Henry Vilas Zoo sits on 28 acres in Madison, Wisconsin, part of a larger parkland tract that former U.S. Senator William Freeman Vilas and his wife Anna donated to the city in 1904. They named the park after their son Henry, who had died in 1899, and required that it always remain free to the public. By 1911, a section of that land had been set aside for animal exhibits, giving rise to the zoo that stands today.
Now owned by Dane County and accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Henry Vilas Zoo is home to roughly 95 species and more than 650 individual animals, drawing over 750,000 visitors every year. It remains one of only a handful of free-admission zoos left in North America, a direct legacy of the Vilas family’s original condition on the land.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Madison, Wisconsin
- Opened: 1911
- Size: 28 acres
- Species: About 95 species, 650+ animals
- Annual visitors: Over 750,000
- Famous for: Being one of the last free-admission zoos in North America
A Park Gift That Became a Zoo
The land beneath Henry Vilas Zoo began as a 50-acre park donation in 1904, given to the city of Madison with the express condition that it serve as a free public park forever. Within a decade, city leaders carved out roughly half of that acreage for animal exhibits, and the Madison Zoological and Aquarium Society, founded in 1914, took shape to guide its growth. That society was reorganized in 1926 as the Henry Vilas Park Zoological Society, which still supports the zoo’s operations today alongside Dane County.
What Visitors Find Today
Modern exhibits include the Arctic Passage, which opened in 2015 with polar bears, grizzly bears, and harbor seals viewable through underwater windows, built with solar panels and rainwater harvesting to reduce its environmental footprint. Across the rest of the grounds, visitors can see species representing mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects from multiple continents, all without paying an admission fee — a rarity among AZA-accredited zoos of its size.
Explore more: Explore more top zoos and aquariums.
Henry Vilas Zoo FAQs
Is Henry Vilas Zoo really free to visit?
Yes. Under the terms of the original 1904 land donation from the Vilas family, the zoo has remained free to the public, making it one of the few free-admission zoos left in North America.
How many animals live at Henry Vilas Zoo?
The zoo is home to about 95 species and more than 650 individual animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects.
When did Henry Vilas Zoo open?
The surrounding park was donated in 1904, and the zoo itself took shape by 1911 when part of that land was set aside for animal exhibits.
Get More from Henry Vilas Zoo
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Henry Vilas Zoo, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Photo: Corey Coyle / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.