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Parks

Burial Mounds

Wisconsin has the highest concentration of effigy mounds in the United States and the Madison area has one of the highest concentration of effigy mounds remaining. Most mounds were lost to 19th-century agricultural practices and city development.

The mound builders were farmers who also engaged in hunting and gathering. They lived in small villages and migrated from one to another based on the seasonal availability of natural resources.

The mounds often, but not always, have burials associated with them, but their exact purpose is not entirely understood.

Mounds tend to have been built in places with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. The mounds are considered sacred by modern Native Americans and should be treated with respect.

Burial Mound Policy

Created with assistance from the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Ho-Chunk Nation, and approved by the Board of Park Commissioners in October 2019, the policy provides guidelines and procedures for managing burial mounds located in Madison Parks.

Locations

  • Bear Mound Park Bear Burial and Curtis Native American Mounds

    Location: 1525 Vilas Avenue and 1108 Garfield Street

    Built: ca. 700 - 1200 A.D.

    Description: On the western edge of the park is an Indian burial mound in the shape of a bear. It is 82 feet long and is almost intact except for part of the rear leg which was lost to road development. There is also one linear mound of an original group of two remaining on private residential property south of Vilas Circle. The bear, in the religious beliefs of the mound builders, probably symbolized life on the earth's surface, including people; birds probably symbolized sky spirits, and mounds described in the past as "lizards" may have represented water spirits. It is not clear exactly what the linear mounds represented.

    These mounds were designated a City of Madison landmark on May 19, 1975, and are on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • Burrows Park Native American Burial Mound

    Location: east of parking lot

    Built: ca. 700 - 1200 A.D.

    Description: On a rise just east of the Burrows Park parking lot is a straight-winged bird effigy mound with a wingspan of about 128 feet. A "running fox" mound used to exist north of the bird. The bird effigy was restored in 1934 by removing tree stumps, repairing mutilations caused by vandals and resodding.

    The bird, in the religious beliefs of the mound builders, probably symbolized sky spirits; mounds described in the past as "lizards" may have represented water spirits, and bears and other animals may have represented people and other creatures that lived on the earth's surface.

    The Burrows Park Burial Mound and Campsite was designated a City of Madison landmark on May 19, 1975 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park - North Native American Mounds

    Location: 6098 N. Sherman Ave.

    Built: ca. 700 - 1200 A.D.

    Description: This park has two conical mounds, one near the Yahara River shoreline and one near the top of the rise in the north end of the park. Conical mounds are the earliest known form of burial mound made by the Native people in this area.

  • Edna Taylor Conservation Park Native American Burial Mounds

    Built: ca. 700 - 1200 A.D.

    Description: Six linear mounds and one panther burial are located on a high glacial drumlin along the eastern side of the Edna Taylor Conservancy. Originally another linear mound followed the hill crest to the north of the existing group and a conical mound and another very long linear mound extended to the south. To best preserve, this area is no longer part of the trail system in this park. 

    The mound group was designated a City of Madison landmark on May 7, 1990 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • Elvehjem Sanctuary Native American Burial Mound

    Built: ca. 700 - 1200 A.D.

    Description: One conical mound.

  • Forest Hill Cemetery Native American Mounds

    Location: Southeast side of cemetery

    Built: ca. 700 - 1200 A.D.

    Description: Beautiful views of the surrounding area were the reason for acquiring this land as a city cemetery, but it was the same reason that the Native Americans used the site for their burial mounds many centuries before. The Forest Hill Cemetery Mound group once consisted of 7 mounds: four linear, two panther and one rare flying goose. Of this group, three of the linear mounds have been destroyed. The head of the goose was destroyed in 1886 by grading for the IC railroad.

    The mounds group is designated as a City of Madison landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • Hudson Park Native American Burial Mound - Elmside

    Location: corner of Maple and Lakeland

    Built: ca. 700 - 1200 A.D.

    Description: Overlooking Lake Monona are two well-preserved animal burial mounds. Referred to for many years as a lynx and a bear, the actual animals or spirits that they were intended to represent is not entirely clear. These mounds were originally part of the same cluster as the Hudson Park mound.

    These mounds were designated a City of Madison landmark on May 7, 1990, and are on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • Hudson Park Native American Mound - Hudson Park/Mill Woods

    Built: ca. 700 - 1200 A.D.

    Description: Overlooking Lake Monona is a long-tailed burial mound that has been referred to as a turtle, lizard, panther, and water spirit. Part of the tail was cut off when Lakeland Avenue was constructed. This mound was originally part of a dense and extensive cluster of mounds that extended from the Yahara River to what is now Olbrich Park. The site was still a favored Ho-Chunk campground as late as the late 19th century.

    The Hudson Park Mound was designated a City of Madison landmark on May 7, 1990, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • Meadow Ridge Conservation Park Native American Burial Mound

    A mound in the shape of a bear is located at the woodland edge near the top of the rise. After consulting with an archaeologist, a Parks crew restored portions of the head and front feet and filled a large hole in the belly area.

  • Vilas (Henry) Park Native American Mounds

    Location: Corner of Erin and Wingra Street

    Built: ca. 700 - 1200 A.D.

    Overlooking the zoo at the corner of Erin and Wingra Streets is an Indian mound group consisting of a bird burial mound, a linear and six conicals. Two additional conical mounds and another bird were destroyed long ago. Most of Vilas Park was originally a marsh, providing a bounty of fish, birds small game and wild rice to the mound builders.

    This mound group was designated a City of Madison landmark on May 7, 1990, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

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