Terrace Chairling plushie Colby Miller makes his debut

The Wisconsin Union team has welcomed its newest Terrace Chairling plushie, the orange, sunglasses-clad Colby Miller, to shelves at Badger Markets at Memorial Union and Union South and to its online store, terracestore.union.wisc.edu. 

Colby features the Union’s trademarked sunburst design on his orange body, soft arms and legs, and a weighted base that allows him to sit upright. His last name, Miller, pays homage to his Allis-Chalmers orange color and the Allis-Chalmers milling equipment manufactured in Wisconsin. 

Colby and his fellow Chairlings first debuted in digital form on Wisconsin Union social media and the Union’s blog TerraceViews.org in 2022. The Union team introduced him as an adventurous character who strives to live in the moment and loves trying new things, such as new food and outdoor activities. 

Colby is the third in the Wisconsin Union’s Chairling plushie line. The first, the green Maple Fields, debuted in November 2024, followed by the yellow Ray Laken in April 2025. 

The plushies are inspired by the Union’s well-known yellow, green and orange full-size, metal sunburst Terrace chairs, which appear seasonally at the team’s lakefront, outdoor dining and entertainment destination, the Memorial Union Terrace. For almost 100 years, the Terrace has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors annually for lakeside dining as well as free and low-cost events. 

The Chairlings’ colors and the color of the Terrace chairs that inspired them reflect Wisconsin’s agricultural heritage and the beauty of Wisconsin’s seasons: John Deere green, Allis-Chalmers orange, and sunshine yellow.

Wisconsin Union Graphic Designer and Production Artist Emily Swanson created the Chairling plushie concept and designed the Chairling plushies as an intern at the Union while studying at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. 

 “From his bright orange color to his adorable sunglasses, we hope Chairling plushie Colby Miller brings joy to people’s homes and offices and reminds people of their adventures at the Memorial Union Terrace,” said Shauna Breneman, Wisconsin Union public relations and communications officer. “Terrace joy is ageless and an almost century-long Madison tradition that we are excited to share in plushie form with Terrace lovers around the world.”

Patrons can shop for plushies and other in-house designed Wisconsin Union and Terrace-themed gifts, accessories, and apparel at Badger Markets at Memorial Union and Union South and online. Patrons can also find in-house developed food and beverages at Wisconsin Union dining options, such as the Union’s line of naturally caffeinated, fruit juice-infused sparkling waters, called Sunburst Sparkler, developed in partnership with Madison-based Karben4. 

The Union’s Terrace-themed plushies are the only authorized Terrace-themed plushies in the world. The Wisconsin Union team does not plan to debut any additional Chairling plushie characters at this time. 

Purchases of Wisconsin Union products, such as the Chairling plushies, support the nonprofit Wisconsin Union’s work to provide gathering spaces, events and student leadership opportunities, some of which provide academic stipends up to 80% of students’ in-state tuition. 

For more information about the plushies Colby Miller, Ray Laken and Maple Fields, visit union.wisc.edu/plushie.