Looking For Something To Do In Madison? Here Are Some Of Our Favorites

Spend Your Saturday Checking Out Some Madison Specialties

• Start your morning at the Dane Country Farmers Market. It's the largest producer only farmer's market in the US and takes place around the Capitol Square every Saturday morning Spring through Fall. Pick up coffee and a pastry, or hot spicy cheese bread and a meat stick, and take a seat on the Capitol lawns. Don't forget to try some cheese curds!
• While you're on the Square, take a tour of the Capitol building.
• Once you're done with the Capitol Square, wander down State Street, a pedestrian mall lined with unique shops and eating establishments.
• State Street ends when it reaches the University of Wisconsin - Madison campus. Enjoy a Madison summer tradition by drinking a beer, or having some ice cream, at the Memorial Union Terrace.

Explore The Great Outdoors, In And Around Downtown Madison

• Take a stroll along the Lakeshore Path. Bring a picnic and walk from the Memorial Union all the way out to Picnic Point. The farmer's market is a great place to purchase the makings of a picnic!
• Visit Lake Wingra and the UW-Madison Arboretum. Or stop by Wingra Boats and rent a canoe, kayak, or stand up paddle board.
• If gardens are more your speed, try Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3 miles east of the Capitol Square, or the Allen Centennial Gardens, on the UW campus.
• Rent a bike, or Bcycle, and bike the solar system .
• Check out some reclaimed prairie, and great views of the Madison skyline, at Pheasant Branch Creek Conservancy in Middleton
• Make the hour drive to hike at Devil's Lake State Park

Visit Some Of The Many Museums Around Downtown Madison

• Wisconsin Historical Museum, on the Capitol Square
• Wisconsin Veterans Museum, on the Capitol Square
• Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, just off the Capitol Square, on State Street.
• UW-Madison Geology Museum, on the UW campus.
• Chazen Museum of Art, on the UW campus, near the Memorial Union.
• Or make the trip out to Middleton to visit the National Mustard Museum

Tour One Of Many Local Breweries

• New Glarus Brewing, in "America's Little Switzerland", New Glarus, WI.
• Capital Brewery, in Middleton.
• Wisconsin Brewing Company, a short drive away in Verona.
• It's not beer, but Wollersheim Winery is worth the trip out to Sauk City if you enjoy wine.
• Need more options? The following local breweries may not have tours, but have tasting rooms or brew pubs you could visit: Ale Asylum, Karben4, Sprecher's, The Great Dane, One Barrel Brewing, Next Door, and probably several others which we are missing.
• Try over 100 Wisconsin beers, and food specialties, at The Old Fashioned, on the Capitol Square.

Kid Friendly Madison

• Head out to the free Henry Vilas Zoo
• Make the trip out to Monona to visit the Aldo Leopold Nature Center
• Madison with Kids has a list of kid friendly events going on in Madison.

Still need more info? Head over to Visit Madison

Places To Eat

Breakfast

• Gotham Bagels. 112 East Mifflin St.
  Authentic New York style bagels in downtown Madison.
  Annette always gets an egg and cheese breakfast sandwich.
• Short Stack Eatery. 301 W Johnson St.
  All day breakfast-only dinner, order at the counter and take a seat.
  Ryan suggests you ask about the blind special. Also note, this is not the speediest breakfast option.
• Lazy Jane's. 1358 Williamson St.
  A bit of a trek from the Capitol, and expect a wait on the weekends, but some of the best breakfast in town.
  Ryan and Annette both say "Try a scone!"
• Barriques. 127 West Washington Ave.
  Local coffee shop chain. Coffee with pastries and a few hot breakfast options.
  Annette recommends the Miel. (Latte with honey and cinnamon.) Note they are also open late and serve wine by the glass.
• Saturday morning grab breakfast at the Farmer's Market.
  Some favorites: Madison Sourdough croissants, Chris & Lori's Bakehouse scones, for something savory, try the hot spicy cheese bread from Stella's.

Lunch & Dinner

• The Cooper's Tavern - 20 W Mifflin St.
  Upscale tavern serving pub grub & international beer & wine in a warm, contemporary venue.
  Ryan says "try a sour ale and get some poutine!" Annette prefers the grilled cheese.
• Graze - 1 S Pinckney St #107.
  Lively gastropub plating farm-to-table comfort fare in a modern glass venue with Capitol views.
  Annette likes their cocktails and fries.
• Ian's Pizza - Two locations: 100 State St and 319 N Frances St.
  Pizza by the slice featuring some unique combinations.
  Annette says "Try the mac n cheese pizza!"
• Los Gemelos, 244 W Gilman St.
  Lively, counter-service taqueria dispensing tacos, tortas & other Mexican street fare until late.
  Ryan recommends the quesadillas.
• Wasabi Japanese Restaurant - 449 State St. #2G.
  Casual eatery serving sushi rolls, noodle dishes & other Japanese staples in simple digs
  Ryan says "get a bento box or try their soba"
• Sunroom Cafe - 638 State St.
  Hopping cafe serving global fare with lots of vegetarian/vegan options plus house-baked pastries.
  The daily special pizza is always a hit!
• Fresco - 227 State St.
  Modern New American spot on the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art rooftop offering Downtown views.
  Not open for lunch, but check them out if you want a nice dinner on Friday night. Annette recommends the gnocchi.
• Paisan's Restaurant - 131 W Wilson St.
  Longtime eatery featuring Italian fare, thin-crust pizzas & a patio with Lake Monona views.
  The real selling point is the view. Ask for a seat on the patio!
• Vientiane Palace - 151 W Gorham St.
  Hole in the wall joint serving Laotian & Thai fare, including daily lunch specials.
  Ryan's favorite is the Lao Noodle Kee Mow
• Bassett Street Brunch Club - 444 W Johnson St
  Vintage-themed diner offering elevated comfort foods including brunch & homemade donuts.
  Ryan recommends the Breakfast Bur-roti. Annette says try the daily donut.

Maps

Some of the highlights

Where To Stay?

Hotel Block Information

Madison's Inn on the Park is perfectly situated across the Capitol from the reception. Getting home after a night of partying with us will be a cinch!

• Call 1-800-279-8811 or 608-285-8000 and ask for a room in the "Spyker and Mechelke" block
• Rooms are $139 for one bed, $159 for two beds, or $179 for a suite.
• Inn on the Park requires a two-night minimum
• Block rooms must be reserved by April 30, 2015

Alternative Lodging Information

If you don't want to reserve two nights of rooms at a hotel, or if you're looking for something different from the Inn on the Park, check out other hotels in the downtown/campus area. (See some options here.)

Anything near the Capitol will make for an easy walk home after the reception. Do note that some other hotels in the Capitol region will require a two-night minimum.

You want to bring a gift?

The gift of your presence is our only request!

You still want to bring a gift?

We are registered on Thankful Registry. The registry password is "presence"

If you have any problems or questions about the registry, checkout Thankful Registry's FAQ, or email their support at help@thankfulregistry.com

How To Get To, And Get Around In, Madison

Airports

• Dane Country Regional Airport, MSN, is only a few minutes away from downtown Madison via car or taxi.
• Milwaukee's Mitchell Airport, MKE, is about an hour and a half from Madison by car. You can also take the Badger Bus.
• Either of the Chicago airports, O'Hare or Midway, are about two and a half hours from Madison by car. Or take the Van Galder Bus instead.

Car Rental

You don't need to rent a car since there is plenty to do in downtown Madison, but there are the standard car rental options available at the airport.

B Cycle

Looking for a fun way to get around Madison, or just want to take a joy ride? Try Bcycle, Madison's bike share program.

Madison Metro Bus

If you'd like to explore Madison without a car, you can use Google Maps to plan your trip on Madison Metro buses.

Taxis

Usually there are plenty of taxis available at the airport. If there aren't any there when you arrive, try calling one of Madison's four cab companies:

• Green Cab, (608) 255-1234
• Badger Cab, (608) 256-5566
• Madison Taxi, (608) 255-8294
• Union Cab, (608) 242-2000

Need Some Visuals?

Here's a map!

Other hotels in downtown Madison