History of Cosley Zoo

On November 9, 1973, 2.65 acres of land were donated to the Wheaton Park District by Paula Jones. Ms. Jones wanted to save the land from development, and donated it in memory of Harvey Cosley, the previous landowner and close relative. The park district accepted the land and proceeded to repair the old barns and the 1887 Chicago and Northwestern train station that was moved to the site in 1910. The park received a great deal of help from local service organizations and businesses. The park, called Cosley Children's Park and Museum, opened on August 17, 1974. On opening day the park displayed only a handful of domestic farm animals. Within a few short months the park began exhibiting native wildlife. After roughly two years of operation, the park changed its name to Cosley Animal Farm and Museum. An 1800s barn from St. John's Lutheran Church in downtown Wheaton was moved to the park in November of 1974. The barn is used for storage and display of antique horse drawn vehicles. During the summer of 1975, railroad tracks were laid in front of the train station. In November of that same year, a retired Burlington railroad caboose was brought in to sit on the tracks. In September 1976, federal revenue sharing funds made it possible to enlarge Cosley by two acres. This area was later to be expanded into habitats exclusively for wildlife. An additional .65 acre was later acquired for use as a parking lot. In 1982, the park built an aviary to house 13 varieties of pheasants as well as Ruffed Grouse, Doves and several other birds. This project was completed in the fall of 1982. Today, the aviary houses native birds, and is slated for a major renovation. From 1974 until 1981 the zoo manager lived on the zoo premises in the train station. In 1981, the park district acquired a house with one acre of land across the street from the zoo. The house was purchased as a residence for the Cosley Zoo manager. In 1984, the park district realized that the park needed additional funding for capital improvement. It was during this year that three new fund-raisers were born: The Cosley Classic Golf Outing, Fall Festival and The Festival of Lights and Christmas Tree Sales. These fund-raisers were to join the already successful Run for the Animals that began in 1982. Cosley established a new and colorful logo in 1984. This new logo, used as the front sign, became the well-known trademark of the facility. With money coming in from successful fund-raising, the Wheaton Park District decided to organize a support group to utilize the money for capital development. In August of 1986, the Cosley Foundation, Inc. became officially recognized as a 501 C 3 not for profit foundation. Since its inception, the Cosley Foundation, Inc. has consistently raised approximately $130,000.00 to $150,000.00 annually. The foundation has sponsored the building of the Vern Kiebler Learning Center, a 66,000-gallon duck pond, an amphitheater and exhibits for Red Fox, Coyotes, Raccoons, Rabbits, White-tailed Deer and raptors. The Vern Kiebler Learning Center was completed in October of 1987. This $356,000 facility was built to house most of the domestic farm animals, feed storage areas, hospital and isolation rooms and office space. It also includes a large indoor area for educational programs and special events. With the construction of the barn in 1987, the park was kept open year-round. During 1987, the park district hired a Manager of Interpretive Services who was able to begin formulating and implementing an educational master plan for Cosley Animal Farm. In the ensuing years, program participation has continued to rise steadily. The duck pond was the next major project taken on by the foundation. This large circulating pond was built by Cost of Wisconsin, Inc. at a cost of $200,000. The pond was completed in September of 1990, and is home to several domestic and native wild waterfowl species. The year 1993 marked the beginning of our biggest project to date the complete renovation of the wildlife area. Cosley wanted to get away from the concrete and wire cages, and provide more natural habitats. This particular project was broken down into manageable phases due to financial constraints. The first and second phases were designed and built by Cost of Wisconsin, Inc. The total cost of construction thus far has been $665,765. Cost of Wisconsin, Inc. is currently working on the design for phase three which will include a walk-through aviary, exhibits for River Otters, Bobcats and various reptiles and amphibians. In 1994, the Wheaton Park District committed funds for the brick paving of Cosley Animal Farm. Previously the park offered limestone walkways which were prone to weather related problems and also difficult for strollers and wheelchairs to navigate. This project took three years and was completed in 1997. In 1999 the Cosley Foundation, Inc. purchased one acre of property adjacent to the zoo manager's residence. This increased the total acreage across the street from the zoo to two acres. The manager moved into the house on the newly acquired property. Shortly thereafter the old residence was demolished in preparation for additional parking area for staff and volunteers. A temporary staff parking lot using gravel was created for immediate use. As Cosley Animal Farm and Museum has grown and changed, so has our image with visitors. In 1997, we began to realize that our name no longer clearly depicted what people thought of our facility. In conjunction with our 25th anniversary in 1999, Cosley staff and the Wheaton Park District Board of Commissioners decided unanimously to change the name to Cosley Zoo. During 1999 and 2000, Cosley Zoo pursued accreditation by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). After completion of a very extensive application , an on-site inspection by zoo peers, and a meeting before the accreditation committee, Cosley Zoo received official accreditation in March of 2000. Accreditation confirms that Cosley Zoo meets the high standards put forth by this organization. In 2000, after two years of talks between staff at Cosley Zoo and the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, the zoo became partners with the forest preserve in the Blanding's Turtle Recovery Project. This Project was developed to repopulate the Illinois threatened Blanding's Turtle in DuPage County. The zoos primary responsibility is the rearing of juvenile turtles for release back into the wild. The year 2000 marked many new changes for the zoo. In addition to receiving AZA accreditation and beginning the Blanding's Turtle Recovery Project, Cosley Zoo keeper staff began working with a consultant to establish an operant conditioning training program for the zoos residents. This form of training relies on positive reinforcement to teach new behaviors. Keeper staff is now able to perform many animal husbandry tasks with no stress or danger to either the animals or the zoo keepers. Attractive brick pavers were installed to replace the rotting railroad ties and old iron rails of the train tracks during the summer of 2000. These pavers help to retain the look of the old tracks while providing a safer surface. At the same time, the caboose at Cosley Zoo was completely rebuilt from the running gear up. Both these changes helped to make Cosley Zoo a more attractive and safe facility. In the fall of 2000, a large addition to the train station was completed, providing a larger gift shop, additional washrooms and new concessions. This project was completed through the combined efforts of the Wheaton Park District, the Cosley Foundation, Inc. and a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. In 2003, the Cosley Foundation began a new capital campaign to fund the River Otter and Bobcat exhibits. The campaign was kicked off by a generous donation of $250,000 contributed by Jan Kiebler. The zoo was able to utilize this contribution for a successful matching campaign. The foundation also began a new fundraising event in 2003, the Woofin N Hoofin. This fun walk/run was developed to appeal to the casual walker or runner and their favorite four-legged friend. The event proved to be a popular and was again conducted in 2004 with increased participation.