Fall is a perfect time to visit Madison. The summer heat is gone, you can still bicycle around town using the B Cycle shared bike electrical assist bike system, and there is so much to do: Olbrich Botanical Gardens (and the nearby Garver Feed Mill food hall) are great, the Saturday Farmers Market on the Square Saturdays is still going strong, and the new Madison Public Market is open. The city is situated on an isthmus between two lakes.
DO
Bike around Lake Wingra or head out to Picnic Point on Lake Mendota via a B Cycle shared bike by Trek.
Visit the UW Arboretum. The visitor center and trails have signs explaining the several types of vegetation (prairies, savannas, deciduous forests, conifer forests, and wetlands.
Enjoy the free Vilas Zoo on Lake Wingra.
Enjoy the free Olbrich Botanical Garden near Lake Monona on the east side and have lunch at the Garver Feed Mill. The Olbrich Garden has a magnificent Thai Pavilion.
Visit the brand-new Madison Public Market which just opened. Full of local shops and cafes.
Watch the sunset at the UW Memorial Union Terrace. Enjoy a brat, corn on the cob, and a local IPA.
Enjoy UW Campus attractions, which features such destinations as the Memorial Union, the Lakeshore Trail, the free Geology Museum, the Allen Centennial Gardens, and the Chazen Art Museum.
Take a free tour of the beautiful State Capitol Building which rivals the one in D.C.
Enjoy the Prairie at Owen Park just off Old Sauk Road on the west side.
Pick up some Stella’s hot and spicy cheese bread at the Capitol Square Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.
UW Bookstore has all the kitsch one could want regarding Wisconsin-themed items.
EAT
Merchant and Lucille just off the Capitol Square are both great.
Casetta’s Kitchen has great sandwiches.
Pick up some Wisconsin cheese at Fromagination right on Capitol Square.
Enjoy Babcock Hall UW ice cream at the stand at UW Memorial Union. You are in the dairy state after all.
Then there is The Old Fashioned, a supper club/night spot featuring Wisconsin culinary fare.
STAY
I like the UW Fluno Center right on campus. The Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie Style inspired rooms are a treat, you can use the student rec center (including indoor pool) for just $10, and the breakfast buffet is to die for. The windows in the rooms open to fresh outside air. Everything was great except the 11 percent resort fee and the hard to use Spectrum U Roku TV set up.
For more Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, check out the Monona Terrace Convention Center as well as the Dane County Regional Airport.
Other overnight spots of note include the the locally owned Concourse Hotel. The Hilton Monona Terrace is beginning to show its age, but still a good option.
NIGHTLIFE
Woofs on King Street just off the Square is Madison’s leather bar and more. Try the Sunday beer bust or enjoy their Italian restaurant right next door. Nearby also just off the Square is the legendary Shamrock, a friendly neighborhood bar. On the Beltline you will find Club V.
GETTING THERE
Just two-and-a-half hours from Chicago, the city is readily accessible by car. Or take Amtrak to Milwaukee and take the Badger bus over to Madison to the new regional bus station on Lake Street. You can fly into MSN at Dane County Regional Airport just minutes from downtown. The Van Galder Coach USA bus goes from downtown Chicago and O’Hare to Madison.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Check out the local publication, Our Lives, or the website of Outreach Madison for local events. Isthmus is the monthly alternative publication. The Capital Times has great local news and comes out weekly. Destination Madison is your tourism office.
Rental car not needed. Madison has a great bus system known as Metro Transit that goes everywhere or you can ride your bike. The Capitol Square-State Street Mall-UW Campus is very walkable. You can take the D line from the airport (and many hotels have free shuttles).
You will not run out of things to do in this Midwestern gem.
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
