We would love to have you back for the 2026 season! This form is for those who are planning on volunteering in one or more ongoing roles for the 2026 season and already know what they want their schedule to be.
Please reach out to Volunteer Coordinator, Lauren Salzmann, with questions: volunteer@henryvilaszoo.gov/608-283-1612.
See our herd like never before in the memorable up-close encounter. This popular activity is a unique way to meet our reticulated giraffe herd and learn more about their unique adaptations.
The new giraffe pavilion will include new spaces that will allow us to expand our popular education programs. Interactive interpretive signs will ensure all guests have the opportunity to learn more about our work and ways to help protect animals in the wild.
The Herd Room will be the largest indoor animal space at the Zoo, welcoming guests year-round. Visitors will get an up-close view of how our animal care team takes care of these majestic animals.
The Edge of Africa: Giraffe will give Henry Vilas Zoo the opportunity to introduce new species to the public. Animals like the critically endangered Rüppell’s griffon vulture, which is vital to Africa’s ecology, and Marabou stork with an impressive wing span that can be over 9 feet wide!
The Giraffe Pavilion event patio will be one of the most unique settings for events in Madison. Designed for small events for up to 200 people, this space has also been designed with accessibility in mind.
Designed with healthcare in mind, our design includes a working barn that will showcase how our animal care team works with our animals to have them voluntarily participate in their own healthcare. A moving wall will allow our veterinary team to perform wellness checks, get weights, trim hooves, and even get blood draws and administer vaccines to our giraffe herd.
Set to be the largest construction project the Zoo has ever undertaken; the Giraffe Pavilion will champion a whole new generation of conservationists and bring Henry Vilas Zoo into the forefront of zoos in the U.S.
Designed with sustainability in mind, our new giraffe building will incorporate rainwater reuse, low-carbon concrete, require minimal fossil fuel use and utilize Dane County off-site renewables.
Guests will be welcomed into our working barn, where we will have space to share conservation stories and invite people to get up close with our giraffe herd year-round.
The indoor herd room will provide almost triple the amount of space as our old building and incorporate a large garage door to let in natural light.
In addition to the herd room, the giraffe pavilion will feature individual stalls that will allow our animal care team to provide world-class healthcare for our giraffe herd. Utilizing the newest advancements in giraffe care, this state-of-the-art facility will offer safe spaces for our veterinary team to provide care and comfort.
Our new feeding platform will bring guests face-to-face with the tallest mammals on Earth! Puzzle feeders and animal enrichment activities will allow guests to learn more about the unique adaptations of these animals.