Bob Mager & Benny the Bear

Thanks to Bob Mager for adopting Benny the Bear. Benny was made by Oscar Richards of Riverside, California, for Mr. Berger and arrived at Vent Haven in April of 1956. The original plan was that Richards would sell a bear head that he already owned to Mr. Berger, but over several letters and almost a year of correspondence, Mr. Berger decided he wanted a full bear, so this one was made from scratch. Mr. Berger paid $65 for the dummy. Benny has moving eyes and a tongue made of sponge rubber. The fur is from a second hand coat that Richards had. Inside the body, the head is positioned with a leather strap.

Benny gets a lot of attention from tourists and he sits on exhibit in the main garage building.