Photo Courtesy of Destination Madison
A capital city with college-town energy, abundant parks and festivals, and miles of trails, Madison, Wisconsin, nestles in between two beautiful lakes. The numerous dining, arts and music offerings, and a chill lakeside sundowner vibe, make the Mad City easy to love. Leaving, however, might be difficult.
A tourism trademark for Madison, Wisconsin, put it simply and perfectly: “Lake, City, Lake.” The only capital city on an isthmus, Madison lies between two beautiful lakes connected by a navigable river. The Capitol, as classically designed as Washington D.C.’s, sits on a central hill overlooking Lake Mendota to the north and Lake Monona to the south, both of which draw boaters and watersport enthusiasts. A short walk from the Capitol is the University of Wisconsin, which gives Madison that youthful vibe of a college town. The combination of an active, outdoorsy population and a commitment to natural beauty gives Madison a quality of life that keeps it in the Top 10 lists of places to live and play in the U.S.
The rise of a capital
The Ho-Chunk people called this area Taychopera, “land of the four lakes.” But the lake names Mendota, Monona, Waubesa and Kegonsa came at the request of the state’s second governor, Leonard Farwell, and are based on other Native American words.
“Everything that makes Madison great is related to our lakes,” says Rob Gard, director of PR & communications at Destination Madison. “You can go from the excitement of a vibrant downtown to the peace of the open water in a matter of minutes.”
This lake-city was the vision of James Doty, a territorial judge who purchased land between what are now Lakes Mendota and Monona and on either side of the Yahara River. When the Wisconsin Territory needed a permanent capital, Doty made sure delegates chose Madison City, named for the beloved and recently deceased former president. The new capital hosted its first governmental session in 1838, and 10 years later the State of Wisconsin and its university were both founded.
Madison’s importance grew when the railroad connected the Mississippi to Milwaukee right through the young capital, and during the Civil War, Camp Randall (on the site of the UW stadium of the same name) trained more than 70,000 Union troops.
But its true beautification began in 1894 with the Madison Parks and Pleasure Drive Association, a group of wealthy members funding green spaces. In 1908, the city hired renowned landscape architect John Nolen as a city planner, and in 1917, the state completed the impressive Capitol building.
Today, Madison has 270 parks, including the city forest that is the UW Arboretum. Add to that county and state parks, including Governor Nelson State Park on the north shore of Mendota, and you’ve got an outdoor lover’s destination. Hiking and paddling options are abundant. Electric BCycle rental stations in various locations allow visitors to ride the more than 200 miles of bike paths and lanes throughout the city.
Henry Vilas Zoo lies opposite the Arboretum along the shore of Lake Wingra, a small, spring-fed lake that does not allow motor use but is great for paddling. Zoo admission is free and Madison Boats offers paddling rentals.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Trail passes through Madison with tours available at his Unitarian Meeting House and the Wright-inspired Monona Terrace Convention Center. His Taliesin estate lies 40 minutes west of Madison in Spring Green.
Photo Courtesy of Destination Madison
Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau
608-255-2537
visitmadison.com
SkipperBud’s Madison Marina
608-246-262
skipperbuds.com
Westport Marine
608-850-4774
westportmarinemadison.com
There are 25 boat-launching sites on the Yahara chain of lakes, ranging from large marinas and ramp sites to street-end access with on-street parking. Lake Access Permits are required year-round at all city and county launch sites. Lake Kegonsa and Governor Nelson State Parks require a state park sticker. City permits and state park stickers are available online (dnr.wisconsin.gov).
Marinas include SkipperBud’s and Westport Marine at the northeast corner of Lake Mendota at the mouth of the Yahara River. Public piers on Mendota include the Edgewater Hotel in downtown Madison and Goodspeed Family Pier near the UW Memorial Union Terrace, which has an hourly fee. Christy’s Landing, a bar and grill with volleyball and a tiki bar, has a small pier on Lake Waubesa. If you want to enjoy multiple lakes, there are locks. From Mendota to Monona, use Tenney Lock, which is located on the Lake Mendota side of the isthmus at Tenney Park. An attendant is on-site during specific park hours; passage requires a daily or seasonal permit available on the Dane County Parks website (danecountyparks.com).
Call the Tenney Lock at 608-221-7202. Babcock Lock on Lake Waubesa at Babcock County Park in McFarland and LaFollette Lock on Lake Kegonsa at LaFollette County Park near Stoughton may not open when the water is low, but they are free to use.
Menona Terrace Photo Courtesy of Destination Madison; Farmers Market photo by Jeff Miller
Foodie city
“Madison is a destination sensation for the traveler looking to explore what the Midwest has to offer, an isthmus of craft beverage and dining establishments that rival any larger U.S. destination,” says Hathaway Terry-Pogue, co-owner of Ale Asylum Brewery, one of more than two dozen area craft breweries.
Cuisines run the gamut, from supper clubs to sushi bars, tacos to Thai food, Peruvian to pizza. One truly Wisconsinite classic, however, is The Old Fashioned. Situated on the Capitol Square, it’s a celebration of taverns and supper clubs, with a menu that is purely Wisconsin. Named for the unofficial state cocktail, the Brandy Old Fashioned, this family friendly restaurant has you covered whether it’s a Friday fish fry and relish trays or a proper bratwurst, cheeseburger with an egg on it, or a bowl of Green Bay-style chili — and the best deep-fried cheese curds in town. On the same block, the rooftop Eno Vino offers upscale tapas, wines and cocktails with a dome-level view of the Capitol.
Madison has a thriving locavore scene with daily farmers markets, including the Saturday morning Dane County Farmers Market, which sets up with producers-only booths on the sidewalk around the four sides of the Capitol. Spicy cheese bread? Fresh cheese curds? Yes. And local veggies, fruits, honey, cheeses, meats, jams, salsas — you name it. It’s as much a social event to make the counterclockwise procession as it is a shopping day. Labor Day Weekend’s Taste of Madison also sets up along the Square and features bites from myriad local eateries and food carts — the latter another significant element of the Madtown dining scene throughout the year.
The sound of Mad music
The sound of Mad music“Madison’s music scene is as rich and diverse as its population,” says Catherine Capellaro, former Arts & Culture Editor of Isthmus and member of VO5, a popular local disco band. “Highlights for people who love live music are festivals celebrating every imaginable genre at venues indoors and outdoors.”
Options are overwhelming. See ticketed big-name shows at the Majestic, the Orpheum or the Barrymore — all originally built before 1930 — or the modern Overture Center for the Performing Arts, which brings concerts and Broadway shows. Other venues include High Noon Saloon and The Sylvee, and many smaller bars and restaurants.
Dane Dances! is a free live-music event each Friday on the rooftop of Monona Terrace Convention Center, often competing with Live on King Street concerts nearby. Concerts on the Square feature the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and a community picnic on Wednesday nights in June and July. Then in August, Jazz at Five performances take over weekly at the top of State Street where it meets the Square. Weekly concerts in McPike Park last all summer and, like all of these events, admission is free.
Art lovers
Art loversWatch for neighborhood gallery nights, especially near the east-side Atwood neighborhood. The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art shares its space with Overture Center on State Street; the University’s vast collection at the Chazen Museum is a few blocks away. Both places offer free admission.
Art Fair on the Square (and its little sibling, Art Fair off the Square) takes place mid-summer in the closed-off street around the Capitol, drawing over 200 regional and national artists for the two-day event.
Celebration time
Great Taste of the Midwest, the second oldest craft-beer festival in North America, takes place along the shore of Lake Monona in Olin Park the second Saturday of August. Tickets go on sale, and often sell out, in May. But for most other fests — including Africa Fest, Greek Fest, Festa Italia and more — admission is free.
Neighborhood celebrations are open to all — Atwood Summerfest, Willy Street Fest, Fete du Marquette, Orton Park Fest — and feature great concert lineups and food carts.
Photo Credits: Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Destination Madison
Photo Courtesy of Destination Madison
The heart of Madison
One should not miss the 360-degree views from the sixth-floor observation deck at the Capitol with views of both lakes and on to the horizon. However, the quintessential Madison experience is some time spent at the UW Memorial Union Terrace right on Lake Mendota. It’s open just to linger, and food offerings include campus-made Babcock Hall ice cream, burgers, brats and corn on an outdoor grill, local beer, or even just popcorn. Most weekends feature free live music in the evenings, and Lakeshore Path connects from here to Picnic Point, a popular wooded peninsula — scenic whether you’re on land or lake. But at the end of a busy day getting out on the water and going out on the town, there is nothing quite like chilling out on the Terrace and watching a brilliant sunset over Lake Mendota.
