For five decades, Cosley Zoo has provided the community with an up-close look at both feathered and furry friends.
On Saturday, it will celebrate its 50th anniversary since opening on Aug. 17, 1974.
The zoo opens as Cosley Children’s Park and Museum
Now a five-acre home to over 200 native wild and domestic farm animals, the zoo got its start from the donation of a small stretch of farmland.
“The land, originally it was a little over an acre, was donated to the Wheaton Park District because the former landowner, Harvey Cosley, did not want it developed commercially. When he passed away, he asked that the land not be developed, and he’d tell that to his wife’s cousin, Paula Jones, who was his only living relative,” said Sue Wahlgren, director of Cosley Zoo.
With Cosley’s wishes in mind, the park district decided to welcome more animals to the existing farm, turning it into a zoo.
It opened as Cosley Children’s Park and Museum with only one staff member and a handful of farm animals. In 1976, the zoo was renamed to better reflect its purpose.
“They wanted to be a little more specific about what the facility was. So they changed it to Cosley Animal Farm and Museum because, at the time, it primarily had farm animals and then a handful of mismatched wild animals, some native, some non-native,” said Wahlgren.
Cosley Zoo adds new facilities and events
As the zoo entered the 1980s, it began expanding its facilities and events. In 1982, it added the aviary that today houses native birds.
That same year, the zoo launched its first Run for the Animals fundraiser.
Two years later, the zoo added the Mike Williams Cosley Zoo Classic Golf Outing, Pumpkin Fest, and the Festival of Lights and Christmas Tree Sale, all of which are still going strong today.
That was also the year Wahlgren joined the zoo as only one of two staff members, marking the beginning of what would become her 40-year history with Cosley Zoo.
In 1986, the Cosley Foundation was formed, a not-for-profit organization that helps raise funds for the zoo. Its first project was the Vern Kiebler Learning Center, also known as the Big Red Barn or the Barn Learning Center.
“It provided us not only with better-improved spaces for the animals but also a classroom, so we could do more programming, as well as some areas like food preparation and things, that again, facilitate the care of the animals,” said Wahlgren. “It also allowed the zoo to then be open 12 months a year. Prior to that, [it] had been open April through October.”
The foundation next made a splash…By creating the 66,000-gallon duck pond in 1990.
At the end of the decade, the zoo had its final name change.
“I was getting increasing phone calls about, ‘Do you do apple picking? Do you do hayrides?’ It was around the time when the big pumpkin farms came into being and those kinds of things. So it kind of dawned on me [that] we’re not a farm. We have farm animals, but we don’t operate like a farm. We have a collection of animals, which is a zoo. So we changed our name in 1999 to Cosley Zoo,” said Wahlgren.
The zoo’s conservation efforts
When Cosley Zoo entered the new millennium, it earned accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) for its high standards in animal well-being, conservation, and education. The zoo continues to be accredited today.
“AZA is something that we earn. Less than 10% of zoos and aquariums have achieved that status. So out of probably all the things I’ve accomplished during my 40-year career here, that’s something I’m probably the most proud of,” said Wahlgren.
She also takes pride in the zoo’s conservation efforts like the Blanding’s Turtles Recovery Project.
“We became partners with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County back in 2001, and since then have added more partners but we’ve been part of rearing and releasing more than 4,000 of these state endangered animals back into the wild of DuPage County. So it’s been a great project,” said Wahlgren.
More facilities have been added along the way, including a veterinary clinic, a bobcat habitat for two new residents, an amphitheater, and a nature play area for kids.
And more animals as well. Two Canadian lynxes joined the mix in 2022, with two North American porcupines making their prickly entrance earlier this year.
Future plans
Looking ahead, the zoo hopes to add 93 additional parking spots on the east side of Gary Avenue by next spring. This expansion plan was approved by the Wheaton Planning and Zoning Board and will go to the Wheaton City Council for a final decision.
“So we’ll be offering a little more parking, which has been a problem for years on busy days like today when it’s nice out,” said Wahlgren.
The zoo also plans to replace the Duck Pond Pavilion with a larger ADA-accessible shelter in the next few months.
As for programs, the zoo is introducing a behind-the-scenes adventure with Dig the Armadillo. Guests can sign up to get an up-close look at the life of an armadillo and learn about its characteristics and importance.
The event debuts this Sunday, Aug. 18, and will be held on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 1 p.m. through Sept. 29.
The zoo celebrates its 50th anniversary
And in a special nod to the 50th anniversary, the zoo has placed seven panels on its grounds, sharing its history with visitors.
It will also host a celebration on Saturday, Aug. 17, featuring educational critter carts, duck and chicken feedings, animal encounters, and crafts.
Cosley Zoo will also host its Woodland Wonder Gala event on Sept. 7 at the zoo.
Sue Wahlgren says goodbye to the zoo
One part of its past will be leaving the zoo soon.
Sue Wahlgren will say goodbye to the 40-member zoo crew and 200 animal residents as she retires in January after 40 years at the zoo.
“It’s a special place, it really is,” said Wahlgren.
But she’s proud of the zoo’s long-term purpose as it heads toward the next 50 years.
“We have our focus on animal well-being, a focus on conservation, and a focus on education, and kind of the top of that stool is creating memories and time for families to be together,” said Wahlgren.
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