9 Best Sights in Madison, Wisconsin

A three-story glass structure, designed by Cesar Pelli, juts out above the intersection of State and Henry streets and is home to this superb art museum. Formerly known as Madison Art Center, the new 51,500-square-foot facility opened in 2006. Its permanent collection of photography, paintings, prints, and glassworks spans the 20th century to the present. Among the most recognized artists are Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Deborah Butterfield, and Cindy Sherman. A rooftop sculpture garden is open only during the spring, summer, and fall, but year-round seasonal cuisine is served in an enclosed rooftop restaurant. Be sure to stop by the museum's gift shop and browse studio-made objects crafted by highly accomplished artists.

On Madison's far-east side, this garden has been acclaimed by Horticulture Magazine as being among North America's top ten. What sets the 16-acre garden of roses, herbs, and rocks apart is its authentic Thai pavilion, the only example in the continental United States and a gift from Thailand's government in 2001. It is surrounded by native plantings. Tropical plants and flowers, plus a rushing waterfall and free-flying birds, thrive in the gardens' year-round glass-pyramid conservatory heated to between 65°F and 95°F.

As the hub of downtown Madison, the streets that branch out from Capitol Square are lined with shops, restaurants, and cafés, which means a latte or artsy souvenir is easily within reach. One of those streets—bustling State Street—bridges Capitol Square with the University of Wisconsin–Madison's campus. The Wednesday-night Concerts on the Square series, hosted by Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra throughout June and July, attracts thousands of people. At the Dane County Farmers' Market, on Saturday morning from May through October, you can sample local farm-fresh cheeses, meats, vegetables, and fruits.

One of the state's best art museums, the Chazen Museum of Art, on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus, houses a permanent collection of paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts dating from 2300 BC to the present. It's supported by the campus's department of art history and employs an artist-in-residence. A dozen or so temporary exhibits each year compliment the already strong collection. Educational programming dives deeper into those works of art through films, lectures, artist talks, docent-led tours, and family-friendly activities.

Tucked into the residential Lake Wingra and Vilas Park neighborhoods, the zoo is supported by a local zoological society and completely free to enter. It's a favorite spot for Madisonians, particularly families with young kids. Although it's a small zoo at 28 acres, it has a nice representation of animal life as well as a children's zoo, penguin exhibit, tropical-rain-forest aviary, primate complex, and large-cat center. Bison, prairie dogs, and badgers reside among prairie grass in the George Fait North American Prairie exhibit, which visitors enter via a boardwalk. Within the zoo's Discovery Center are hands-on learning stations especially suited to children.

A showpiece on downtown Madison's skyline, this contemporary, curvy white structure hugs Lake Monona's shoreline. Although designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the 25,000-square-foot structure was not completed until 1997, long after his death. Events include a summer dance series on the rooftop and tapings of the Wisconsin Public Radio show "Whad'Ya Know?" Lake Vista Café, open May through October, is within a charming rooftop garden with a sculpture of musician Otis Redding, who died in a plane crash in Lake Monona, nearby, in 1967. The indoor GrandView Cafe opens during major events in the building. The center also houses Madison's Sports Hall of Fame.

The flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin system enrolls around 40,000 students, making it the state's largest campus. Catering to visitors as well as students, the Memorial Union's setting along Lake Monona is a crowded scene on Friday and Saturday nights during summer, with live-music concerts and local craft beer on tap. Babcock Ice Cream's indulgent scoops are made daily at the campus's Babcock Dairy plant. More than 1,200 acres of natural plant and animal communities—such as prairie and forest landscapes, and horticultural collections of the Upper Midwest—reside at the University Arboretum. There are hiking trails, and free walks take place on Sunday (call for details).

From Native American cultures to contemporary social issues, this museum houses permanent and changing exhibits that reveal Wisconsin's history. Past exhibits have included aluminum Christmas trees (Wisconsin once housed the world's largest manufacturer) or watercolor paintings that depict the Driftless Region, an agriculturally rich area of carved river valleys in the state's southwestern corner. State naturalists, authors, artists, and historians host afternoon talks for adults and children, and round out the museum's focus on the Dairy State's unique history and its many contributions to the nation.

The Roman Renaissance–style Wisconsin State Capitol is the only state capitol building along an isthmus. Although the fifth building to serve its function, the capitol now holds the title as Madison's tallest building (only three feet shorter than the capitol building in Washington, D.C.) and attracts throngs of architecture and design enthusiasts. Its granite dome (the world's largest) rises above downtown Madison's skyline on Capitol Square. Rooms feature Italian marble, Wisconsin-oak furniture, murals, and paintings. There are free 45-minute guided tours multiple times daily.