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Things to do in Madison
Madison, Wisconsin is a medium sized city about 1 hour
due east of Milwaukee and settled comfortably between two
lakes. It's the capital city of Wisconsin and its capital
building sits prominently right in the middle of the city
with the streets erupting from it like light rays.
It has a lively nightlife and has a wide variety of restaurants,
theatres and other activities. Additionally it's a beautiful
walking city and a very nice day's journey can be had by
parking near the downtown and just walking around to see
what there is to see.
Some of the attractions of the city include the Wisconsin
Film Festival (genearally early spring), the farmer's market
(May through September) and the various college sporting
events that engulf the city during the college seasons.
- Tour the Wisconsin
State Capitol building
Tours at 9, 10, 11am, and 1, 2, and 3pm Monday - Saturday,
and 1, 2, and 3pm Sunday. Free.
- Go to the Farmers'
Market
Saturday mornings, 6am - noon, around the Capitol Square.
The pastries at 25 N. Pinckney St. are great. A smaller
version of the market is on Wednesdays 8am - 2pm along
Martin Luther King Blvd.
- Relax at the University of Wisconsin Memorial
Union Terrace
800 Langdon St. Outdoor terrace and tables on the shore
of Lake Mendota. Free,
outdoor, live music Wednesday - Saturday 9pm-midnight
and Friday 5-7pm. You need to show your conference badge
to buy beer. Babcock Hall ice cream made at the University
is sold inside the Union.
- Walk State Street
"...a funky half-mile strip of food, music, craft and
clothing shops running from the the university campus
to the imposing state capitol building." -- New York Times.
Free, outdoor folk music Saturdays 4-7pm at 452 State
St.
- Take a Walk or Run
- To Olin Park: Follow bike path along Lake Monona
from the Monona Terrace, keeping the lake on your
left. About 2 miles round-trip.
- Around Lake Monona: Follow bike path signs; some
path but much on city streets. About 20K.
- To Picnic Point: Go down State St., turn right at
Lake St. until you reach Lake Mendota, turn left and
follow the lakeshore path past the Union to Picnic
Point. About 10K round-trip. Very scenic path.
- Rent a Bicycle or Inline Skates
Around Lake Monona (20K), to Picnic Point (10K, most scenic),
to Olin Park (2 miles), or through the University Arboretum
(10K). A map
of city bike routes is available. Rental stores near
the Monona Terrace:
- Machinery
Row Bicycles, 601 Williamson St., 442-5974. 1/4
mile from Monona Terrace. Bicycles: $20/day or $60/week.
Tandems: $50/day or $150/week. Inline Skates: $10/day
or $30/week.
- Yellow Jersey
Bicycles, 419 State St., 257-4737. Bicycles: $18/day
or $55/week.
- Williamson Bicycle
Works, 640 West Washington Ave., 255-5292. Bicycles:
$12/day or $50/week.
- Budget Bicycle Center, 930 Regent St., 251-1663.
Bicycles: Free with $75 deposit (Yellow Bikes Project).
- Rent a Canoe
- On Lake Mendota
- On Lake Wingra
- Wingra Canoe and Sailing, 824 Knickerbocker
St., 233-5332. Canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, windsurfers.
- Take a Boat Cruise on Lake Monona or Lake Mendota
- Betty
Lou Lake Cruises, 246-3136. Fridays 4pm cocktail
cruise, Saturdays 11:30am lunch cruise, Sundays 11:30am
brunch cruise, and Sundays 6pm dinner cruise.
- Pontoon boat rides on Lake Mendota, Tuesdays and
Thursdays 5:30-7pm and 7:15-8:45pm, 1615 Sherman Ave.,
$3.
- Visit the University of Wisconsin Elvehjem
Museum of Art, 800 University Ave.
- See also
Nearby Madison
- Visit Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan buildings
in Madison
- Visit Taliesin:
Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio
About a 45-minute drive west of Madison in Spring Green,
Wisconsin. 608-588-7900
- See a play at the American
Players Theater
An outdoor stage in the woods performing mostly Shakespeare.
Picnic area too. Spring Green, Wisconsin. 608-588-2361.
About a 45-minute drive west of Madison.
- Visit the International
Crane Foundation
The one place in the world where you can see all 15 crane
species. Baraboo, Wisconsin. 608-356-9462. About a 1-hour
drive north of Madison.
- Canoe the Wisconsin River
Half-day, full-day, and two-day self-guided trips are
a beautiful way to see the countryside. No canoeing experience
needed. General
information and images on excursions is available
on the web. Two convenient companies where you can rent
canoes and who will pick you up downstream are Blackhawk
River Runs, 608-643-6724, and Sauk-Praire Canoes, 608-643-6589,
both on the river near Sauk City, Wisconsin, which is
about a 30-minute drive from Madison.
- Go on a Hot Air Balloon Ride
- Cattails to Clouds, 224-1100
- Sky Aces, 827-9300
- Token Creek Hot Air Balloons, 241-4000
- Hike or rock climb at Devil's
Lake State Park
Near Baraboo, Wisconsin. About 45 minutes north.
For Kids
- Ice Cream
- University of Wisconsin Babcock Hall Ice Cream may
be purchased at the Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.,
or, if you also want to see it being made (before
noon), at the Babcock
Hall Dairy Plant, 1605 Linden Dr. on the University
of Wisconsin campus.
- Michael's
Frozen Custard, 2531 Monroe St. This store is
very near the Lake Wingra canoe and kayak rental place
(see above).
- Madison's Henry Vilas
Zoo, 702 S. Randall St., 266-4732. Small, but has
a children's zoo and is free.
- Madison
Children's Museum, 100 State St., 256-6445. Small.
- University of Wisconsin Geology
Museum, 1215 W. Dayton St., 262-2399. Free.
- Cave of the
Mounds. A small cave near Blue Mounds, Wisconsin.
608-437-3038. Adults $12, children $6. About 45 minutes
west of Madison.
- Circus World
Museum, Baraboo, Wisconsin. 608-356-0800. About 45
minutes north of Madison. Original home of the Ringling
Brothers Circus.
- Wisconsin Dells,
Wisconsin. Water parks, boat cruises, theme parks, mini-golf,
etc. 800-223-3557 for information. About 1 hour north
of Madison.
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NY Properties, LLC.