Location: Madison
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10 Museums in Madison That You Shouldn't Miss
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. Wisconsin Veterans Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 240 reviews
The Wisconsin Veterans Museum acknowledges, affirms, and commemorates the role of Wisconsin citizens from Civil War to present military history.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
In our travels from coast to coast, my wife and I love to visit art museums and history museums. In Madison, Wisconsin, we visited the Wisconsin Historical Museum, the Chazen Museum of Art and the Overture Center for the Arts. Then one of the docents at the Chazen asked: "Have you been to the Veterans Museum?" Now we have. We would have been disappointed if we had missed it. Located at 30 West Mifflin Street, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum was founded in 1901 and has been housed at this site since 1993. Dedicated to the soldiers of the state of Wisconsin, it is composed of two galleries that chronicle the history of their service in the nation's wars from the Civil War to the Persian Gulf War to the War on Terror through exhibits, videos, maps, photographs and dioramas. The 19th century gallery showcases Wisconsin's involvement in the Civil War, including a large diorama depicting the Battle of Antietam. Three Wisconsin regiments formed part of the famed Iron Brigade that fought in most of the major battles in the eastern theater, including Antietam, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville and Petersburg. In the 20th century gallery, see exhibits that illustrate Wisconsin's roles in the Mexican Border campaign, World War I and World War II and the Korean, Vietnam and Persian Gulf conflicts. Many historical firearms and three full-scale aircraft also are on display--a Sopwith Camel from WW I, a P-51 Mustang from WW II and a Huey helicopter from the Vietnam War. Even if you aren't from Wisconsin, a visit to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum is a very sobering and educational experience.
2. Chazen Museum of Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 312 reviews
This art museum's impressive collection includes prints, photographs, paintings and sculptures from prehistoric times to modern day. Special exhibitions showcasing local artists take place throughout the year. The Chazen remains free, but you must book an appointment in advance to visit during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic:
Reviewed By BAR1025 - Mount Horeb, United States
They have a new cafe with wifi, treats, espresso, and gifts. It's a gift shop with benefits! I already bought a book and a few mochas. Really nice addition to a great museum!
3. Madison Children's Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 309 reviews
(Note: The museum is closed indefinitely, due to the pandemic. MCM will reopen sometime in 2021.) The Madison Children's Museum is an award-winning destination for fun family activities and hands-on learning! Visit our inventive city of Possible-opolis for ages 6 and up, and our four-season Rooftop Ramble, with animals and gardens. Kids under 5 have a place of their own in the Wildernest, a global village made with natural, local materials.There's always something new to do at Madison Children's Museum, where our mission is to connect children with their family, their community, and the world beyond through discovery learning and creative play.
Reviewed By EvergreenCOmom - Evergreen, United States
My 11, 8, and 5 year olds had a blast exploring this highly interactive and innovative children's museum. It's high candy for kids and adults alike from the moment you walk in and see the 5 and under Wildernest area on the lower level while looking straight up at the open staircase to see the older kid climbing play structure "thing" that you have to see to believe. Naturally, we went straight up to climb and slide. Great energy burner and the slide is steep/fast enough that kids don't get held up waiting to go. Next we made our way through the coops to cathedrals portion. I was fascinated! I had no idea about the history of Frank Lloyd Wright- I knew he was from Madison but I learned so much about his life and design ideas. There was everything from the types of blocks he played with as a child to a fun barn space for kids to try out building and chores to a functioning "studio" space where they can try to design a dog house with large interlocking puzzles pieces. So cool! I finally weaned my kids off this section because I was eager to check out the rooftop. For older kids the staircase is yet another helpful energy burner (up a few flights). The rooftop is beautiful and another creative place to explore, with interesting garden spaces and indoor lab space to check out beetles, turtles, and other small animals. There's also a chicken coop outside, plus a couple of small climbing structures and beautiful look out spots (especially fun for us out oft owners). The one last thing my daughter wanted to do was the giant hamster wheel back down by the climbing structure. It's a fun little novel thing to do but be prepared to wait a few minutes in line since it's open sporadically as staff are able to come and open it. I assume it's open more readily on weekends. And now a few logistics: I bought my tickets online ahead of time to see if it saved any time. For one adult & three kids it was just over $31, so not bad. It saved a few seconds when we walked in, but since there wasn't a separate line I was confused about how this would help on really crowded days. We were there on a June Tuesday afternoon. Parking was crazy easy since a street space opened up right outside the front door. I also saw multiple parking structures, so even on weekends I figure parking is not impossible. I saw that they allow you to bring food in to the cafe, which is super helpful. You can bring in food for the little ones just within the Wildernest, also helpful. Bathrooms and elevators were really easy to find once inside. I also appreciated that they had environmentally friendly features like high flow/low flow toilet flushers and hand dryers. Most of all, I appreciated the time and effort that clearly went into making this an amazing space for a wide variety of ages.
4. Wisconsin Historical Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 104 reviews
Bringing Wisconsin's history to life through exhibits on the material culture of the state and the Upper Midwest, from prehistoric times to present day.
Reviewed By Bluey114 - Brisbane, Australia
Absolutely loves this museum. Spent way longer here than we thought as there was so much to see. Lots of historical artifacts and displays. Loved it
5. University of Wisconsin Geology Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 111 reviews
Explore the Geology Museum and take a peek into Wisconsin's deep history!On your visit you can touch rocks from a time when there were volcanoesin Wisconsin; see corals, jellyfish and other sea creatures that used tolive and swim where we now walk; and stand under the tusks of a mastodonwhile imagining yourself in the Ice Age. Also on display at the GeologyMuseum are rocks and minerals that glow, a model of a Wisconsin cave,dinosaurs and meteorites.Our mineral, rock and fossil collections have the power to educate andinspire visitors of all ages. Come see for yourself!
Reviewed By interceptpubs - Columbus, United States
This small museum on the second floor of the geology building (a couple blocks from Camp Randall Stadium) provides a fascinating look at the rocks underneath your feet. It starts with a small exhibit on meteors and meteorites - including video of the 2010 meteor that exploded over southern Wisconsin and several examples of meteorites from that strike as well as a general discussion of the various types of meteors with again examples of the resulting meteorites from around the world. Next is an extensive display of minerals including many beautiful crystals, colors, etc. - indeed the example of pyrite "suns" naturally grown in a slab of black slate looks more like modern art than a natural specimen. Visitors are next led into a room equipped with a black light to show a wall full of examples minerals that glow in UV light - very 1960s. This room leads to another small room modeled after a cave to illustrate the difference between stalactites and stalagmites. The remaining main gallery looks at fossils from the microscopic to dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. Here again, some of the natural specimens looks more like art than science - for example, the fossilized school of sea lilies struck us as something that would look just as good in an art museum as in a geology exhibit.There is also a unique complete example of a fossilized diving bird from 80 million years ago, as well as a large hadrosaur and a bizarre large armored mammal from South America. We spent about an hour here (and this wasn't our first visit) and found it enlightening to say the least. You can even take home (for a small price) some examples of some of minerals and fossils that they have for sale - the museum itself is free.
6. Overture Center for the Arts
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 324 reviews
Reviewed By Flizzer
Great acoustics and comfortable seating, plenty of bathrooms and places for food/drink. And when the crowd gets rowdy as a couple of over served folks did when I was there recently their security is quiet and swift to squelch the problem.
7. Washburn Observatory
8. Madison Art Center
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1 reviews
One of the two main art museums in the city of Madison.
9. Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 97 reviews
This free museum offers exciting exhibits from emerging artists as well as influential works from those widely known. There's something for everyone to love with areas dedicated to children's connection to the art. On top of it all, MMoCA features a great view of State Street among the rooftop sculpture garden.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
Perhaps the most imposing building in Madison, Wisconsin, isn't the State Capitol. Visitors are awestruck when viewing the three-story glass facade of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art for the first time. At least these two visitors from Chicago were. The MMoCA, as it is commonly referred to, formerly known as the Madison Art Center, is an art museum with a three-story glass facade that serves as the museum's main staircase and an architectural landmark. Located at 227 State Street, at the corner of State and Henry Streets, it is part of the Overture Center for the Arts. The MMoCA has four galleries--the State Street Gallery directly off the museum lobby, the Henry Street Gallery that showcases a rotating selection of the museum's collections; the main galleries, the museum's largest exhibition space, on the second floor; and the Imprint Gallery on the second floor that provides an environment for artwork based on sound or film. Artwork also is displayed in the lobby and in the Rooftop Sculpture Garden. There also is a theater for films, a museum store and the Fresco restaurant. Admission is free. Currently, the most notable piece in the museum's collection is Pitahayas, a 1938 oil-on-metal painting by Frida Kahlo.
10. Wisconsin Science Museum
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 3 reviews
The Wisconsin Science Museum is committed to inspiring visitors about the wonders of science in Wisconsin through displays and traveling exhibits. We are currently re-constructing the exhibits and re-organizing our operations after moving to the new location. Our web site now has a Wisconsin Science Hall of Fame section and some science activities that require only materials found in most homes. Adults with an interest in assisting us please contact us by email or phone.
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