Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. As of the 2020 census, the population was 269,840, making it the second most populous city in Wisconsin after Milwaukee and the 77th most populous city in the United States. The population of the metropolitan area of Madison was 680,796. The city is located on an isthmus and lands around five lakes – Lake Mendota, Lake Monona, Lake Wingra, Lake Kegonza and Lake Waubesa. Madison was founded in 1836 and is named after American Founding Father and President James Madison.
As the state capital, Madison is home to government chambers, including the Wisconsin State Capitol Building. The University of Wisconsin-Madison, the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin system, is located in the city. Other cultural institutions include the Henry Villas Zoo, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, the Olbrich Botanical Garden, the Overture Center for the Arts, and the Wisconsin Historical Museum. Madison is home to an extensive park network, with more parks and playgrounds per capita than any of the 100 largest U.S. cities, and is considered a bike-friendly community. Madison is home to nine National Historic Landmarks, including several buildings designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, such as the Jacobs Eye House, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Residents of Madison are known as Madisonians. Madison has long been a center for progressive political activity, protests, and demonstrations, and contemporary Madison is considered the most politically liberal city in Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin-Madison (the state's largest employer) as well as other educational institutions have a significant impact on Madison's economy, culture, and demographics.
1. Wisconsin State Capitol
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The Wisconsin State Capitol, located in Madison, Wisconsin, is home to both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature, along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Governor's office. Completed in 1917, the building is the fifth building to serve as Wisconsin's capitol since the first territorial legislature convened in 1836, and the third since Wisconsin was granted statehood in 1848. Preserved by laws prohibiting buildings taller than the towers surrounding the dome (187 feet). The capitol is located on the southwest corner of the Madison Isthmus. The streets surrounding the building form the Capitol Square, which is home to many restaurants and shops.
2. Henry Villas Zoo
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Opened in 1924 and owned by the city of Madison, the 28-acre Henry Villas Zoo is a favorite among locals and visitors and one of the best things to do in Madison if you're traveling with kids. It attracts nearly a million visitors each year and is home to a variety of animals from tropical, arctic, savannah, plains and other habitats.
The tropical rainforest exhibit includes a collection of fish, rainforest plants and a free-flying aviary where visitors are surrounded by birds. The Arctic Passage exhibit features an underwater viewing area for harbor seals and polar bears, as well as a grizzly bear fishing stream. Other popular residents include Amur tigers, African lions, reticulated giraffes, red pandas and alpacas. For younger visitors, there is a children's zoo with animals, a carousel and an electric train. Feeling achy? The zoo's unique cafeteria features polar bear-covered seating. A gift shop is located on the premises along with snack areas.
3. Olbrich Botanical Gardens
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Olbrich Botanical Garden is a 16-acre outdoor botanical garden and 10,000 square foot conservatory in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 1952 and named for its founder, Michael Olbrich, the gardens are jointly maintained by the City of Madison Parks and the nonprofit Olbrich Botanical Society.
Notable additions to the gardens were a 1991 gift of the Bowles Conservatory and the Thai Sala to the University of Wisconsin-Madison from the Thai chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association and the government of Thailand through its King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Opened in 2002, it is one of six salas outside of Thailand and one of two in the United States (the other is in Hawaii).
4. Visit the University of Wisconsin's Memorial Union Terrace
Memorial Union Terrace on the University of Wisconsin campus isn't just a favorite hangout for students—it's known as one of the city's best places to people-watch and relax. Although it's restricted to Union members, tourists can get a single-day guest pass that can be used to easily access the terrace as well as participate in any of the free activities hosted here.
There's often live music here to complement your picnic or meal at one of the many restaurants, but be sure to leave room for a bite or two of the famous Babcock Ice Cream. During the summer, free movies are shown after dark, rain or shine.
5. Chazen Museum of Art
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The Chazen Museum of Art houses a wide range of art in various media and is another must-see attraction at the University of Wisconsin. Permanent exhibitions include paintings, sculptures, drawings and watercolors as well as prints, photography and applied/decorative arts.
Its extensive collection includes Rodin and Gainsborough among European artists, while its American collection includes works by Shusaku Arakawa. The museum's regular public programs, such as regular traveling exhibitions and family nights, can be found in detail on their website. Guided tours are also available several times a week and can be tailored to specific collections or interests. There is also an excellent cafe on the premises.
6. Madison Children's Museum
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The Children's Museum of Madison features fun exhibits and activities for children up to 10 years old. The museum hosts a variety of changing exhibitions throughout the year with educational themes such as the interactive "Coops to Cathedrals" area where children can explore Frank Lloyd Wright's creative process and learn by experimenting with their own designs.
Rooftop Ramble, a permanent exhibit at the museum, resembles a farm above the city. The area includes a pond, a greenhouse, a chicken coop and even chicken coops for pigeons.
Kids can get creative in the Art Studio or learn how to think differently about recycling and sustainability in the Trash Lab. Be sure to review the museum's online calendar to catch one of the regular story times or music events.
7. Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA)
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The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA), formerly known as the Madison Art Center, is an independent, non-profit art museum located in Madison, Wisconsin.
MMOCA is dedicated to exhibiting, collecting and preserving modern and contemporary art. Its mission is to educate and inspire through rotating permanent collection exhibits, special exhibitions, film series, and educational programs. The museum opened on April 23, 2006 in its current home adjacent to the Overture Center for the Arts. Both MMOCA and the Overture Center were designed by world-renowned architect César Pelli.
8. Wisconsin Veterans Museum
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Located on Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum is dedicated to telling the stories of Wisconsin's veterans.
The museum consists of two galleries that chronicle the history of Wisconsin citizens who served in the United States Army from the American Civil War to the present day. The Wisconsin Veterans Museum is an educational activity of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs.
The museum dates back to 1901 when it was established as the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall in the Wisconsin State Capitol.
9. Allen Centennial Gardens
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Allen Centennial Garden is the living classroom for the University of Wisconsin-Madison's horticulture program, designed to educate visitors of all ages. Highlights include the Sustainability Garden where you can learn about sustainable practices; an edible garden; Several theme parks including English cottage, Italian, French and Japanese.
There is a pond garden, a rock garden and several others. In the center of the gardens is the Dean's House, a Gothic Victorian home that was home to the university's first four deans. Today it is uninhabited and preserved as a landmark on the National Register of Historic Places. The gardens are open year-round from dawn to dusk and there is no admission fee.
10. Blue Mounds State Park
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Blue Mounds State Park is a state park near Luverne in Rock County, Minnesota, United States. It protects a herd of American bison that graze on one of the state's largest prairie remnants. The state park is named for a linear escarpment of Precambrian Sioux Quartzite rock that, although pink in color, is said to have appeared blue from a distance to early settlers. Parts of the rock are up to 100 feet (30 m) high. Unusual in the surrounding prairie landscape, they are a popular spot for rock climbing.
The park is lined with 1,250-foot-long (380 m) rock formations by the Plains Indians that mark the sunrise and sunset positions of the vernal and fall equinoxes.[2] It also has a small reservoir for swimming, the only lake in Rock County. The park's interpretive center was once the home of author Frederick Manfred. Four structures and one building in the park, built by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
11. Pendarvis State Historic Site
An hour's drive west of Madison—one that can easily be combined with a trip to the Blue Mountains—Pendarvis Historic Site consists of buildings dating back to the mid-19th century that have been restored to their original condition.
In the 1830s and 1840s, settlers from other parts of the United States and Europe flooded into Wisconsin, attracted by the prospect of an abundance of lead in shallow mines throughout the region. When easy leadership was scarce and more skills were needed to work the land, immigrants from Cornwall, England filled the need.
These miners and their families left their mark on southwest Wisconsin, especially in Penderwis, where you can see their stone cabins, learn about their lives, and understand how their heritage has been preserved. There are excellent guided tours with costumed staff.