TAKE A KISSTORY TOUR

THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF

CADILLAC NEWS -- SEPTEMBER 27, 2025

The KISS 50 Cadillac Reunion is just two weeks away. Visitors from all over the planet will come to Cadillac to celebrate. One of the main attractions that draws fans to Cadillac is the KISStory Tour. 

 

The Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau has fantastic resources featuring everything you need to know about KISS 50. These not only include information about the tour, but also all the schedules and events for the KISS 50 weekend. Be sure to read the latest press release. It's all at kisscadillac.com.  

 

 The CAVB sites have maps, local stops at businesses, and all the basic tour data. However, I've been conducting these tours for fifty years. Although I've hosted people from all over the world, it recently dawned on me that locals might enjoy some insights about the tour. So, come on. Let's take a KISStory Tour. 

 

The origins of the tour began with visitors. There are four spots every KISS fan asked to see: the football field where the helicopter took off, the Cadillac High gym where the concert was held, the firehouse where KISS posed on a fire truck, and the parade route on Mitchell Street. Visitors asked if these spots could be highlighted in some way for picture opportunities (selfies). This led to the four KISStory plaque locations. The KISS Monument became the focal point of the tour experience. 

 

MONUMENT: The KISS Monument, the only monument to KISS in the world, is the beginning point of the tour. It's eight feet tall, five feet wide, and made of midnight black granite. On the front is a brief history of the KISS visit, the classic firehouse photo, and a reproduction of the Cadillican newspaper header. 

 

You'd be surprised at how many people don't know there's something on the back of the monument. There are more classic photos, the scores for the 1974 and 1975 football seasons, and a rendering of the flyer KISS tossed out of the helicopter. One photo shows KISS lips behind the band at the concert. We couldn't fit the giant KISS logo through the skinny doors at the gym's entrance, so a student drew the lips on cardboard. It's the only time in the band's history that they performed without the standard KISS sign. 

 

PLAQUE ONE. This is located just to the left of the Monument. It shows photos of the CHS marching band and the helicopter taking off. You can look out onto the football stadium and note that although upgrades have been made, the scoreboard and bleachers are pretty much the same as in 1975. 

 

PLAQUE TWO. Located outside of the CHS Athletics office, it tells the story of the concert in the gym. Getting inside the gym has to be pre-arranged, but there's something interesting you can see from the outside. Notice at the very top of the outside brick walls is a series of brown panels that are not brick. In 1975, these were all windows that cold be cranked open. This allowed for the sound and pyrotechnics smoke to flow out of the gym. How loud was it? People will tell you that they sat in their back yards two miles away and listened to the show. (By the way, two thousand attended the concert and ten thousand claim they did.) 

 

PLAQUE THREE. Located at the old firehouse, now the office of the CAVB, on Mitchell Street (across from the Cadillac News). This is where KISS posed on the fire truck. 

The building's architecture is the same as in 1975 right down to the “CFD” logo etched in stone. The side steps used to lead to the Cadillac Municipal offices, so it's a second photo op. 

 

PLAQUE FOUR. Located next to the Sweet Shop, this tells the story of the homecoming parade route. Mitchell Street was renamed KISS Boulevard for the occasion. Plus, the parade took place around 10:30 AM. Students were let out of school to attend. 

 

MUSEUM: Plaque four usually ends the downtown section of the KISStory Tour and a return to the Monument is common. However, for KISS 50 there's a awesome bonus that is now the fifth tour stop – the Wexford County Historical Society Museum (https://wexfordcountyhistory.org/). The CAVB touts: “The special KISS50 Exhibit showcases rare photos, memorabilia, and stories from the band’s legendary 1975 visit that put Cadillac on the rock ‘n’ roll map. The exhibit is a must-see stop for fans wanting to experience the history, the music, and the hometown pride that made KISS and Cadillac forever connected.”

 

The KISStory Tour has drawn people to Cadillac for fifty years, but there's a hidden benefit. I call it the KISStory stealth economy. Thousands have come here, but not in large groups. They come two or three at a time or sometimes as families. You may not even realize they are here, but they patronize Cadillac's businesses and that translates to tourism dollars. One visitor from New York told me: “I've read the stories and seen the pictures. This is like coming home.” 

 

Finally, I have one request for local citizens. Your task for the KISS Cadillac 50 Reunion is to have as much fun as possible. Enjoy every minute. Smile a lot. Let's show the world how to have a real Rock'n'Roll party. 

 

 

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at Cadillacnews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.