10 Fun Activities & Games in Madison That You Shouldn't Miss

April 27, 2022 Oliva Fomby

The sprawling University of Wisconsin sets the tone for this college town of cafes, bookstores, brewpubs, numerous restaurants (more per capita than anywhere else in the U.S.) and a good share of cultural and historical attractions. Stunning glacial waterways make the City of Lakes one of the more picturesque state capitals in the country. More than 250 parks offer residents and tourists plenty of recreational areas to choose from. If you visit the campus, be sure to try the famous Babcock Ice Cream at Memorial Union or Babcock Hall, before or after a visit to the Elvehjem Museum of Art's collection of Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities. And to really get into the college spirit, head over to State Street's eclectic range of ethnic restaurants. Be sure to try the mouth-watering bratwurst sandwich on a homemade bun at State Street Brats, a student favorite. At the end of State Street, the white granite, Roman Renaissance-style Capitol dominates the skyline and offers an observation platform for views of the city and lakes.
Restaurants in Madison

1. Monkey Business Institute

Glass Nickel Pizza Co., 2916 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704-5802 +1 608-658-5153 [email protected] http://www.monkeybusinessinstitute.com
Excellent
82%
Good
15%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
3%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 34 reviews

Monkey Business Institute

Every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, Monkey Business Institute creates unique performances at the Glass Nickel Pizza East - 2916 Atwood Ave. We craft spur-of-the-moment, seat-of-the-pants improv comedy by mixing audience suggestions, decades of improv experience, and sheer moxie. Our group features over 20 experienced and talented performers with backgrounds in stand-up comedy, acting, writing and music. Many of our members are also frequent guests of the Blame Society Films ensemble (Chad Vader, Beer & Board Games, Welcome to the Basement) We recommend buying your tickets online to guarantee your seats, as our venue sells out quickly. Tuesday House Blend Show ($5, 7:00PM, Seating begins at 6:15), Friday Improv Lab Show ($7, 8:00PM, Seating at 7:15) Saturday All-Ages Show ($7, 5:30PM, Seating at 4:45PM), and Saturday Grown-Up Show ($12, 8PM, Seating at 7:15PM)! See our website for special shows and showcases. Full menu and bar available. Free parking. No food/drink minimum.

2. Escape This

120 E Wilson St Suite 2, Madison, WI 53703-3481 +1 608-217-8181 [email protected] http://escapethis.com
Excellent
96%
Good
3%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 80 reviews

Escape This

We offer live room escape games that provide a unique & entertaining experience for families, friends and co-workers. Teams of players are "locked" in a themed room with only 60 minutes to use wit, creativity and teamwork to search for clues, solve puzzles and ultimately escape the room. It's smart fun that puts a new twist on team building, birthday parties, date nights and outings with friends.

Reviewed By 472terry - Verona, United States

We have been to a ton of escape rooms all over the country. There are many similarities and many things that make each experience unique. Escape This stands out as one of the best that we have done. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful from the moment we walked in the building. Our game Master was Matthew and he was wonderful at letting us dictate any help we wanted from him. On hindsight, we wished that we had asked for a little help earlier. This is a challenging room with a ton of puzzles to solve. Great room for a bigger group because there is a lot to accomplish. We did not escape and still had many steps to do. That was disappointing but we did feel successful with the things we did solve. I especially like the balance between relevant things in the room and distractions. The story made sense and the tasks were completely tied to the story. This is a top notch experience that I would highly recommend.

3. iCombat

2919 Marketplace Dr, Madison, WI 53719-5309 +1 855-454-4426 [email protected] http://www.icombat.com/madison/#Home
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 7 reviews

iCombat

iCOMBAT Madison Tactical Laser Tag is the ultimate combat immersive entertainment experience. The authentic equipment and realistic sound effects will give you an experience you will never forget. Level up, earn achievements and fight for top rank on our local leaderboards.

4. Virtual World

2044 S Stoughton Rd 2nd Floor, Madison, WI 53716-2850 +1 608-230-6401 [email protected] http://www.virtualworldmadison.com
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 1 reviews

Virtual World

Virtual World is a Virtual Reality Gaming Center in Madison, WI dedicated to offering clients the latest in virtual reality equipment and games.

5. FlannelJax's Madison

6704 Watts Rd, Madison, WI 53719-1318 +1 608-579-0683 [email protected] http://www.flanneljaxs.com/madison-wi/
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 4 reviews

FlannelJax's Madison

FlannelJax’s offers an extreme, social and fun experience for social and corporate events! No matter what size group you have, or what your are celebrating, our selection of competitive Lumberjack Sports will have you unleashing your inner Lumberjack. FlannelJax’s is great for a night out with friends or if you’re looking for an exciting team building experience.

6. Vilas Park

702 S Randall Ave, Madison, WI 53715-1600 http://www.vilaszoo.org/
Excellent
71%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
0%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 45 reviews

Vilas Park

Located on the shores of Lake Wingra, this park includes the Henry Vilas Zoo, an arboretum and a popular scenic beach.

7. Madison Mallards

2920 N Sherman Ave, Madison, WI 53704-3000 +1 608-246-4277 http://northwoodsleague.com/madison-mallards
Excellent
64%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
0%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 140 reviews

Madison Mallards

The Madison Mallards are a summer collegiate baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League. They are dedicated to providing the ultimate fan experience. Madison Mallards, "Baseball Like It Outgha Be!"

8. Point Cinema

7825 Big Sky Dr, Madison, WI 53719-4957 +1 608-833-3980 http://marcustheatres.com/Theatre/TheatreDetail/141/
Excellent
59%
Good
38%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
3%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 29 reviews

Point Cinema

9. Ultrazone Laser Tag

680 Grand Canyon Dr, Madison, WI 53719-2904 +1 608-833-8880 [email protected] http://www.playlasertag.com
Excellent
38%
Good
63%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 8 reviews

Ultrazone Laser Tag

Madison's Best Laser Tag Adventure. Check out Wisconsin's only 3 story arena. We specialize in Birthday Parties, Team Buildings, Youth Group Outings, Fundraisers and family fun. Come in anytime during business hours to play public games of laser tag or call to schedule a private event.

10. Escape in Time

6527 Normandy Ln Suite #203, Madison, WI 53719-1104 +1 608-833-8463 [email protected] http://www.escapeintimemadison.com/
Excellent
76%
Good
11%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
4%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 83 reviews

Escape in Time

ESCAPE IN TIME Escape Rooms were designed and decorated by world-class artists, accomplished prop-makers and talented builders with experience working for the Amusement Park and Halloween Attractions industries. You will be absolutely amazed with our Escape Room set design and attention to detail! Our Escape Rooms are located in Madison, near West Towne, in the Market Square Mall. What is an Escape Room? "...Real-life escape rooms are a type of physical adventure game in which people are "locked" in a room with other participants and must use elements of the room to solve a series of puzzles, find clues, and escape the room within a set time limit..." Critical thinking, creative problem solving and the ability to work under pressure are skills you will sharpen during your experience. Forget everything you know about escape rooms. Our rooms will literally blow you away! "BEST ESCAPE ROOMS IN MADISON "

Reviewed By Zlch0c - Western Springs, United States

We are a family of four with 2 teens, and we've done about 100 escape rooms. We did Wizards of Wormbly, Captain's Cove and Water landing. This organization is in character right when you arrive. A few COVID changes, there is a temperature check at the door and hand sanitizer and you wear your mask throughout the game (some let you take them off when in the room) and you get a room with only your party (so don't pay for this option until COVIDs over. I definitely saw the most COVID precautions here. This location also has a unique lobby with a puzzle in it. Very cool. Can't say more. We started to try Eat or be Eaten, but it was too scary for me, and they were able to get us into another room since we paid full price. I really appreciated their flexibility. I need to be more careful reading descriptions. Hey, but if you like horror themed rooms, you are in luck. We enjoyed all of the rooms and escaped the 3 we've done so far (with clues). The special effects are some of the best that we've seen. There aren't many compound puzzles, but there are some very challenging puzzles mostly because it's sometime we haven't seen before. What sets this place apart is the great special effects, the excellent set design and great technology. Overall, high quality. It feels more like you just went to an amusement part to be entertained than just puzzles. A very fun experience.

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