15 things Madison locals must do before they die

It’s one thing to live in Madison; it’s another to truly experience the city. Here are 15 things that locals must do before they die.

A lot of bucket lists involve traveling, but for residents of Madison, Wisc., there are plenty of things to do before kicking the bucket right at home. With a population of more than 269,000, according to the 2020 United States Census, Madison is the second largest city in Wisconsin, and it’s home to plenty of restaurants, museums, and natural attractions that any local should make sure they experience before they die.

From the uber-popular, must-do activities—like touring the Capitol or picking up some fresh produce at the Dane County Farmers Market — to the more obscure, there’s plenty to do in Madison, but some of the best activities and experiences should be prioritized. Here are 15 things that Madison locals have to do before they die. 

1. See the state’s government in action at the Capitol

2 E. Main St., Madison

Undoubtedly the most famous building in Madison, Wisconsin’s Capitol Building, which stands 284.4 feet tall, is located in the heart of the city. Located between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, the building houses the state’s government and is also open to the public to tour—including its observation deck, which is open during the city’s warmer months and offers one of the best views available in Madison.

Interested visitors can register for tours online, which are free every day except major holidays. Tours are offered almost every hour from Monday through Saturday and at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. on Sundays. A tour isn’t necessary to see the building, though. Visitors can walk in during its open hours and roam the government building’s halls on their own time. 

Photo courtesy of Wikideas1/ CC0.

2. Explore a UNESCO World Heritage Site at Taliesin

5481 County Road C, Spring Green

It’s quite an honor to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site—the designation is given to sites throughout the world that are judged to contain cultural and national heritage that’s considered to have “outstanding value to humanity,” according to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. There’s only one site in Wisconsin that’s been deemed important enough for that designation: Taliesin, the estate of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. 

The estate, located a 55-minute drive from Madison in Spring Green, is one of eight buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that were included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. Taliesin offers several tours a day, including a four-hour tour of the entire estate, which features an in-depth tour of the house and a tour of Midway Barn, a barn designed by Wright that was deemed a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

3. Sample some Wisconsin cuisine at The Old Fashioned

23 N. Pinckney St. #1, Madison

For nearly two decades, The Old Fashioned has been whipping up some of the best in Wisconsin dining. Located across the street from Wisconsin’s Capitol, The Old Fashioned is renowned for its use of Wisconsin-produced cheeses in its cheese curds and macaroni and cheese dishes. They also use Wisconsin-produced ingredients in dishes like its pork schnitzel, which is served with a Door County cherry mustard sauce.

Of course, The Old Fashioned also has a lengthy beer menu, with a rotating list of 52 Wisconsin-made beers on tap. The restaurant also serves more than 100 different cans and bottles of Wisconsin-produced beer.

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Pack/CC BY-NC 2.0.

4. Stop by the largest producers-only farmers’ market in the country

2 E. Main St., Madison

Over the five decades it has existed, the Dane County Farmers’ Market has grown to become the largest producers-only farmers’ market in the country, with more than 275 vendors. That means that every item sold at the market is sold by the people who have grown, harvested, or made it.

The market operates on the grounds of the Wisconsin Capitol Building and runs from 6:15 a.m. until 1:45 p.m. on Saturdays from April through November. The Dane County Farmers’ Market also operates a Wednesday market two blocks away from Capitol Square from 8:30 a.m. until 1:45 p.m.

Unlike many other farmers’ markets, the Dane County Farmers’ Market is open all year long, as it operates two different farmers markets throughout the winter: the Holiday Market, which runs on Saturdays in November and December, and the Late Winter Market, which is open on Saturdays from the beginning of January through the beginning of April. 

Photo courtesy of Adam Fagen/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

5. Cheer on the Badgers at a University of Wisconsin-Madison football game

1440 Monroe St., Madison

Despite being the capital city of Wisconsin, Madison doesn’t have any major league sports teams for its residents to root for—they’re all in Green Bay and Milwaukee. But it does have something that’s arguably even more fun for sports fans: college football.

The city is home to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its Wisconsin Badgers football team. The team, which plays at Madison’s Camp Randall Stadium, has won 14 conference titles and five division titles since its first season in 1889. Tickets for a single game typically range between $35 and $60, while season tickets cost $399 and can be purchased online.

Not a football fan? Check out the Badgers’ basketball, ice hockey, softball, or soccer teams. The school offers 23 different sports teams to root for, and you might even be watching some future (or current) Olympians or professional athletes in action.

Photo courtesy of Ken Fager/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

6. Catch a sunset at Memorial Union Terrace

800 Langdon St., Madison

The Memorial Union, located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, offers social and educational opportunities for the university’s students and staff, as well as Madison community members. These include art classes and film screenings. But one of Memorial Union’s best offerings is just outside its doors—the building’s terrace. 

Overlooking Lake Mendota and filled with colorful and distinctive sunburst chairs, the Memorial Union Terrace is undoubtedly one of the best places to gather in the city. It’s also a top-notch spot to watch the sunset as it dips behind Lake Mendota. While you have to be a member of the Wisconsin Union to enjoy the terrace, day memberships can be purchased in person for $1 at Memorial Union’s restaurants and cafés. 

Photo courtesy of Joshua Mayer/CC BY-SA 2.0.

7. Have fun at the Madison Children’s Museum

100 N. Hamilton St., Madison

Of course, the Madison Children’s Museum is a blast for kids. There are nine exhibits, including an art studio, a trash lab where kids can learn about recycling and reusing items, and the Ice Age Trail-inspired “Nice Age Trail” exhibit, where kids learn about animals and their native habitats.

But the museum is also pretty fun for adults. There are regular adult swim parties, where attendees over the age of 21 can play in the museum, participate in arts and crafts, and imbibe in a specially-themed drink. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. On Thursdays, it stays open even later and is free to enter from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. Tickets cost $11 for adults and children and $10 for seniors.

Photo courtesy of Michael Barera/CC BY-SA 4.0.

8. Try a unique slice at Ian’s Pizza

Multiple locations

Sure, there are plenty of places in Madison to grab a slice of pizza. But there aren’t many places where you can get a mac and cheese slice, or a cheesy potato and ranch slice, or a Macho Nacho, which is topped with a chipotle créme sauce, house-made chorizo, tortilla strips, pico de gallo and salsa verde. However, that wide range of flavors and toppings can be found at Ian’s Pizza, a pizza restaurant with three locations throughout Madison.

Ian’s Pizza also offers more traditional slices, including pepperoni, sausage, and cheese. The pizza restaurant also sells a wide range of vegan slices and whole pies, as well as salads, puppy chow, and breadsticks.

Photo courtesy of jpellgen (@1105_jp)/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

9. Spend a day at Devil’s Lake State Park

S5975 Park Road, Baraboo

The Midwest might not be best known for its natural wonders, but that’s a shame because it has plenty of them, especially in Wisconsin. One of the state’s most beautiful wonders is Devil’s Lake State Park, a 9,217-acre park whose defining features are its namesake lake, which sinks to depths of 47 feet, and the quartzite cliffs that surround it.

Visitors to the park can spend the day biking or hiking along the trails, having fun on the lake itself on a boat or swimming, or just relaxing. It’s also a popular camping destination in the state, with four different campgrounds.

The state park isn’t located directly in Madison; it’s an hour’s drive north of the city, which makes it ideal for a day trip for Madison locals. For drivers with Wisconsin license plates, daily passes for Devil’s Lake State Park cost $13, or $3 for seniors over the age of 65, or an annual pass costs $28 for Wisconsin residents and $13 for seniors.

Photo courtesy of Tom Gill/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

10. Become an expert baker at a Far Breton Bakery workshop

1924 Fordem Ave., Madison

It’s one thing to go to a bakery and purchase delicious baked goods, but it’s another thing to visit a bakery and walk out with a new skill (in addition to some tasty treats). That’s possible at Far Breton Bakery, a French bakery owned by pastry chef Marie Arzel Young, that offers workshops to teach attendees some of the tricks of the pastry chef trade.

The bakery’s most recent workshop focused on making laminated doughs, which are used in several different types of pastries. The workshops aren’t held often; there’s typically just one or two offered per year, so be on the lookout for announcements on Far Breton Bakery’s website.

If you’re just interested in eating some delicious French pastries, rather than making them yourself, Far Breton Bakery’s storefront is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Far Breton Bakery’s baked goods can also be found at the Menomonie Market Food Co-op, the Dane County Farmers’ Market, The Old Fashioned and the Madison Northside Farmers’ Market.

11. See the seasonal blooms at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum

1207 Seminole Highway, Madison

Most of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s campus is located in the heart of the city, but that’s not the case for the Arboretum: a 1,260-acre piece of land used by the university as a teaching and research facility and used by the community as a wooded escape. The Arboretum has more than 17 miles of trails through prairies, savannas, woodlands, and wetlands, where visitors can walk or bike, and in the winter, they’re open for skiing and snowshoeing. 

The facility also has stunning gardens that are open to visitors, including the Longenecker Horticultural Gardens, known for its large collection of lilacs. The arboretum grounds are open daily from 4 a.m. until 10 p.m., and the visitor center is open from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. on weekdays, and 12:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. on weekends. 

Photo courtesy of Richard Hurd/CC BY 2.0.

12. Enjoy the start of summer at Brat Fest

1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, Madison

It’s not really a summer in Madison without hitting a street festival, and one of the most fun (and filling!) ones to kick off the start of warmer weather is Brat Fest. The festival, which claims to be the world’s largest brat festival, is a fundraiser held annually over Memorial Day weekend. It has raised millions since 1983 and has benefitted more than 100 different charities. The festival is free to attend and features music, carnival rides, and of course, plenty of bratwursts. 

Want to experience the fun of Brat Fest but don’t eat meat? The Vegan Sausage Fest takes place over the same weekend as Brat Fest in nearby Monona, Wisc.

13. Get into nature at Pheasant Branch Conservancy 

4864 Pheasant Branch Road, Middleton

When you’re living in a city, sometimes you feel a yearning to escape your surroundings and get out into nature. Thankfully, it’s easy for Madison residents to get out to the Pheasant Branch Conservancy in suburban Middleton. The Pheasant Branch Conservancy is a 549-acre protected natural area with a multitude of hiking and biking trails, including a 3.3-mile main loop.

The Pheasant Branch Conservancy has meadows, prairies, springs, and an open-water marsh. Visitors can view the marsh by walking up Frederick’s Hill, which offers an observation platform overlooking it. The Conservancy is open every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

14. Find your favorite condiment at the National Mustard Museum

7477 Hubbard Ave., Middleton

In 1986, Barry Levenson, the former Assistant Attorney General of Wisconsin, began collecting different mustards. He started with 12 different jars. Over a few years, the collection ballooned to more than 5,600 different jars of mustard and an extensive collection of mustard memorabilia. Six years after the collection began, Levenson opened the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum, which changed its name to the National Mustard Museum and moved to its current Middleton location in 2009.

The museum, located in Middleton, a suburb northwest of the city, is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The National Mustard Museum is free to enter, but a visit to its gift shop might hit your wallet hard, with hundreds of varieties of mustard to peruse, as well as sauces, snacks, and custom gift boxes.

Photo courtesy of Wwahammy/CC BY-SA 4.0.

15. Make a splash in one of the city’s lakes

If you want to spend a day at the lake in Madison, you’ve got some choices to make. The city is home to five different lakes: Lake Monona, Lake Waubesa, Lake Kegonsa, Lake Wingra, and Lake Mendota, the city’s largest lake, which is more than 15 square miles. 

Go swimming at one of Madison’s 12 different beaches, which are typically open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Or, take a boat out. If you don’t have one of your own, you can rent kayaks, paddle boats, row boats, or even items like water mats and stand-up paddleboards through Madison Boats.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.