WKAR News

From Jackson Field To Potter Park Zoo, Lansing Resident Recreates City In Animal Crossing

WKAR Public Media | By Sophia Saliby

Published September 17, 2021 at 3:19 PM EDT

Kaleigh Klosowski and Sophia Saliby's Animal Crossing character stand in front of her recreation of the State Capitol in the game. Sophia is clapping and Kaleigh is waving a flag. — Klosowski has spent more than 1,000 hours playing Animal Crossing since the game came out last year.

Kaleigh Klosowski says the project was a way for her to experience the city during the pandemic.

For many, the Nintendo Switch video game "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" came at just the right time. The game was released just days after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. on March 20, 2020.

Klosowski's Animal Crossing character, a woman with shot brown hair wearing a Lansing Lugnuts baseball cap, waves up at the shadow of a plane crossing over her island. — Klosowski has been finishing up her island, so she can invite Michiganders and Lanstronauts to visit.

When you start the game, you arrive on a deserted island and are tasked with making the town there more hospitable to a whole host of animal villagers.

The games offers players tons of customization options to decorate their island.

Lansing resident Kaleigh Klosowski has put more than 1,000 hours into the game but recently decided to build her island as a tribute to the town she lives in.

Over the past year and half, she has connected with other players across the globe through an Instagram account she runs.

"I'm always talking about Michigan on my page, and I'm, like, well, seems like the best thing to do to have people come visit me is to make my city. So, I figured I would make Lansing basically, so people could come tour it."

Kaleigh Klosowski's Animal Crossing character standing behind a register at her recreation of Quality Dairy. — Klosowski's recreation of Quality Dairy even includes their famous Chip Dip.

Klosowski has spent a lot of time taking iconic Lansing landmarks like the Frandor Shopping Center and the state Capitol building and using creative ways to put them in the game.

"I customized the outside of my house so that it was white. And then to make it look, I guess, tiered and look a little bit more like three-dimensional, I have the backside of some wedding pipe organs that are kind of stacked a little bit this way," she said.

"And then on top, I have like a wedding [or] like nuptial bell-type thing that sits on top, so it's like the dome of the Capitol Building."

She said the pandemic has been a big reason for this project, especially since she wasn't enjoying things last year she typically would in the city like Lugnuts games at Jackson Field.

Kaleigh Klosowski and Sophia Saliby's Animal Crossing characters stand on the airport dock for the island. A seaplane in the right as well as a flagpole flying a flag with the city Lansing's seal. — Klosowski made her island flag look like the city of Lansing's official seal.

"As soon as we couldn't go, I'm like, 'How am I going to not go and get my Oreo churro and hang out and watch the game?' Like, I need something to scratch that itch a little bit. So, that's why I'm like, I need to start making some of these things, [and] I need to be able to experience them again.

She still has work to do to finish her vision for the island including building Michigan State University's campus and making the inside of Horrocks Farm Market look just like its real-life counterpart.

Animal Crossing players can use her dream code, DA-1447-7412-6244 to visit.

And for those who don't have the game, WKAR's Sophia Saliby took a tour of Klosowski's island to see all the sights.

The State Capitol Building

1 of 4 — State Capitol

This room is meant to represent the rotunda of the State Capitol building.

Sophia Saliby / WKAR

Klososki's recreation of the State Capitol building in Animal Crossing

2 of 4 — State Capitol

Klosowski used turned around wedding organs and forced perspective to turn her house in the game into the State Capitol building.

Courtesy / Kaleigh Klosowski

Kaleigh Klosowski and Sophia Saliby's Animal Crossing characters stand in her recreation of the House of Representatives Chambers in the State Capitol.

3 of 4 — State Capitol

Klosowski also recreated the House of Representatives Chamber within her house.

Sophia Saliby / WKAR

Sophia Saliby's Animal Crossing character stands next to a desk in the game. On the desk is a Quality Dairy mug.

4 of 4 — State Capitol

Klowoski has customized many little details on her island including this Quality Dairy mug.

Sophia Saliby / WKAR

REO Town

A screenshot from Animal crossing with 3 turned around dog houses in front of 3 Leaning Towers of Pisa to represent the Lansing Board of Water and Light's power plant stacks.

1 of 3 — REO Town

Klosowski used dog houses and Leaning Towers of Pisa found in the game to make the Lansing Board of Water and Light's stacks at its Eckert Power Plant.

Courtesy / Kaleigh Klosowski

Sophia Saliby's Animal Crossing Character standing in front of a REO Town sign.

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REO Town is one of the neighborhoods of Lansing Klosowski decided to recreate.

Sophia Saliby / WKAR

A diner setting created in Animal Crossing with red vinyl tables and chairs, pies and cinnamon buns on the table and a train standee cutout. A sign reads "Good Truckin'"

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Good Truckin' Diner is one of the first places you can visit when you arrive on Klosowski's island.

Courtesy / Kaliegh Klosowski

Old Town

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Klosowski's recreation of Old Town features several stores in the Lansing neighborhood.

Courtesy / Kaleigh Klosowski

Preuss Pets in Animal Crossing with a Rainbow "P" sign, a house and a cacao tree, a small bridge, a hamster cage, some fish tanks, a coolers and a small turtle figure.

2 of 5 — Old Town

Klosowski's recreation of Preuss Pets features a hamster, snapping turtle, a lion fish and some coral.

Sign for The Grid. Inside are 5 different pinball machines along with an arcade game. There is a table with bar stools and a coconut drink.

3 of 5 — Old Town

There are several pinball machine types in the game that have been placed in the The Grid Arcade & Bar.

Sign for Old Town General Store. The store has a vending machine, clothes and hats on display along with books and some food.

4 of 5 — Old Town

The Old Town General Store has also been recreated on the island.

Sign for Cravings Gourmet Popcorn. Inside is a vending machine, two popcorn machines, a menu board and a cash register.

5 of 5 — Old Town

Cravings Gourmet Popcorn is one of four stores in the Old Town section of Klosowski's island.

Jackson Field

1 of 3 — Jackson Field

The first place from Lansing Klosowski recreated was Jackson Field because of her love of Lugnuts games.

Courtesy / Kaleigh Klosowski

Sophia Saliby's Animal Crossing character sits on the pitcher's mound of Klosowski's recreation of Jackson Field.

2 of 3 — Jackson Field

The island is populated with animal villagers from an octopus to a wolf.

Sophia Saliby / WKAR

Sophia Saliby's Animal Crossing character sits at the Pepsi Porch area of Jackson Field.

3 of 3 — Jackson Field

Klosowski takes time pixel by pixel to design some of the signs in the game.

Sophia Saliby / WKAR

Potter Park Zoo

1 of 3 — Potter Park Zoo

Klosowski made sure to include two rhinos in the zoo to represent Doppsee and her son, Jaali.

Courtesy / Kaleigh Klosowski

2 of 3 — Potter Park Zoo

Klosowski said it was important to include the zoo's red pandas in her recreation because of the new cubs at the zoo.

Courtesty / Kaleigh Klosowski

3 of 3 — Potter Park Zoo

Frandor

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Sophia Saliby's Animal Crossing character does a laughing reaction in front of an area made to look like a Quality Dairy Store. There is a register with QD Chip Dip and Quality Dairy logos, ice cream and shelves of donuts and other snacks.

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Klosowski posted a series of photos on Twitter of her recreation of Quality Dairy that got a lot of buzz.

Sophia Saliby / WKAR

Sophia Saliby's Animal Crossing Character does a surprised reaction in front of a sign for Horrocks Farm Market. Behind her is a house and a parking lot full of cars.

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Klosowski plans to use her second house on the island to make the inside of Horrocks Farm Market.

Sophia Saliby's Animal Crossing Character stands on pavement. Around her is shelves with plants like bouquets, orchids and small Christmas trees. There are also flying fish flags.

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Klosowski even created the garden section of Horrocks Farm Market.

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Animal Crossing players can use terraforming tools to build rivers and cliffs on their island.

Sophia Saliby / WKAR

Klosowski's recreation of the R.E. Olds Transportation museum is several race cars in parking spots, a sign with the museum's name, and standee depicting a vintage car.

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Many Animal Crossing players collaborate to commission and share custom designs.

Courtesy / Kaleigh Klosowski

A street on the island. There's a "Road Work Ahead" sign with three cones. On one side of the road are solar panels and a Quality Dairy Store. Other the other side is a parking lot and a Joann Fabric Store.

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It wouldn't be Lansing without road work impacting traffic.