10 things to do in Madison with kids
If you want to get the kids out and about, here are 10 exciting things to do in Madison with the family that will be fun for all.
Every parent knows that kids are always up for being on the go. There are only so many crafts, trips to your local adventure parks, or family movie nights you can go through until they’re itching to go out and explore someplace new. There’s no better place to visit than the second-largest city in the state—Madison, where there are always lots of fun things to do.
From sports games to specialized museums, apple picking, or a visit to the state capitol, there are plenty of things to do in Madison with the whole family. Most of the activities on our list don’t cost a thing, making them accessible to everyone. Before you go, visit the location’s website to check for any changes to operating hours. Check out these boredom busters and visit these 10 spots for things to do in Madison with the kids.
1. Enjoy Madison Children’s Museum
Location: 100 North Hamilton Street
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: $12 to $14 per person (ordering tickets online offers a $2 discount, Thursdays 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. are free for everyone)
Madison is home to many marvelous museums, but with kiddos in tow, Madison Children’s Museum is a must-visit location. There are nine exhibits for kids to enjoy—including the Nice Age Train, Art Studio, Wildernet, and more—all showcasing the museum’s values of play, integrity, creativity, collaboration, risk, inclusiveness, learning, and sustainability. A unique and convenient feature for visiting families is the Lunchbox Cafe, it’s a pay-what-you-can lunch spot with healthy food for the kids.
2. See Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Location: 3330 Atwood Avenue
Hours: April through September, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; October through March, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: Free to $6 per person (depending on age, time, and indoor or outdoor garden)
Rain or shine, the Olbrich Botanical Gardens are a beautiful sight to see. Comprised of indoor and outdoor gardens, there are 22 different sections to explore over 16 acres of land, including the Children’s Kitchen Garden. Here, your kiddos can learn about growing the foods they eat and get their hands a little dirty.
3. Play mini golf at Vitense Golfland
Location: 5501 Schroeder Road
Hours: Open all week between 8 and 8:30 a.m. and closing between 10 and 11 p.m.
Admission: $5 to $22
Come one, come all to a fabulous mini golf experience at Vitense Golfland. Have fun with the family on one of three (or all) available mini golf courses—two outdoor and one indoor. Named the #1 mini golf destination in Wisconsin by Golf.com, your kids will love playing all 18 holes through clever elements like the top of a lighthouse, a giant giraffe’s legs, and more.
4. Visit Henry Vilas Zoo
Location: 702 South Randall Avenue
Hours: Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Children’s Zoo and indoor exhibits open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Admission: Free
Lion and tigers and badgers, oh my! Take a trip to Henry Vilas Zoo and visit with tons of furry friends. This zoo features a primate building, a giraffe barn, a reptile house, an aviary, and the children’s goat yard and green barn. If the kids get hungry while you’re walking around, you can also stop by the Glacier Grill for snacks.
5. Have a beach day at Lake Mendota
Location: 1414 East Johnson Street
Hours: Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Admission: Free
Pack a picnic and bring your towel for an afternoon of fun in the sun (just don’t forget your sunscreen)! You can grab the family and head to Lake Mendota (the biggest of Madison’s five lakes) and get ready to splish and splash the day away. While there are plenty of beaches along the lake, Tenney Park stands above the rest as the spot for kids and family fun—it even has a few sports areas like a volleyball and pickleball court.
6. Take a tour of the state capitol
Location: 2 East Main Street
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission: Free
You can’t visit Madison without taking a tour of our state capitol. Guided tours are offered all week long (with six options available Monday through Saturday and three on Sunday). Plan for your tour to last about 45 minutes. Depending on the weather, you might get to see the grounds from an outdoor observation deck. But even if the weather keeps you indoors, you can still sneak a peek from the galleries. Fun fact for the kiddos about the capitol’s history—Wisconsin’s capitol dome is the largest (by volume) in the United States!
7. Catch a Madison Mallards game
Location: 2920 N Sherman Avenue
Season: May through August
Admission: Single game tickets and packages available
Move over Milwaukee Brewers—just kidding, we love the Brew Crew! If you’re looking for a family-friendly sports outing in Madison, add a Madison Mallards game to your schedule. For baseball fans, visiting The Duck Pond (the Mallard’s home stadium) is a must for its spring or summer events. Or, if softball is more your speed, the field is also home to the Madison Night Mares, with a season that runs around the same time as the Mallards.
8. Explore University of Wisconsin’s Geology Museum
Location: Lewis G. Weeks Hall, 1215 W Dayton St
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Admission: Free
If you have a dinosaur enthusiast or rock collector on your hands, consider visiting the Geology Museum. With 68 displays, your kids will enjoy looking at (and touching a few) fluorescent minerals, fossils, space rocks, and more. Another unique feature of the museum is the fossil preparation lab—there, you can observe people working to preserve the fossils.
9. Pick apples, pears, or raspberries at Appleberry Farm
Location: 8079 Maurer Road
Hours: Dependent on the season
Admission: Free (fee to participate in picking)
There is nothing better than picking fresh produce with the family. It’s a seasonal activity, but depending on when you stop by, there will be a chance to pick apples, pears, raspberries, and even pumpkins at Appleberry Farm. Before you head home, make sure to stop in the Farm Store for freshly pressed apple cider, apple cider donuts, honey from the hives on the farm, and more.
10. Chill out with a good read at Madison’s public libraries
Locations: Alicia Ashman Library and Sequoya Library (west Madison), Central Library (downtown Madison), Goodman South Madison Library (south Madison), Hawthorne Library and Lakeview Library (northeast Madison), Meadowridge Library (southwest Madison), Monroe Street Library, and Pinney Library (southeast Madison)
Hours: Dependent on location
Admission: Free
When you visit any of the nine library locations in Madison, your kids will love the unique, kid-friendly areas. Depending on what your kids like to do, there is a location for them. The kids stay and play, and it is also a great space for quiet story time. These libraries foster a love of books and encourage child-led play, all important parts of early literary education.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.
