Madison

On a narrow strip of land between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona rises the white granite dome of the Capitol, and no other building downtown is allowed to be taller. A city trip to Madison takes you to the capital of Wisconsin, which, with its large university, bike paths, cheese and beer, ranks among the most livable cities in the Midwest.

A Capital on an Isthmus

Madison was founded in 1836 and named after James Madison, the fourth president of the United States; the streets around Capitol Square bear the names of the signers of the Constitution. The University of Wisconsin, founded in 1848, grew into one of the most respected public universities in the country. That made Madison a center of progressive politics – in the 1960s the campus was a hotbed of protest against the Vietnam War. Historic neighborhoods such as Mansion Hill, with its sandstone mansions, and First Settlement recall the city's early days.

Sights in Madison

You can tour the Wisconsin State Capitol for free; from the observation balcony, which is open in summer, you can look out over both lakes. State Street connects Capitol Square with the campus and is a pedestrian and bus street lined with shops, cafés and bars. On the shore of Lake Mendota, the Memorial Union Terrace, with its colorful sunburst chairs, invites you to enjoy a beer at sunset. On Lake Monona stands the Monona Terrace Convention Center, built from a design by Frank Lloyd Wright, whose summer home, Taliesin, lies about 60 kilometers (37 miles) to the west. The Chazen Museum of Art, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and the Olbrich Botanical Garden, with its Thai pavilion, round out the offerings.

Eating in Madison: Cheese, Beer and the Farmers' Market

On Saturdays from spring to fall, the Dane County Farmers' Market circles Capitol Square – one of the largest producers-only farmers' markets in the United States. Here you can try cheese curds, squeaky fresh pieces of cheese that also turn up deep-fried in every bar in the evening. Wisconsin is bratwurst country: at Brat Fest in May, enormous quantities are grilled. You'll find craft breweries in the Schenk-Atwood neighborhood on Atwood Avenue and on Williamson Street, where numerous small restaurants are located as well.

Festivals and Lakes Through the Year

Madison loves to celebrate: on Labor Day weekend, Taste of Madison brings food stands to Capitol Square, and concerts at the Memorial Union Terrace fill the summer evenings. In fall, the Wisconsin Badgers' football games at Camp Randall Stadium draw tens of thousands of fans, and during "Jump Around" the whole stadium bounces to the music. In summer you can paddle, sail or fish on the lakes; Lake Wingra is smaller and quieter. The UW Arboretum, with its prairies and forests, shows Wisconsin's original landscapes.

Getting Around Madison and the Best Time to Visit

Dane County Regional Airport lies northeast of the city; Chicago and Milwaukee are easily reached by long-distance bus. Madison is a bike city with many paths along the lakes; buses and a bus rapid transit line cover the city. The best time to visit is May through September, when life happens on the water. Winter is long and cold, when people ice-skate and ice-fish on the frozen lakes. Day trips lead to Taliesin near Spring Green, Devil's Lake State Park and the Wisconsin Dells.