of a variety of sundaes, sodas, shakes, etc. Many flavors to choose from. A Jackson tradition. Opened in 1944.
Hinkley's Donuts
Excellent donuts.
Ogma
Community chill spot with house-brewed beers and nice food.
Includes hot breakfast, WiFi, and indoor pool.
By far the largest shopping mall in the city and the area, boasting over fifty stores and such big box stores as Target, Hobby Lobby, Burlington, Ross, Best Buy, Dunham's Sports, Five Below, OfficeMax, PetSmart, Lowes, and Kohls. There are also many restaurants in the mall, and a US Post Office branch as well. Home to Jackson's movie theater.
The next largest mall in the city and the only other enclosed shopping mall. Not as upscale as its big brother to the north, but certainly boasts a variety of shops, the largest being JCPenney and Walmart (the only one in the city and surrounding area). A few restaurants are also located in the mall.
This shopping center is on Airport Rd between I-94 and Springport Rd on the northwest side of Jackson, just north of Jackson County Airport. This shopping center has a Meijer grocery store and gas station, a few fast food restaurants, a Holiday Inn Express and a Home2, a Jackson County Library Branch, and a Tractor Supply Co. on the east side of Airport Road. South of the freeway and a turn on O'neill Dr and there is a Sams Club, another Holiday Inn, and a couple of nicer restaurants (Cracker Barrel, Olive Garden, Culver's).
Shopping center with a Tractor Supply Co., DollarTree, Verizon cell phone store, auto parts store, gas and convenience stores, a Great Clips hair salon, and a few fast-food and casual restaurants. The main business district for Michigan Center and Vandercook Lake.
By plane
Jackson County Airport (Reynolds Field) services the county's small private aircraft, but does not service commercial airlines.
By train
The city of Jackson is in a rough grid shape, with Interstate 94, US 127, Kibby Rd/McDevitt Ave, and M-60 roughly defining the north, east, south, and west borders of the city, respectively.
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Lansing · Regional · LAN
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