About the UW Zoological Museum
The Zoological Museum is associated with the University
of Wisconsin Department of Zoology. The Museum consists of a 10,000
square-foot collections storage and research facility, and a small
exhibits gallery. The gallery is open to the public most weekdays,
but access to the collections is restricted. Qualified researchers
and students wishing to visit and/or use the collections must contact
the staff to make an appointment.
Mission Statement:
 The University of Wisconsin-Madison Zoological Museum was established
to be a center for research and educational support for the University
of Wisconsin-Madison. It was likewise charged with acting
as a depository for biological specimens and knowledge deriving
from activities of State of Wisconsin agencies. It is dedicated
to the preservation, study, and understanding of the vertebrate
and aquatic fauna of Wisconsin, the Midwest, and other parts of
the world. The Museum acquires, processes, accessions, and
houses documented specimens resulting from field and laboratory
research and the work of contributing agencies. The collections
provide a library of primary information basic to studies of animal
and human ecology, systematics and genetics, and morphology. Mission
and Strategies 2007-2009... 
History of the Museum
In 1848, even prior to construction of the first university building,
the University of Wisconsin Regents requested that specimen collecting
for a “Natural History Cabinet” be initiated. Horace
Tenney, later the Assistant State Geologist, with guidance and
assistance from Increase Lapham, began collecting samples for use
in teaching of zoology and natural history courses. With completion
of North Hall in 1851 the collections were housed there; in 1855
the growing museum collections were moved to newly built South
Hall. Upon completion of University Hall in 1859 (later Bascom
Hall), the collections were moved once again. By 1865 the specimen
inventory had reached 12,137. More
museum history...
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