About Madison

Madison is the capital city of Wisconsin and is the second largest city of the state with a population of about 244,000 residents. It is known as Wisconsin’s most walkable, most vegetarian-friendly, gay-friendly, environmentally friendly, and all around happiest city. It also ranks consistently as one of the best places to live in the United States. The city’s food scene is also rapidly expanding.

Things To Do in Madison

The city has an array of activities including highlights in the arts and culture scene, the restaurant scene, the sports scene and the nature scene. For those that enjoy the arts and culture, highlights are the Memorial Union Terrace, Concerts on the Square, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Monona Terrace, Chazen Museum of Art, Madison Museum of Contemporary of Art, Wisconsin Historical Museum, Wisconsin Veterans Museum, and the Monkey Business Institute.

For those that want to take a neighborhood tour of Madison, each Madison neighborhood has their own unique personality. Atwood is known for its funky and diverse personality and has an array of ethnic opportunities and cultural opportunities. Monroe is known for its family friendly atmosphere and houses the Henry Vilas Park Zoo as well as Lake Wingra. Marquette is a bohemian, eco-friendly neighborhood known as “Willy Street” that has an array of restaurants ranging from Laotian to Cajun cuisines. Downtown is a lifestyle district which encompasses dining, culture, and nightlife. Johnson is an up and coming neighborhood poised for growth which houses Tenney Park which is a beautiful park characterized by winding paths, views of Lake Mendota, and five picturesque bridges.

Day Trips from Madison

Due to its location, there are many fun day trips that visitors can embark on from Madison. Milwaukee (about a 1.5 hour drive) is Wisconsin’s largest city and has an array of activities including the Harley Davidson Museum, the Milwaukee Public Museum, Discovery World, Pabst Mansion, and the Bay Beach Amusement Park.

The great city of Chicago is about a 2.5 hour drive from Madison and has a ton of activities that visitors can do for a day. Some of Chicago’s highlights include Navy Pier, the Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, Willis Tower, the Field Museum of Natural History, Lincoln Park Zoo, and the Museum of Science and Industry.

Located about 2.5 hours away by car is also Green Bay, Wisconsin which is the home of the Green Bay Packers. Some of the most popular things to do and places to visit in Green Bay include the famous Lambeau Field, the National Railroad Museum, Green Bay Botanical Garden, Heritage Hill State Historical Park, Weidner Center, and the Northeastern Wisconsin Zoo.

Accommodations in Madison

Madison has an array of hotels for all budget types; from luxury hotels to inns and bed and breakfast establishments. Madison also has vacation rentals and inexpensive neighborhoods throughout its various neighborhoods.

Transportation In Madison

Getting around Madison is relatively simple because the city is very walkable. For those that enjoy cycling, Madison was recently ranked 5th in the United States for being bike friendly. For those that want to rent bicycles, Machinery Row Bicycles or Budget Bicycle Center offer bike rentals. Madison also has an extensive metro bus system and taxi services are relatively inexpensive.