Zoos in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has a deep bench of zoos, from a large Milwaukee institution to many small municipal and family-run sites in smaller cities. Milwaukee County Zoo, opened in 1892, covers 190 acres and houses about 3,100 animals from 350 species. Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison has been free to enter since 1911 and sits on 28 acres, while Racine Zoo occupies 32 acres of parkland on the shore of Lake Michigan. In the south-central part of the state, the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, founded in 1973, exhibits all 15 of the world's crane species. Smaller community zoos such as Irvine Park Zoo in Chippewa Falls, which began in 1909 as a single bear pen, and Menominee Park Zoo in Oshkosh fill in the northern and central map.