The mouse retina has been used extensively over the past decades to study both physiologic and pathologic angiogenesis. Over time, various mouse retina models have evolved into well-characterized and robust tools for in vivo angiogenesis research. This article is a review of the angiogenic development of the mouse retina and a discussion of some of the most widely used vascular disease models. From the multitude of studies performed in the mouse retina, a selection of representative works is discussed in more detail regarding their role in advancing the understanding of both the ocular and general mechanisms of angiogenesis.