Henry Vilas Zoo Arctic Passage Exhibit & Concessions

Visit the tundra in this Arctic expedition completely immersing zoo guests, bringing them face-to-face with polar bears, seals, and grizzly bears. The adventure begins at a new concession building with indoor seating and over 30’ of glass viewing directly onto the Polar Bear yard where they may be seen slumbering, seated on a ridge overlooking their surroundings, or playing in the pool.

The Arctic Passage exhibit was built to grow the Zoo’s cold weather species collection and provide habitats for polar bears, grizzly bears, and harbor seals. The exhibit added a breeding space for the Zoo’s polar bears and allowed for a significantly improved space for the Zoo’s harbor seals.

This project entailed the construction of a 3000 square foot concrete precast bear holding facility, a 3500 square foot concrete precast seal habitat, and a 4800 square foot concrete precast and steel concession complex. Additionally, new architectural site walls were incorporated to carve out distinct habitats for bears and seals, featuring strategically placed viewing areas for visitors to observe. Each habitat is outfitted with extensive site fencing, pools, and thematic elements. Salvaged rocks and deadfall trees were utilized to create authentic habitat environments, complemented with zero-depth pool entries. A state-of-the-art life support and filtration system ensures optimal conditions for all pools. They can also be operated as fresh or saltwater.

Finally, landscaping was enhanced with a diverse array of grasses, shrubs, and trees as well as interactive features for kids such as a giant retired Arctic research vehicle, the Tundra Buggy, kids can drive, all adding the finishing touches to this immersive experience.

The Arctic Passage exhibit has been transformative for the community and the Zoo, which has served over 830,000 visitors a year since the opening of the exhibit.