Relax in an authentic Terrace chair 365 days a year – even if you’ve moved from Madison! These chairs feature arms for maximum comfort. Choose an optionHome deliveryPick-up at Wisco IndustriesClear Select in-store pick up at Wisco industries (Oregon, WI) or home delivery. Pick up location is Wisco Industries, Inc. 955 Market Street, Oregon, WI 53575. Pick-up Hours are Monday – Friday from 7am -3pm. Home delivery furniture is shipped via UPS for a cost of $75 per chair (shipping cost included in price when you select home delivery). Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Terrace Chairs are a trademark of the Wisconsin Union and may not be used for commercial purposes or displayed as a part of any commercial message. Furniture should be carefully inspected prior to accepting delivery. Cosmetic flaws discovered or appearing after delivery are the purchaser’s responsibility. Home delivery, Pick-up at Wisco Industries Terrace at the Memorial Union < The Terrace chair emerged as a campus icon, a trademark of the Wisconsin Union and a symbol of summer decades after the Memorial Union Terrace opened.
The Sunburst chair was the last stop in a search for the perfect furniture to adorn the Terrace. Nodding to Wisconsin's agricultural roots and evoking summer and fall, these yellow, orange and green chairs make their appearance each spring for countless students, staff, alumni, and visitors to enjoy. In 1929, the Terrace was originally furnished with rustic hickory chairs, which were widely popular during the early twentieth century at summer resorts. Madison’s climate proved too harsh for the wood and within a few years were replaced by more durable metal chairs. By the early 1930s, several versions of metal chairs replaced the original wooden chairs. One was an early version of the classic stamped-metal Sunburst style. Another was the Deauville, which featured a sunburst shape on the seat and the back using curved strips of steel. Various styles of metal chairs, including the Deauville and the Sunburst style, were used on the Terrace through the 1960s. However, the Deauvilles, which by nature of their design were prone to rusting, were phased out in the 1960s and those that remained in good shape were relegated to the Union Theater balcony.
By the early 1970s, the Sunburst proved to be the most durable metal chair design. A hoop encircling the chair’s legs provided extra durability for the uneven flagstone surface and rain did not cause it to rust. The Sunburst chairs were made by the Troy Sun Shade Company of Troy, Ohio until the company closed. The Memorial Union Building Association commissioned Wisco Industries of Oregon, Wisconsin to fabricate the Sunburst chairs again. The colors of the iconic Sunburst chairs—John Deere green and Allis Chalmers orange and yellow—evoke spring, summer and fall while paying homage to Wisconsin farming traditions. As part of the late 1980s Terrace expansion project, 300 new Sunburst chairs and 70 matching tables were purchased to fill the larger space. The Sunburst chair design was patented and the colors trademarked for use only by the Wisconsin Union. The iconic green, orange and yellow Sunburst chairs still grace the newly expanded and renovated Terrace. On opening day, students helped to fill the new Terrace with more than 700 chairs in the same Sunburst design that has been in use since 1981.
Ask Abe: Stolen Terrace Chairs How many chairs are there on the Memorial Union Terrace, and how many get stolen each year? Nothing heralds the return of spring more than dots of orange, yellow, and green popping up on the Memorial Union Terrace. This season, the chairs returned on April 8 — but not in full force. Last summer, staff at the Wisconsin Union discovered that 250 Terrace chairs had gone “missing.” Because we’re guessing the chairs didn’t sprout legs and walk away, we’re going to take that as stolen. Now, if a total of 250 chairs sounds like a lot, it is. There are (read: should be) 1,000 Terrace chairs, putting last year’s theft at 25 percent — a new record. In the past, Union staff estimated that 60 to 70 chairs would be stolen annually and would plan accordingly. The manufacturer, Wisco Industries, makes around 300 new chairs per year —one batch at the beginning of the year and one batch at the end. It takes two months or so to make one batch, and the cost of replacing just one chair is $250.
With the jump in Terrace-chair theft, the UW-Madison Police Department partnered with the Union last fall to implement the Union Chair Retrieval Program. As of November 2014, about a dozen chairs had been retrieved. Tips from community members regarding missing chairs are always welcomed and will remain anonymous. Send your tips to union@union.wisc.edu or to Tricia Meinholz (tlmeinholz@wisc.edu), the lower campus community officer. Just like the real thing…only smaller! This adorable mini chair is the perfect complement to a desk or dorm room, a thoughtful gift for a grad, or a one-of-a-kind ornament.Available in the three traditional Terrace colors. UWPD Investigates Stolen Union Chairs June 11, 2015, 12:00 AM The UW-Madison Police Department is investigating the theft of a large number of Memorial Union Terrace chairs. This week, UWPD was notified that 16 of the iconic yellow, orange, and green chairs disappeared sometime between June 11 and June 13. Each chair is worth approximately $250, making the total loss $4,000.
For the last several years, UWPD has partnered with the Memorial Union in an effort to deter theft of Union Terrace chairs. While an overnight security guard has been added to the Terrace in recent years, theft continues to be a problem. UWPD is asking for the community’s help in finding those responsible for these recent thefts — and past thefts. One of the easiest things citizens can do is to keep their eyes out for Union chairs that are off-campus. Some colors are available for purchase, but any green, orange, or yellow Union chair that’s off campus is likely stolen property. If you see a green, orange, or yellow chair, please call UWPD at (608) 264-COPS to file a report. You can remain anonymous. You can also contact Lower Campus Community Police Officer Tricia Meinholz by email. If you’re caught with a stolen Terrace chair, you could face fines upwards of $500. The location shown is approximate and may not be accurate.The palette of the Memorial Union Terrace gained another vivid color on Sunday, April 29, as 300 “Mendota Blue” Terrace chairs joined the familiar orange, green and yellow chairs.
These unique blue chairs will remain on the Terrace through July 31, and will serve as a reminder to the community of an exciting period of transformation at Memorial Union. An architect’s rendering of the completed Phase 1 restoration. The chairs are designed to create public awareness of and build support for the Union renovations that are at the core of the Memorial Union Reinvestment project. They also represent a call to action to join the Mendota Blue Movement, a campaign developed in partnership between Wisconsin Union and UW Credit Union, and designed to raise funds for the Wisconsin Union Building Project. Though the Mendota Blue Movement is a three-month campaign scheduled to end on July 31, it also serves as the official launch to the public phase of Wisconsin Union’s longer-term capital campaign – called A Blueprint for the Next 100 Years — with a three-year goal of raising $25 million by the end of 2015. “Through the generous support of UW Credit Union, we’re able to launch this exciting new level of fundraising, making it possible for friends and fans of Memorial Union throughout Dane County, across the country, and around the globe to help create the next 100 years of this extraordinary building,” says Union Director Mark Guthier.
Kicking off the upcoming Memorial Union Reinvestment project, 300 limited-edition “Mendota Blue” chairs were delivered to the Memorial Union Terrace on April 29, 2012. The unique blue chairs, which will be featured along with the Terrace’s traditional green, orange and yellow iconic, sunburst-graphic chairs through July 31, are designed to create public awareness and build support for the MUR project. They also represent a call to action to join the Mendota Blue Movement, a Wisconsin Union building-fund campaign conducted in a partnership with the UW Credit Union. He adds: “By contributing to the Mendota Blue Movement, you will be helping to preserve one of most historic venues on this campus and in the Madison area, while providing vital improvements to greatly enhance the Union’s programming experience and address accessibility issues throughout the building.” “We are thrilled to be partnering with Wisconsin Union and to sponsor the Mendota Blue Movement,” says UW Credit Union President and CEO Paul Kundert, who also serves on the Wisconsin Union Campaign Cabinet.
“UW Credit Union was founded soon after Memorial Union was completed, so both organizations share a long history of service to the UW and greater Madison community. The Union is cherished in our community, and we’re pleased to continue to help the organization and support the capital campaign.” The Mendota Blue chairs also provide an added incentive for supporters to donate to the campaign. Donors who give at the $1,000 level or above will receive their very own, limited-edition Mendota Blue terrace chair as a thank-you gift at the conclusion of the campaign. Donors who give between $150 and $999 will receive an exclusive Mendota Blue mini Terrace Chair, and donors who give between $75 and $149 will receive a special Mendota Blue keychain. Both the mini-chairs and keychains are available while supplies last. Donations at all giving levels have a tremendous impact and are greatly appreciated. Memorial Union has served as the “living room of campus” since 1928, and welcomes over 5 million visitors each year.
The building has never seen a comprehensive restoration, and time and use have taken a tremendous toll. Systems are outdated, aging pipes have failed and caused damage to the building, far too many entrances and rooms can be reached only by stairs, making them virtually inaccessible to many, and program and meeting spaces simply do not meet the needs of 21st century students. The Memorial Union Reinvestment project is a multi-phase rehabilitation effort that seeks to remedy these issues, respectfully preserving the past, while building for the future. The first phase, which begins this summer, will focus on the west wing of the building, updating treasured spaces like the Wisconsin Union Theater, Wisconsin Union Craftshop, and the Outdoor Programs and Hoofers facilities. The restoration is part of the Lakefront Gateway project, which includes the union renovation, the construction of Alumni Park and shoreline improvements along Lake Mendota in the area. The projects together create a synergy that improves lakefront access for all, and will provide new green space and a needed update to the historic Memorial Union.