©Wildlife Conservation Society
May 26, 2016
Children’s Wishing Seat at the Bronx Zoo
- as seen by -
Madeleine Thompson
The Bronx Zoo’s Children’s Zoo opened in May 1941 (75 years ago this month), and many of its features have come and gone with the times.
One of those pieces of the past is the Children’s Wishing Seat. Dating from the early decades of the Children’s Zoo, the Wishing Seat offered child visitors the hope that wishes made on the special seat would come true.
I love seeing photos of children on the seat and imagining what they are wishing for. According to our records, this is a photo of Jonathan Scall and Gillian Lowes on August 9, 1948.
What do you think they are wishing for?
Leave a Comment
Dagmar Ryan
March 5, 2017 at 8:48 pm
Is the Wishing Seat still there? I thought I caught a glimpse of it on the Animal Plant show ‘The Zoo’, and that reminded me that I have a picture of myself and a friend sitting there. Just wondering…
Wild View Editor
March 8, 2017 at 4:21 pm
Hi Dagmar,
That’s a nice memory from the Bronx Zoo.
It seems that the Wishing Seat has been gone from the Children’s Zoo for over 40 years. There are new features to enjoy these days. Hope you stop by and see them this summer!
Dunreith Kelly
March 18, 2021 at 3:30 pm
I have a photo from 65/66 vintage of my brother, cousin and me sitting there! My brother found this blog via Google confirming my insistence it was a Bronx Zoo visit. Thanks!
Madeleine Thompson
March 22, 2021 at 11:16 am
Oh, that’s great, Dunreith! Love hearing about these family memories.
Michael Minerva
August 26, 2023 at 1:14 pm
I found a photo of my brother & I on the Children’s Wishing Seat, taken by my parents in November 1956. How do I get it to you?