Video: The secret lives of dead squirrels

Cress Funeral Home (6021 University Ave., 238-8406) is a nondescript building with a secret: It has a basement full of dead animals. While the stuffed and mounted fish, elk, raccoons, deer, moose, otter, birds, mountain goat, and badger are certainly impressive, the bizarre animated displays of squirrels and chipmunks are what really make it worth a visit. In these tableaux, the rodents are drinking at a bar, smoking, attending a carnival, performing in a topless girlie show, riding a carousel, and more:
Mind-boggling in its scope and weirdness, the display is free and open to the public. The nice people at Cress ask only that visitors call ahead in the morning to ensure that no funerals are in progress at the time you plan to stop by. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Plan to stay at least half an hour to take it all in. Decider recently visited the exhibit and took some video to capture just a bit of the strange displays. (Video by Kristi Thom; music by Madison's The Cemetery Improvement Society.)