Kellogg's Cereal City USA was a place where people could visit in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan, a city known as "Cereal City." It was open from 1998 to 2007. The attraction told visitors about the Kellogg's brand, its products, and how it helped the breakfast cereal industry.

Opening and features

Interest in a Kellogg's-themed attraction increased after the company stopped giving tours at its nearby factory in 1986. Construction of the roadside attraction began on December 19, 1996. Called a museum and designed to look like a factory from the early 1900s, the attraction opened at 171 West Michigan Avenue in May 1998. The Heritage Center Foundation spent $22 million to build and furnish it. Admission cost $7.95.

The attraction’s opening was praised by then-Michigan Governor John Engler, who called it a "major tourist attraction." The State of Michigan provided about $2.8 million in support.

The two-story building, covering 45,000 square feet (about 4,200 square meters), had exhibits about Kellogg's history, products, and the company. It also included a restaurant called the Red Onion Grill, named after a diner at the Battle Creek Sanitarium. An ice cream parlor named Sullivan's offered sundaes topped with Kellogg's cereals.

Visitor numbers and closure

The people who supported the project originally said the attraction would bring in more than 400,000 visitors each year. However, the highest number of visitors was 162,000 in 1998, the year it opened. Between 2000 and 2005, the attraction had an average of 86,203 visitors each year. In 2006, it had 75,500 visitors, and it closed in January 2007. Operators said the attraction needed at least 100,000 visitors each year to stay open without losing money. The city of Battle Creek had to pay $875,000 for the closed attraction, but Kellogg's bought the building for $2 million. Kellogg's paid off the debt, changed the building into office space for businesses, and sold it the next year. In 2011, the building was given to Battle Creek Public Schools.