Madison is alive with politics, history, arts and education. This progressive, cosmopolitan city of over 200,000, is home to the seat of State government and the respected University of Wisconsin-Madison. The city has an eclectic, environment that energizes a visitor's stay. Madison offers both small town charm and a range of cultural and recreational opportunities.

With four lakes and over 200 parks, it is one of the state’s most scenic and outdoor active cities. Madison has been recognized for numerous special recognitions, one of which was cited by Outside Magazine, 2005, as one of 10 "New American Dream Towns". An abundance of year-round outdoor activities for sports enthusiasts, from hiking, biking, swimming and sailing along with cross-country skiing, snow sailing, and ice fishing are the most popular.

The city was built on an isthmus between lakes Monona and Mendota. The urban culture has picturesque surrounding towns and natural beauty along with stimulating cultural offerings, distinctive restaurants and shops.

The city is also noted for its large medical complexes, the Capitol building- where community activities often surround the circular complex, such as the well attended farmers market in the summer months and other cultural activities.

Accommodations

Visitors can lose themselves in Victorian splendor, whirlpools, fine restaurants and lounges. A sampling of Bed and Breakfasts include the Canterbury Inn Bed & Breakfast, Gilman Street Rag Bed and Breakfast and Mansion Hill Inn.

Hotels include: the Best Western Inn Towner, the Edgewater Hotel (on the shores of Lake Mendota) and the Courtyard Madison East and the Sheraton Madison Hotel.

Restaurants

It is thought that Madison has more restaurants per capita than any other American city, including a rich array of ethnic restaurants. In downtown Madison alone you can indulge in cuisines from around the world. A host of brew pubs and other establishments offer variety and good American cooking.

Some restaurants to sample include: the Kabul Afghanistan Restaurant, the Nau-Ti-Gal, the White Horse Inn and Irish Waters.

Shopping

For fun and unique shopping, downtown on State Street is an diversified experience. The pedestrian mall is lined with varied specialty shops, restaurants, and outdoor cafes. State Street links the UW-Madison campus, with the Capitol Square, and it offers intriguing people watching as well. The major shopping malls include: East Towne, Hilldale, West Towne, and Westgate There are also museums, theatres and concerts.

Arts

There is a collection of community art galleries in Madison. The Spaightwood Galleries presents 10 shows a year and featured works are by artists of the late nineteen and twentieth century; they also have over 1000 old master prints and drawings. About 1200 works of art appear in the gallery.

A visit to the Chazern Museum of Art holds interesting art works as well.

The Henning Art Gallery displays original paintings of draft horses among the museum of nine different antique sleighs, cutters and buggies.

Madison’s Wisconsin Union Galleries are comprised of the four gallery spaces located in the Memorial Union. Those include: the Porter Butts Gallery, the Class of 1925 Gallery, the Theater Gallery, and the Lakefront on Langdon Gallery. The four spaces are curates by the Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee via a competitive selection process.

The Wisconsin Union also houses one of the largest collections of original Wisconsin art. The Wisconsin Union Art Collection is on view in part throughout the hallways, offices and meeting rooms of Memorial Union and Union South. More than 1,300 works by over 500 artists, many with Wisconsin roots or UW-Madison roots, make up this living and dynamic collection. Compelling examples of visual art are collected and exhibited in and throughout the exhibit areas.

Major Attractions

Amid the rolling green landscapes there are some of the state's most interesting tourist attractions. Just to the west is the Spring Green area featuring Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin estate, and the American Players Theatre. To the southwest the visitor can venture to the "mustard capital of the world" along the "trollway" of Mount Horeb, and further on, a restored Cornish miner settlement in Mineral Point. Just east is the village of Cambridge, known as the "pottery center of the Midwest.

The greater Madison area is consistently ranked one of the top small cities in the US. This is in part due to the mecca of recreational opportunities. The lakes and the hundreds of miles of trails provide year-round sports and recreational fun for everyone.


The Ice Age National Scenic Trail is a hiking trail that passes some fascinating geological formations formed by the recession of giant glaciers during the Ice Age.

Local History

Formed by retreating glaciers many changes have come to the area in the years that have passed. Between 1000 B.C. and 1000 A.D., groups of Native American known simply as "mound builders" occupied the Madison area. Today, only a few remain as a reminder of the unique beginning culture. When the Yankee settlers began to arrive in the 1800s, the Winnebago Nation called the area home.

In May of 1829, territorial Judge and land speculator James Duane Doty, taken in by the natural beauty of the area, purchased 1200 acres of land from the federal government for $1.25 an acre. President Andrew Jackson created the territory of Wisconsin on April 20, 1836. Six months later, Wisconsin’s first governor, Henry Dodge, convened the first Legislature in Belmont to discuss the site of the territorial capital. Previously known only as the “Four Lakes Region,” the territorial capital grew into the state capital of Madison.

The City of Madison, established in 1856 was named for former U.S. President James Madison, and the first streets were named for the other signers of the U.S. Constitution.

The state capitol building that overlooks Madison today is not the original Wisconsin capitol, it is actually the fourth capitol building on that site. The first building was demolished due to poor construction, the second was destroyed when one of the wings collapsed, and the third was extensively damaged by a fire. The current capitol building was completed in 1917. Recently refurbished to its original splendor, it is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful Capitol buildings across the country.