The Lion in the Library

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Photo: Milwaukee Public Museum

Samuel Barrett with Simba the lion

Samuel Barrett with Simba on the Milwaukee Public Museum roof

“In the early 20th century, a lion cub lived at the Milwaukee Public Library.”

In 1929, a live lion named Simba roamed the halls of the Milwaukee Public Library. He chased a ball, had free rein in the halls and had a place to stay on the roof. We rarely think of how these animals find their way to a museum in a Midwest city.

The Main Library, built in 1895, was a block long and housed both the Public Library and the Public Museum. Today the building is home to the Central Library. The building was designed to give the central entrance separate quarters for the two different groups using the building. It was the former Milwaukee Public Museum’s office hallways before moving to its current location in 1967. The offices are now used for storage … and claw marks still can be seen on the doors.

In 1928, a group from both the library and museum made a trip to Africa. It was meant to be a cultural expedition to learn about the area visited and bring back items for the museum. To their surprise, they did not expect a local Maasai tribe to give them an orphaned lion cub. He was named by the tribe who gifted him. Simba in Swahili means lion.

Rescue Lion

The cub was found burned and hungry following a wildfire in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) and sold for two shillings, the equivalent of around $8-$9 today. The cub, nicknamed Sim, warmed to the humans and became a companion as the museum team traveled through Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The Milwaukee group grew attached and had the lion shipped home.

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Image: Milwaukee Public Library

Lion cub story in Milwaukee Journal 1929

On April 13, 1929, Simba arrived in Milwaukee with museum director Samuel Barrett and his team. Sim lived in the building now housing the Milwaukee Public Library’s Central Library at 814 W. Wisconsin Avenue.

Simba lived in the taxidermy room, which still exists today with “Taxidermy” still on the door. The room is located off a long hallway where Simba roamed and chased a bowling ball that employees rolled back and forth for him to get exercise. He was put on public display and people were able to pet him.

Attracted Visitors

Thousands came to see the lion and he was incredibly overwhelmed. After that initial three-day viewing, he wasn’t put in that situation again and instead was just kept inside the library/museum building. A cage was built on the roof for part of the day, so the people who worked there could get their jobs done. The roof was designed to be a place for fresh air and exercise but the lion preferred spending time with the humans in their offices on the fourth floor.             

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Photo: Adam Levin

The former Milwaukee Public Museum’s office hallway that Simba roamed.

The former Milwaukee Public Museum’s office hallway that Simba roamed.

Unfortunately, the wooden ball that he loved so much would also be the reason he was finally removed from the library and museum. Chewing on the wooden ball resulted in swelling in his lower jaw and caused him to get a tooth abscess and dental problems that no one in Milwaukee could take care of. Simba was transferred to the Washington Park Zoo for emergency veterinary care and ended up staying there.

There was less press coverage there as he was just another animal at the Zoo. He fathered six cubs but none survived infancy. Simba died in 1943 at the age of 14. On July 6, 1943, he was euthanized because of pain caused by poor teeth. He was stuffed and mounted, then displayed at the current museum in the African Rhino diorama on the third floor, where he is today.

Most visitors at the museum have no idea that the male lion in the African savannah scene is actually Simba, who roamed the halls.