Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center
1 John Nolen Drive, Madison.
608-261-4000.
This graceful building was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright to complement the capitol building, which is a short walk away. A first draft of the building was completed in 1938, but it wasn't until half a century later, that the city built the lakeside center. Daily 8 am-5 pm, guided tours at 1 pm. The rooftop garden with a view of the lake view of the lake is open daily until midnight.
Nathaniel W. Dean House
4718 Monona Drive (eastern outskirts of Madison)
Madison, Wisconsin
608-222-5783.
A pre-Civil War brick home, restored in 1972 and furnished with 19th-century amenities. The Historic Blooming Grove Historical Society maintains the house as a living museum to support the study of the Wisconsin farm family during the Victorian Age. Scheduled events are primarily reenactments of the daily routines and significant occasions of the family, ranging from laundry days to holiday celebrations. Free guided tours every other Sunday afternoon (donations accepted).
State Capitol
Capitol Square, Madison.
608-266-0382.
Monday-Friday 8 am-6 pm, Saturday and Sunday 8 am-4 pm.
Free tours depart from the information desk on the ground floor Monday-Saturday hourly. 9-3.
This white-domed granite building was modeled after the U.S. Capitol. It contains 43 kinds of stone from around the world, elaborate allegorical murals, glass mosaics and hand-carved furniture. The Governor's Conference Room is styled after a council chamber in the Doge's Palace in Venice.
Unitarian Meeting House
900 University Bay Drive (just west of the UW campus), Madison.
608-233-9774.
This triangular-shaped church, is one of the most interesting Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings in Madison. It is also considered one of the world's most innovative examples of church architecture. Completed in 1951, the building has a glass prow in the auditorium that creates the sense of soaring space without the use of a steeple.
Guided tours are available May-October Monday-Friday 10 am-3:45 pm and Saturday 9 am-noon (advance reservations required). Visitors are welcome at Sunday services.
but no tours of the building are allowed then. free self-guided tours.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Campus
608-265-9500 for tour information
A city focal point since 1848, this 900 acre campus occupies much of the south shoreline of Lake Mendota west of downtown. One of the largest universities in the U.S., it contains a mixture of modern and classical buildings and pretty quadrangles for strolling. There are also about a dozen Native American effigy mounds on campus. Two are on Observatory Hill, which overlooks Lake Mendota. The Terrace, located in the student union building, is a popular outdoor gathering spot for the entire Madison community.
Elvehjem Museum of Art
800 University Ave., Madison.
608-263-2246.
Created to house, exhibit and study the art collection of the University of Wisconsin. Some decorative objects date to 2300 BC, and its print collection is considered one of the finest in the nation. Musicians play in one of the galleries on Sunday afternoon October-May. The museum is open Tuesday-Friday 9 am-5 pm, Saturday and Sunday 11 am-5 pm. self-guided audio tour. Free guided tours Thursday at 12:30 pm and Sunday at 2 pm.
Madison Art Center
211 State St., Madison.
608-257-0158.
This nonprofit museum, located on the UW campus, exhibits contemporary art by both well-known and emerging artists. It sponsors two popular events: the Art Fair on the Square in July and the Holiday Art Fair in November. Tuesday-Thursday 11 am-5 pm, Friday 11 am-9 pm, Saturday 10 am-9 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm. Free.
Madison Children's Museum
100 State St., Madison
608-256-6445
A UW-area museum filled with entertaining hands-on activities, many involving art, for children of all ages. Special activities every weekend. Memorial Day-Labor Day daily 9 am-4 pm, Labor Day-Memorial Day Tuesday-Sunday 9 am-4 pm
State Historical Museum
30 N. Carroll St., Madison.
608-264-6555.
Artifacts, dioramas, audiovisual presentations and illustrations about Wisconsin's history. Exhibits are on the three upper floors, while the gift shop, which has an excellent selection of books, regional arts, cards and souvenirs, is located on the first floor. Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-4 pm. Admission is by donation.
UW Geology Museum
1215 W. Dayton (on the UW campus), Madison
608-262-2399.
Within walking distance of State Street's "Museum Mile" is Weeks Hall, where displays of minerals, rocks, fossils, dinosaur bones and a mastodon might interest children. They can examine the Earth with a large rotating globe and walk through a model of a Wisconsin limestone cave. Call to arrange a tour for a school or community group. Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm, Saturday 9 am-1 pm. Free.
Wisconsin Veterans Museum
30 W. Mifflin St. (on Capitol Square), Madison.
608-267-1799
Year-round Monday-Saturday 9 am-4:30 pm; April-September also open Sunday noon-4 pm.
Powerful dioramas tell tales of Wisconsin veterans in combat from the Civil War to modern times. One of the paintings in its collection is a portrait of a man said to be the red-haired grandson of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. Exhibits include three aircraft (including a World War I biplane) suspended from the ceiling and 16 scale models of 19th- and 20th-century ships (including the USS Wisconsin ). Children can look through a submarine periscope that protrudes through the gallery roof for a bird's-eye view of downtown.
Allen Centennial Gardens
620 Babcock Drive (on the UW campus), Madison.
This manicured and intriguing horticultural sanctuary, beside a magnificent Victorian home, is one of the best spots on the UW campus to stop and let the world go on without you. There are theme gardens from around the world and a fish pond. Daily 7 am-dusk. Free.
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
3330 Atwood Ave., East Side, Madison.
608-246-4550. http://www.olbrich.org.
Everywhere you turn at this public garden you see something beautiful. Its 14 acres/5.5 hectares include herb, rock and rose gardens, as well as an outdoor sunken garden with an 80-ft/25-m reflecting pool. The Bolz Conservatory is a glass pyramid where birds fly freely among more than 500 exotic plants. In 2002 the gardens added an authentic Thai Pavilion, the only one in the continental U.S. It opens onto a new Thai Garden. The gardens are open October-March Monday-Saturday 9 am-4 pm, Sunday 10 am-5 pm; April-September Monday-Friday 8 am-8 pm. Conservatory hours 10 am-4 pm, Sunday till 5 pm. November-March 8 am-5 pm. Free admission to the outdoor gardens. free each Wednesday and Saturday 10 am-noon.
UW Arboretum
1207 Seminole Highway, Madison.
608-263-7888.
This 1,260-acre/510-hectare refuge is a popular place to jog or stroll because it's one of the city's most beautiful places. It has restored and remnant prairies, wetlands, woods, effigy and burial mounds, an abundance of woodland plants and miles of trails for hiking, biking and cross-country skiing. Daily 7 am-10 pm. The information office is open Monday-Friday 9:30 am-4 pm, Saturday and Sunday noon-4 pm, excluding holidays. Free.
Babcock Hall Dairy
1605 Linden Drive (on the UW campus), Madison.
608-262-3047
No formal tours are conducted, but you can observe the production of milk, cheese and ice cream, then shop in the dairy store for some of the best ice cream on Earth. Monday-Friday 9:30 am-5:30 pm, Saturday 10:30 am-1:30 pm. On football Saturdays, the store is open 10 am-5 pm. Tour Free.
Capital Brewery and Bier Garten
7734 Terrace Ave. (just west of Madison), Middleton.
608-836-7100.
An award-winning brewery that specializes in German and English-style beers, Capital is just as well-known for such events as Bock Fest (February, includes a fish toss); a German version of Mardi Gras (March); and Repeal of Prohibition Fest (April). Much of the brewing equipment, including a pair of copper kettles, was brought from the Hoxter Brewery in Germany. There is a popular Bier Garten with live music. The Bier Garten is open Wednesday-Friday 4-9 pm, Saturday 1-9 pm. The hospitality room is open October-mid May Thursday-Saturday. The brewery hosts many private parties, so it is best to call ahead to make sure it's open to the public. (Friday at 3:30 pm and Saturday at 1:30 and 3:30 pm).
Lake Farm Park
At the end of Libby Road , Madison.
On the northwest shore of Lake Waubesa is the Native American Archaeological Trail, which has a self-guided tour that describes what the area looked like from 10,000 BC to AD 300.
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