Felix Kremer, left, of the Henry Vilas Park Zoological Society, and Wisconsin State Journal Publisher Martin J. “Murph” Wolman, with one of the beneficiaries of the “Old Newsboys Day” fundraising campaign in May 1971. The site of the new Vilas Park Children’s Zoo is in the background.
State Journal archives
Elephants perform at the Henry Vilas Zoo with zookeeper Herb Malzacher in the early 1980's.
State Journal archives
Stump-tailed macaque and rhesus monkeys have always attracted a crowd at the Henry Vilas Zoo. In 1919, the zoo became the first in the United States to build a "monkey island." The round monkey house, shown here in 1997, was built in 1963 and torn down in 1998.
State Journal archives
Chief, a 1-year-old polar bear cub shown in 1974, shakes off water after a dip in his pool. He was shot by police in 1988 after a mentally ill man entered the bear's habitat.
The original Vilas Park carousel was a popular attraction between 1958 and 1968. Thousands rode the carousel, built in the early 1900s, for 10 cents a ride, and its debut was front-page news with the State Journal noting: "There stood the new merry-go-round, with 36 of the most beautiful horses ever seen in Madison."
In May, 1988, two orphaned polar bear cubs, Nanuq and Norton, arrived in Madison following a wildly successful fundraising campaign. After Norton was shipped to a zoo in Rhode Island, Nanuq bellowed for days.
Felix Kremer, left, of the Henry Vilas Park Zoological Society, and Wisconsin State Journal Publisher Martin J. “Murph” Wolman, with one of the beneficiaries of the “Old Newsboys Day” fundraising campaign in May 1971. The site of the new Vilas Park Children’s Zoo is in the background.
The original Vilas Park carousel was a popular attraction between 1958 and 1968. Thousands rode the carousel, built in the early 1900s, for 10 cents a ride, and its debut was front-page news with the State Journal noting: "There stood the new merry-go-round, with 36 of the most beautiful horses ever seen in Madison."
In May, 1988, two orphaned polar bear cubs, Nanuq and Norton, arrived in Madison following a wildly successful fundraising campaign. After Norton was shipped to a zoo in Rhode Island, Nanuq bellowed for days.
Stump-tailed macaque and rhesus monkeys have always attracted a crowd at the Henry Vilas Zoo. In 1919, the zoo became the first in the United States to build a "monkey island." The round monkey house, shown here in 1997, was built in 1963 and torn down in 1998.
Chief, a 1-year-old polar bear cub shown in 1974, shakes off water after a dip in his pool. He was shot by police in 1988 after a mentally ill man entered the bear's habitat.
