Bear Mound Park
(Vilas Circle Bear Effigy Mound & the Curtis Mounds)
(South Warren Group)
National Register of Historic Places
The park used to be called Vilas Circle Park, so don't be surprised if you see information about this mound under either
name. The effigy is in decent shape (except for the part of the leg lost during street construction), with grasses and forbs growing
over it and mowing taking place around the mound. The bear used to be part of the bigger group of mounds (7 or 8 linears &
1 conical). Nowadays, only this mound and parts of two linears remain (the latter are on private property). The book "Native
American Mounds in Madison & Dane County" shows a map with the bear effigy in the middle, Curtis Mounds (named after the
then-owner of the property) immediately to the south-west of it, and S.Warren Mounds (named after since-renamed street) just
south-east of it. It seems all of them are part of the same group, although Charles Brown treated them separately.
Ceremony at Vilas Circle Bear Mound
