Saginaw

About 60,000 people live in this town that survived an economic downturn when the logging industry ended at the turn of the 20th century. As with many Michigan cities, it is struggling to adapt to the challenges of having an economy based on the automotive industry. A article on AOL listed Saginaw in the Top 10 of 'Ghost Towns of the Future', due to its declining population, vacant downtown area, and lack of services.
However, Saginaw has built an impressive network of health care facilities - hospitals, specialists, cancer treatment centers - that serves residents from many of the surrounding counties.

By car

Interstate 75 runs east of the city and links Saginaw to Mackinaw City and the Upper Peninsula to the north, plus Flint, Detroit, and Ann Arbor (the latter via US-23) to the south. Interstate 675 links to I-75 and leads directly to Downtown Saginaw.

By plane

MBS International Airport (MBS) is in nearby Freeland, about midway between Midland, Bay City, and Saginaw. The airport is served by United Express flights from Chicago-O'Hare, plus Delta Connection flights from Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul, plus seasonal flights from Atlanta.

You'll need a car. Public transportation is limited. The Saginaw Valley has five primary tourist areas: Birch Run, Chesaning, Frankenmuth, Saginaw City and Saginaw Township. These are spread out by as much as 25-30 minutes by car.

Culture

• Andersen Enrichment Center

  phone: +1 989 759-1362
  address: 120 Ezra Rust Dr

• Japanese Cultural Center and Tea House

  phone: +1 989 759-1618
  address: 527 Ezra Rust Dr
  Educational and cultural programs for guests of all ages. One of only five of its kind in the country.

• Saginaw Children's Zoo at Celebration Square

  phone: +1 989 759-1408
  address: 1730 S. Washington Ave
  Zoological facility featuring hands-on exhibits where you can let the kid in you out, whether you're 2 or 92. Facility includes: train, playground, Awareness Amphitheater, gift shop, and concessions. Home of Michigan's only new hand-carved carousel. Seasonal with special weekends in October and December. Handicap accessible.

• Theodore Roethke House

  phone: +1 989 799-0559
  1805 Gratiot. Visit the home of famed Pulitzer Prize-Winning Saginaw poet Theodore Roethke and view the historical marker. Educational and cultural tours, slide presentations for organizations, occasional picnics and concerts. Call to make arrangements and obtain information.

Museums

• Castle Museum of Saginaw County History

  phone: +1 989 752-2861
  address: 500 Federal Ave

• Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum

  phone: +1 989 964-7125
  address: 7400 Bay Rd
  University Center. Saginaw Valley State University's permanent exhibition of more than 200 works of art, spanning the career of Marshall Fredericks, internationally known sculptor. A fun and educational experience for visitors of all ages. Handicap accessible.

• Saginaw Art Museum

  phone: +1 989 754-2491
  address: 1126 N. Michigan Ave
  Ancient and modern art, formal gardens, tours, classes and children's area.

• Saginaw Railway Museum

  phone: +1 989 790-7994
  address: 900 Maple St
  Depot, railroad tower, trackage, diesel locomotive, three historic cabooses, two boxcars and limited hours. Call in advance.

Theater and concerts

• Chesaning Showboat

  address: 218 N. Front St
  Chesaning. Variety show draws internationally acclaimed entertainers such as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Roy Clark, Randy Travis and Lee Greenwood. Outdoor theater seats 7,000. Shows are run during the second full week of July. Handicap accessible.

• Pit & Balcony Theater

  phone: +1 989 754-6587
  address: 805 N Hamilton St
  Community theater.

• Saginaw Bay Symphony OrchestraSee and hear some of the best musicians in the area; recently re-organized and performing in the Temple Theatre often, too!

• Saginaw Valley State University Theatre

  phone: +1 989 964-4261
  address: 7400 Bay Rd
  University Center. Comprehensive season, including youth theater. Call for schedule. Handicap accessible.

• Temple TheatreBeautiful historic theatre in downtown on Washington. Concerts, films, plays, and more are shown here. It's been redone and the interior is absolutely breathtaking.

• TheDow Event CenterArena, theater, conference and hall complex in Downtown Saginaw. Formerly the Saginaw Civic Center.

Sports

• Great Lakes Loons

  phone: +1 989 837-2255
  address: 215 E Main St
  "A" affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

• Saginaw Spirit

  phone: +1 989 497-SPIRIT 7747
  Ontario League hockey team.

• Bowling Alleys

• Crooked Creek

  phone: +1 989 781-0050
  address: 9387 Gratiot Rd
  Hours vary. 24 lanes, family-friendly environment.

• LeFevre's Family Bowl

  phone: +1 989 793-3010
  address: 6220 State St
  In Saginaw Township. Hours vary. 48 lanes, Len & Gerry's Pub.

Golf Courses

• Crooked Creek

  phone: +1 989 781-0050
  address: 9387 Gratiot Rd
  Seasonal; hours vary. 18 holes, driving range, open to the public.

• Swan Valley Golf Club

  phone: +1 989 781-4653
  address: 9521 Highland Green Dr
  Seasonal; hours vary. 18 holes, driving range, Grill on the Green lounge, open to the public.

Friday Night Live Morley Plaza (on N. Washington between Citizens Bank and The Temple Theatre). Summer concert series. Food vendors on site, beer tent, children's games. Free admission.

Lawn Chair Film FestivalEasily one of the coolest things to happen to this post-industrial town in quite some time. Weekly free showings of excellent domestic, independent, and foreign films during the summer months. Shows start at dusk; all that's required is your own lawn chair (hence the name of the festival!)

Pit & Balcony Theater

phone: +1 989 754-6587

address: 805 N Hamilton St

Community theater.

Shiver On The River Annual walleye ice-fishing contest on the Saginaw River. Typically begins in late January and concludes in early February, but depends on ice and weather conditions.

WKCQ Country Fest Country music festival typically held on the third Saturday in June on Ojibway Island.

Bay Road Corridor

• Fashion Square Mall

  phone: +1 989 793-6723
  4787 Fashion Square Mall. The Tri-Cities' premier shopping destination. With great shopping destination like Macy's, JC Penney, Sears, over 100 specialty shops including Talbot's, Yankee Candle, Hollister, Children's Place and a eight-unit food court.
• Home to most of Saginaw's national retail outlets and chains.

Frankenmuth

• Bronner's Christmas Wonderland

  phone: +1 989 652-9931
  address: 25 Christmas Ln
  Located in Frankenmuth, claims it is the World's Largest Christmas Store.

• Frankenmuth River Place

  address: 925 S. Main St
  Frankenmuth. Mini European hamlet with 30 shops and attractions including a laser show and the Bavarian Belle paddle wheel boat. Have fun at A-maze-n Mirrors mirror maze, BeeBee's Fun Place, A Magical Town sculpture and hologram village or enjoy time at the Day Spa.

• St. Julian Winery

  phone: +1 989 652-3281
  address: 127 S. Main St
  Frankenmuth. Michigan's oldest and largest wine company. Best selection. Free tastings of Michigan's best wines, champagnes and sparkling juices.

• Prime Outlets at Birch Run

  address: 12240 S. Beyer Rd
  The Midwest's largest outlet center, with 170 shops, with discounts of 25-65% off manufacturers' prices. Stop by the Customer Service Center in Fir Run to receive a current listing of discounts available to shoppers. I-75 adjacent.

• The Stable Outdoor Outfitters

  phone: +1 989 799-0601
  address: 300 S. Hamilton St
  In a 1860s livery stable. Skis, snowboards, bikes, kayaks and in-line skates.
• Many large and small antique shops to explore. The Antique Warehouse has more than a hundred stalls featuring uncommon treasures.

• Saginaw Valley State University

  phone: +1 989 964-4000
  address: 7400 Bay Road

• Delta College

  phone: +1 989 686-9000
  address: 1961 Delta Rd

• Spencer's

  phone: +1 989 793-4500
  address: 5530 Gratiot Rd
  Fine dining and spirits. Classy, upscale restaurant. Italian and American food. The service and the food is excellent.

• Frália's

  phone: +1 989 799-0111
  address: 422 Hancock St
  Newer sandwich shop located in Old Town Saginaw. Absolutely fantastic sandwiches, utilizing fresh and quality ingredients.

• Panda House

  phone: +1 989 755-5394
  address: 1010 N Niagara St
  Excellent Chinese cuisine. The sesame tofu is absolutely outstanding. Highly recommended. Locally owned and operated.
• Pasongs, Great Asian food. All food is made in a single wok, so wait times can be lengthy. Only open Monday through Friday, 11AM - 7PM.

• Tonys Original Restaurants

  phone: +1 989 753-4321
  address: 2525 E Genesee Ave
  Legendary steak sandwiches. Breakfasts are also amazing.

• Bringer Inn

  phone: +1 989 753-1462
  address: 516 W Genesee Ave
  Looking for a good old diner with home cooked meals - all fresh, not frozen? Bringers is not fancy but there's a reason it's always packed. Good food and low prices. Order the Big Mike (with mayo and green olives). Also have great steak sandwiches (see above). Many homemade pies made daily.

• Intermission Deli

  phone: +1 989 790-6777
  address: 2128 Bay St

• Red Eye Coffee House

  phone: +1 989 793-1411
  address: 205 N. Hamilton St
  Has placed two years in Torani's National Barista (Coffee Bartender) contest. Serving Manhattan-style bagels, scones, pastry. Entertainment includes poetry readings, and local art. Not a full service restaurant.

Spatz's Hot Bread The ubiquitous bread of Mid-Michigan. Available at almost any grocery store, this bakery product is produced locally and is the great secret of the area. It has a distinctive wax wrap in solid white and red. People as far away as Marin County, California have it shipped to them. The bread is best described as 'Your Grandmother's Bread'. It is heavy, turns rock hard in about three days (great for toasting then), but it is the closest to fresh baked bread you will find. Many locals don't say they're going to get a loaf of bread, instead they say, 'I need to pick up some Spatz's.'

• Glen Rowan Estate Coffee Roasters

  phone: +1 989 921-0340
  address: 212 S. Washington Ave
  Absolutely excellent coffee (roasted before your eyes), amazing tea, and all kinds of other coffee-ish drinks. Friendly staff, great service, nice environment.

• Len & Gerry's Pub

  phone: +1 989 793-3010
  address: 6220 State St
  In Saginaw Township. Bar inside LeFevre's Family Bowl. Known for its Happy Hour prices.

Hamilton Street in Old Town Saginaw City has a variety of bars and taverns that attract drinkers of all ages.

Check out the Montague Inn, a restored lumber baron's mansion. A very popular place for summer weddings, with beautiful grounds and a lovely honeymoon suite and guest cottage.
Most of the hotels lie outside the city limits. There are many national chains available.

Like many cities in the U.S., Saginaw does have its challenges with crime , most of it related to drug and gang activity. Fortunately for Saginaw, these areas for crime are largely centered in areas not frequented by visitors to the area. Visitors unfamiliar with the area would be wise to avoid residential neighborhoods in the city of Saginaw, especially east of the river and particularly at night. Old Town Saginaw can also get a bit rough, especially late at night when the bars clear out. It is highly advisable to travel in groups and avoid poorly lit or deserted areas as the occasional mugging, while hardly commonplace, is not unheard of. That being said, if you exercise common sense and don't go looking for trouble, you'll be fine.

• Visitors Bureau

• Saginaw Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau

  address: 515 N. Washington Ave
  Third Floor, Saginaw, Michigan.

Television

• WNEM 5 CBS
• WJRT 12 ABC
• WEYI 25 NBC
• WSMH 66 FOX

Newspapers

• The Saginaw News / MLive.com

Radio Stations

• 790 AM WSGW - News/Talk Newsradio 790
• 1250 AM WNEM - All News
• 1400 AM WSAM - Light Adult Contemporary, simulcast with 104.1 FM
• 90.9 FM WTRK - Contemporary Christian Air 1
• 93.7 FM WRCL - Rhythmic Contemporary Hits Club 93-7
• 94.5 FM WCEN - Country 94.5 The Moose
• 97.3 FM WMJO - 80s/90s Rock/Alternative 97.3 JOE FM
• 98.1 FM WKCQ - Country 98FM KCQ
• 100.5 FM WSGW - News/Talk (not simulcast with AM 790)
• 104.5 FM WILZ - Classic Rock Wheelz 104.5 & 101
• 106.3 FM WGER - Bright Adult Contemporary Magic 106.3
• 107.1 FM WTLZ - Mainstream Urban Hot 107.1

• Flint The home of the modern labor union movement in the US. Flint has a great art scene for a city of its size and is much less pretentious.
• Bay City -- Less than 20 minutes from downtown Saginaw, downtown Bay City is known for diverse local eateries and shopping. Also visit the scenic Riverwalk and other public parks along the Saginaw River.