Sussex, New Jersey - zoo, museum, animals

2007 News

Press Release:

April 3, 2007

Space Farms Zoo and Museum Celebrates 80 Years!

The Space Farms Zoo and Museum in Sussex, N.J., will celebrate 80 years in business . Founders Ralph and Elizabeth Space purchased their first ¼ acre in 1927. Today Space Farms encompasses 450 rolling acres of beautiful Sussex County, at the base of Sunrise Mountain. The 100 acre zoo and museum complex is open to the public May through October. The zoo has evolved over the years from the traditional concrete and bar enclosures of the 50’s to the spacious natural turf enclosures home to over one hundred native and exotic species in the zoo today. The internationally renowned Space family is consulted frequently by other professionals in the zoological business.

The Space Farms Museum has grown from a few Native American artifacts displayed in the corner of a country store, to eleven huge museum barn buildings, each dedicated to a particular type of Americana. The museum complex holds treasures envied by national museums. It is home to over fifty restored antique cars, antique dolls, household artifacts, tractors, motorcycles, carriages, sleighs, and the second largest private collection of antique fire arms in the United States. The museum complex also has an original, slightly used, Conestoga Wagon. Founder Ralph Space’s lifetime collection of Native American artifacts has been studied by aficionados from across the United States.

The remaining 350 acres is an active farm, natural woodland, swampland and open space. The farm provides food for the zoo and habitat for many wild and endangered species. What began as a dream for Ralph and Elizabeth, is carried on today by their son, Fred Space, and his children and their spouses, Parker and Jill Space, Lori and Doug Day.

The Space Family has persevered through the Great Depression, World War II, (family ration tickets are in the museum), tornados, fires, robberies, taxes, good press, bad press, floods and droughts. Like all other families they have celebrated marriages and births, and struggled through divorces and the deaths of beloved family members. Always keeping the goal of the business they love in mind, the Spaces have worked long and hard, “hands on”, no matter what the job entailed.

“Most people get up and go to work to earn a living, we get up and go to live! You have to love what you do,” states family patriarch Fred T. Space. The Space family ancestors have been in Sussex County, N.J. , prior to the American Revolution, creating a family seeped in country farming traditions.

Space Farms Zoo and Museum is the oldest family attraction in the state of New Jersey, still owned and operated by the original family. Three generations of family later, Space Farms Zoo and Museum is a destination often frequented by generations of visitors to Sussex County. A member of the Space family is always on hand to greet them.

Space Farms is located on Route 519 in Sussex and will open this spring on Saturday April 14th. It is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until October 31st. For more information or directions, please call 973-875-5800 or visit the web site: www.spacefarms.com.

The Space Farms Time Line:
1927	Ralph and Elizabeth Space bought Mrs. Pinkney’s house & ½ acre from Anna Medaugh for $1,200. Ralph built small store next to it. Ralph Space started his wild animal collection .
1928	Bought one acre off of John and Sarah Compton. Built garage, collected more animals and started raising fox and mink for fur.
1928	Ralph Space receives permit to keep game animals and birds from State of New Jersey Fish and Game Commission. Permit fee $5.00 Opens the Blue Ridge Wild Animal Farm and Indian Museum. Fred T. Space is born.
1929	Started charging to enter zoo.
1929	Ralph Space hired as “vermin hunter and guard” of High Point Park Commission, State of New Jersey.
1930’s	Survived the Great Depression.
1934	Ralph Space receives first license from Wantage Township for a Wild Animal Farm, from Board of Health. Permit fee $1.00
1934	Ralph Space works with the Museum of the American Indian, Haye Foundation, N.Y.C. Certified as a collector of artifacts.
1932	Leased land from State Experimental Dairy Research Farm (Belle Ellen) to expand Zoo and Fox/Mink farm.
1938	Bought The Beemerville School House, moved Mink farm across the street. Expanded the zoo.
1939	Bought 85 acre Christy Farm with a team of horses and 17 Cows. The Spaces are the 4th family to own this farm that was deeded to William Crigger from King George of England prior to the American Revolution.
1944	Bought the Hockenberry Farm also known as the Nursery Farm where poppy flowers were the main crop of pipe irrigated fields.
1946	Bought the Compton Farm (where the zoo pond is now)
1952	Bought the Ayers Farm (site of Ayers’s Pond on Crigger Road)
1958	Fred Space is a founding member of the Kittatinny Recreation Association, predecessor of the Chamber of Commerce in Sussex County.
1963	Moved the store across the street and built the current Main Building Built the Free Stall Barn and Dairy Milking Parlor with visitor viewing area.
1963	During building of Free Stall Dairy Barn a thunderstorm came through and knocked it down again.
1963-1971	Fred Space was appointed by the Governor to New Jersey Fish and Game Council and helped establish the criteria for keeping wild animals in captivity in the State of N.J.
1969	Goliath, an orphan Kodiak bear cub comes to Space Farms from Alaska Div. of Fish and Wildlife.
1970	Wild Turkeys are released on the farm property to help re-establish wild turkeys in N.J., N.Y., and Pa.
1971	The first Atlas African Lion came to Space Farms Zoo, the first exotic specie at the zoo.
1973	The year’s crop of mink furs were stolen.
1973	Sold the cows, but kept the land and barn of Christy Farm.
1978	Bought the State Experimental Dairy Research Farm (Belle Ellen Farm).
1979	Space Farms opens the Ralph Space Heritage Museums
1980	Goliath (Kodiak Bear) recognized by Ripley’s Believe it or Not as largest bear in the world.
1980	Tornado comes through and takes roof off of Main Building Museum, and destroys enclosures at zoo.
1983	Space Farms receives the last breeding pair of endangered Hokkaido Bears and sends cubs to the Uneo Zoo in Japan and now the specie continues in Japan, due to the expertise of Fred T. Space.
1986	Space Farms Zoo sends Fallow deer to Taiwan.
1986	Founder Ralph Space dies, at age 84. Estate taxes (ouch!).
1987	Went out of mink ranching business. In it’s heyday, The Space Farms Mink Ranch was the largest mink farming ranch east of the Mississippi.
1989	Space Farms Zoo and Museum hits 100 thousand visitors per year.
1990	Goliath recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest Bear in the world.
1992	Fred Space’s House catches on fire and destroys first floor and one upstairs bedroom.
1991	Goliath dies at age 24, (equal to a 96 year old man).
1998	Space Farms sends Atlas African Lion Cubs to the Philippines.
1997	Founder Elizabeth Space dies, at age 94.
2003	First set of Tiger Cubs born at Space Farms Zoo.
2007	Space Farms Celebrates 80 years - making Space Farms Zoo and Museum the oldest family attraction in state of NJ still owned and operated by the original family.