MAD: Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Explore Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Thinkers and legislators are here, in Madison, Wisconsin, a city very much characterized by its university and capital and often listed as one of the best places to live in the country.

Welcome

This web helps you explore Madison, Wisconsin, USA; here, you'll find organized and annotated links to Web sites about Madison's current conditions, facts, activities, events, places, sports, civic life, media, education, commerce, and reference works. You can view and link to this information in a variety of ways, and your suggestions are welcome. Use the links at the top of this page to navigate and access this information

• Edited by: You can contact the editor of this information with your ideas and corrections; there are more pages like this covering other areas of the country
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  • John December: Editor of this information since 1998
  • Suggestion?: please send a correction of any information you find here or your suggestion to johndecember@gmail.com via email with the subject line places-mad
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  • MAD index: Outline of sections; shows the section names with a link on the section name to a file showing the entries and annotations for that section; put your cursor over the section name to see a popup describing it; this format is useful to quickly select and load only the section that you'd like to see; this is a good format to show someone new to this information so as not to overwhelm them with too many links on a page
  • MAD blue: Table; shows all entries with short labels in a table format; put your cursor over labels or section headings to see a popup description; links on section names take you to a file showing the entries and annotations for that section
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Current

See live conditions and views of Madison

• Weather: Current weather observations and forecasts
  • Graphic; shows current weather conditions for Madison
    
    
  • Radar: National Weather Service radar
  • Forecast: Weather Underground
• News: News and reports about what's going on in Madison
  • Health Services: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
  • Bing News: News stories about Madison from Bing news aggregation
  • AP News: Associated Press newsfeed
  • Yahoo News: Yahoo news search for Madison; finds news and sports stories in a variety of news sources; includes photos
  • Media: Media - Newspapers, Magazines, Radio, Television - Madison, Wisconsin, USA; newspapers and magazines covering Madison
  • Traffic: Madison real-time traffic map

Facts

Look up information about Madison such as maps, facts, and census information

• Maps: Online mapping services; most of these allow you to zoom in and out and list specific features
  • Open: OpenStreetMap of Madison; zoom down to detailed street features
  • Google: Google's Madison Map
  • MapQuest: Mapquest's Madison map; integration with digitalcity.com city Internet guide
  • Parking: City of Madison-provided map; shows public car parking areas downtown
  • -USA Maps-: More online mapping services; you can use this list of sites to get more maps of the area or specialized maps such as historical, topographic, or satellite imagery
• Info: Learn more about Madison
  • Wikipedia: Madison, Wisconsin entry; gives overview of history, geography, demographics, attractions, and activities of Madison
  • Population: Madison, Wisconsin's population; shown in charts and map
  • Census-Madison: City of Madison Census information
  • Census-Dane County: Dane County census information
  • Census-Jefferson County: Jefferson County census information
  • Books: a collection of books to help you explore Madison; includes tourist guides as well as links to Madison-area writers

Living

Find out about things to do and places to see in Madison

Activities

People in Madison take part in many clubs, organizations, and things to do

• Groups: People in Madison take part in many clubs and organizations; activities include interest groups, clubs, hobbies, community centers, organizations, and groups
  • Academy: Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters; provides programs about culture, nature, current problems; an independent, nonprofit membership organization
  • African: African Association of Madison
  • Audubon: Madison Audubon Society; involved in natural world education, advocacy, and sanctuary
  • BarCamp: gathering for sharing and learning; focused on technology and creativity; discussions, demos and interaction; the name "bar" comes from computer jargon--a name for a function as a temporary example (foo and bar are commonly used)
  • Bicycle: Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin (BFW); a statewide, nonprofit, bicycle advocacy organization
  • Big Bro & Sis: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County; matches adult volunteers with children from primarily single-parent homes or with children who may need an additional adult mentor in their lives; encourages mentoring friendships
  • Chamber: Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce
  • Community Shares: Community Shares of Wisconsin; a federation of community organizations
  • Dogs BKC: Badger Kennel Club (BKC) of Madison; encourages the responsible dog breeding, dog training, handling and maintenance of dogs by both current and prospective dog fanciers; an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization
  • Fishing Yahara: Yahara Fishing Club; dedicated to fishing activities, conservation, social activities, and education
  • Fishing Lakes: Madison Lakes Fishing reports; includes fishing reports and other information about Madison's Lakes Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, and Kegonsa
  • Food 2nd Harvest: Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin; provides food to those in need and enlightens community about hunger
  • Green: Sustain Dane -- Madison Area Green Pages; promotes sustainability in the Madison area
  • Hmong: Hmong Madison
  • Housing Habitat: Habitat for Humanity of Dane County; builds homes with those in need
  • Historic: Historic Madison, Inc. of Wisconsin; promotes preservation, teaching, and appreciation knowledge about Madison's past; no museum or office; volunteers provide programs and publications
  • Historical: Wisconsin Historical Society; both a state agency and a private membership organization
  • Humane: Dane County Humane Society; helps people help animals including adoption, pet care information, resources, and educational programs
  • Jazz: Madison Jazz Society; preserves and promotes jazz music
  • LGBT Ctr: Outreach, Inc. - Madison's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Center; offers services, education, and outreach
  • Music: Madison Music Online; information about Madison's clubs, bands, and a forum
  • New Urbanism: Congress for the New Urbanism Wisconsin Chapter; works for sustainable cities, agricultural and natural land preservation, urban centers and towns with diverse neighborhoods, and education and exchange in the area of the New Urbanism
  • Preservation: Madison Trust for Historic Preservation
  • Recreation: Madison School & community recreation provided by Madison Metropolitan School District; provides recreation and enrichment opportunities year-round that are accessible
  • Red Cross: American Red Cross Badger Chapter; provides courses, volunteer information, blood drives, and safety and preparedness information
  • Sierra Club: Four Lakes Group Sierra Club; promotes conservation and activism
  • Special Olympics: Special Olympics Wisconsin; provides persons with cognitive disabilities year-round sports training and competition
  • Tenant: Tenant Resource Center; provides information and links for tenants and landlords in Wisconsin
  • Urban League: Urgan League of Greater Madison; provides employment & training, education, health, and housing services to the greater Madison community
  • YSP: Young Shakespeare Players
  • -USA Directories-: Search organization directories; there are hundreds of thousands of organizations, associations, societies, and nonprofits in the US covering many interests; some of these are based in Madison; these directories help you locate an organization
• Events: Madison is famous for its college life, but is home to diverse events year-round
  • Visitors: Events section of Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau; offers calendar of events as well as visitor information
  • UW Madison: Today @ The University of Wisconsin--Madison; a calendar provided by the university listing events, exhibits, and other activities on campus
  • MadStage: Theater and dance information for Madison and south central Wisconsin; provides schedules, listings of groups, news, and links
  • Entertainment: Madison.com's Rhythm section on entertainment and nightlife
  • Movie Listings: The BigScreen Cinema Guide; guide to movies; customizable so that you can see just local selections
  • Footlights: Guide to theatre in Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago
  • Ballet: Madison Ballet; a non-profit, professional performing arts organization; founded in 1981 as The Wisconsin Dance Ensemble
  • Bartell Th: Bartell Theater
  • Broom St: Theater; experimental theater group
  • CCBA: Capitol City Band Association; Capitol City Band (CCB), The Madison Marimba Quartet (MMQ), The VFW Volunteer Community Band (VFW or winter band), Jim Latimer and Friends
  • CCT: Capital City Theatre
  • CTM: Children's Theater of Madison
  • Festival Choir: Festival Choir of Madison
  • Fresco: Fresco Opera Theatre
  • Forward Th: Forward Theater
  • Opera: Madison Opera; regional opera company offering professionally-staged concert opera and music theater
  • Savoyards: Gilbert and Sullivan performances
  • Symphony: Madison Symphony Orchestra; professional orchestra established 1926; performs September to May in Overture Hall
  • WCO: Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra; a professional chamber orchestra
  • Art Fair on the Square: organized by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art; features music, entertainment, outdoor dining, artists exhibiting mixed media, ceramics, drawings, graphics, prints, fiber, leather, furniture, glass, jewelry, metal works, paintings, photographs, sculpture, 3D mixed media, and wood
  • Bock Fest: Capital Brewery's celebration of beer
  • Book Fest: Wisconsin Book Festival; annual October celebration of reading, writing, and the written word; events in Madison, Milwaukee, and throughout the state; a year-round, statewide series of public programs about reading, writing, and literacy
  • Brat: World's Largest Brat Fest; eat one of Wisconsin's signature foods; particpants consumed over 28 km of brats, over 85 metric tons, in a past fest
  • Community: Monona Community Festival
  • Cows/Concourse: Cows on the Concourse; celebrates Dairy, one of Wisconsin's industries
  • Dane County Fair: celebration of agriculture and industry
  • Dances: Dane Dances; music, dancing, and fun to help break down barriers of race
  • Dairy Expo: World Dairy Expo; a dairy industry tradeshow held in Madison
  • Fair: Dane County Fair; youth exhibits, barns, animals, carnival rides, live music, and entertainment
  • Farmer's Mkt: Dane County Farmer's Market on the Square; an open-air food, produce, and flower market held at The Square, the area round the Capitol dome in downtown Madison on Saturdays and Wednesdays; this counter-clockwise walking ritual is one of Madison's most noted features
  • Festivals: events
  • GreatTaste: Great Taste of the Midwest
  • Film Fest: Wisconsin Film Festival; an annual film series program by the University of Wisconsin--Madison Arts Institute
  • Garden Expo: presented by Wisconsin Public Television
  • Great Taste: Great Taste of the Midwest; fermented malt beverages
  • Homecoming: University of Wisconsin Alumni Association
  • Horse Fair: Midwest Horse Fair
  • International Fest: Overture Center for the Arts International Festival; Dane County artists. Featurng arts, crafts, food, and performances
  • Isthmus OktoBEERfest: modern take on an old German tradition
  • Jazz @ 5: Summer weekly Jazz concert series at State Street and the Capitol Square
  • Jazzfest: Capital City Jazz Fest
  • Jazz Isthmus: Isthmus Jazz Festival; celebration of America's homegrown art form; at the Memorial Union Terrace
  • Marathon: Madison Marathon; foot race that snakes through the isthmus; also half marathon, 10 km, and 5 km races
  • Make Music: Make Music Madison
  • Taste: Taste of Madison; an annual food festival with live music on Capitol Square
  • Whad'Ya Know: Michael Feldman's public radio show; taped live in Madison as well as occasionally at some remote locations
  • Willy St: Willy Street Fair
  • Winter Fest: on Madison's Capitol Square
  • WisCon: Annual feminist science fiction convention held in Madison
  • YumYumFest: food artistry
• Sports: Madison's sports scene is dominated by the Badgers, the University of Wisconsin--Madison sports teams
  • Badgers: University of Wisconsin--Madison's athletics; dominates the Madison state of mind--the Badgers, particularly NCAA Division I men's football, basketball, and hockey
  • Forward: Forward Madison Football Club; USL League One, a professional Division III league affiliated with USL Championship and Major League Soccer (MLS)
  • Badger Games: Badger State Games; a Wisconsin-wide amateur Olympic-style athletic competition with summer and winter games
  • Mallards: minor league baseball
  • Waterski: Mad-City Ski team; promotes the sport of water-skiing
  • Bicycling: Madison Area Bike Club; enjoy bicycling
  • Mad Rollin Dolls: roller derby
  • MUFA: Madison Ultimate Frisbee Association
  • Paddling: MadCity Paddlers; a club devoted to pursuing paddle sports of every sort
  • Rugby: Wisconsin Rugby Club
  • Ski/Nordic: MadNorSki (aka Madnordski); includes Nordic ski reports and events in Wisconsin
  • Walkers: The Dairyland Walkers, A Volkssport Club; promotes walking and biking, swimming, and cross-country skiing (Volkssport is a German word meaning sport of the people)

Places

Visit the cultural, recreational, business, and community places and spaces of Madison

• Sites: Places such as parks, buildings, public gardens and zoos, notable buildings, libraries, interesting places
  • Alliant Ctr: Alliant Energy Center of Dane County; multi-use center for expositions, conventions, conferences meetings, banquets, consumer shows, outdoor events, and concerts; 66-hectare campus; Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Exhibition Hall, Willow Island, the Arena Building
  • Arboretum: University of Wisconsin--Madison's display of trees and plants; conserves and restores Arboretum lands, advances restoration ecology, and fosters the land ethic; 510 hectares south of Lake Wingra
  • Breese Stevens: Breese Stevens; dates back to 1926
  • Capitol Neighborhoods: Neighborhood association of areas around Capitol Square
  • Cherokee Marsh: wetland in Dane County, Wisconsin; located upstream from Lake Mendota along the Yahara River and Token Creek; over 800 hectares
  • Downtown: Downtown Madison Inc. Business Improvement District (BID); provides information about Madison's downtown
  • FoodSpot: Directory of Wisconsin restaurants
  • Farm Fresh Atlas: Wisconsin's Farm Fresh Atlases; regional food guides include farms, farmers' markets, restaurants, stores and other businesses that sell local food and use sustainable production and business practices; most regions of Wisconsin
  • Library MPL: Madison Public Library; city of Madison's public library
  • Library WPLC: Wisconsin Digital Library; online digital public library for e-books, audio, and digital content to a wide range of devices; Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC)
  • Mqt Neighborhood: Marquette Neighborhood Association
  • Monona Terrace: Community and convention center; on Lake Monona, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
  • Nature Ctr Leopold: Aldo Leopold Nature Center; a 19 hectare conservation park
  • Neighborhoods: City of Madison Neighborhood Associations directory
  • Olbrich Gardens: Olbrich Botanical Gardens; offers conservatory, outdoor display gardens, 6 hectares on Lake Monona
  • Overture Ctr: Overture Center for the Arts; in downtown Madison which includes performing and visual arts facilities
  • Parking: places and information about parking automobiles in Madison
  • Parks: City of Madison Parks Division
  • Parks-Dane: Dane County Parks
  • Planetarium: Madison Metro. School District planetarium; offers public shows
  • Union: Wisconsin Union
  • Visitor Ctr: Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau; offers calendar of events as well as visitor information
  • Wright: Frank Lloyd Wright sites; Wisconsin-wide sites of this well-known 20th-century architect with Wisconsin ties
  • Washburn Observatory: astronomical observatory on UW Campus; completed in 1881; open houses; Introductory Astronomy courses; 15-inch refractor with a magnification of about 500; located at 1401 Observatory Drive on the campus of the University of Wisconsin at Madison
  • WI State Herbarium: University of Wisconsin-Madison Herbarium; founded in 1849; a museum collection of dried, labeled plants of state, national and international importance; world's largest collection of Wisconsin plants
  • Zoo: Henry Vilas Zoological Society; a free community zoo displaying a variety of animals
• Museums:
  • Art MMoCA: Madison Museum of Contemporary Art; display of over 4,000 art objects from modern (20th century) and contemporary (1970's on) times
  • Art UW Chazen: Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin--Madison; university art museum; formerly known as Elvehjem Museum of Art
  • Children's: Madison Children's Museum
  • Geology: University of Wisconsin--Madison, Department of Geoscience's Geology Museum; offers outreach, research, and collections to view
  • Historical: Wisconsin Historical Society museum; galleries, permanent exhibits, museum store, on Capitol Square
  • Mustard: National Mustard Museum; Middelton
  • Physics: L.R. Ingersoll Museum; physics museum located on the University of Wisconsin - Madison campus in Chamberlin Hall; exhibits focus on demonstrating basic physical concepts ranging from mechanics to modern physics; historical instruments and photos of the Nobel Prize Winners in Physics from 1901-1993
  • Veterans: Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison; tells the story of men and women from the Badger State who served in America's conflicts from the Civil War to the present
  • Zoological: University of Wisconsin Zoological Museum; University of Wisconsin, L.E. Noland Zoology Building; works on the preservation, study, and understanding of the vertebrate and aquatic fauna of Wisconsin, the Midwest, and other parts of the world

Civic

Madison's civic life; as Wisconsin's State Capitol, Madison is rich in state government representatives and workers

Government

Madison's government and representatives at all levels

• Local: City and county government
  • Vote: official voter information and support from the State of Wisconsin Elections Commission; check your voter information, find polling place, find out what is on the ballot, update your voter registration, register to vote, and request absentee ballot
  • Madison: Madison, Wisconsin elected city government; provides information for aspects of city government as well as visitor information
  • Police: City of Madison Police Deparment
  • Fire: City of Madison Fire Deparment
  • Dane Co: Dane County
  • Elections: League of Women Voters--Dane County; encourages participation in government; provides voting information, position papers, candidate information
• State: Madison is the capital of Wisconsin and home to the state's legislature and executive offices as well as many state offices
  • Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin government portal; a directory of Wisconsin government as well as information on public service, business, education, health, safety, and visitor information
  • Legislature: Wisconsin State Legislature; provides citizen's guide, information about all aspects of legislative session
  • Governor: Wisconsin Office of the Governor; provides information about Wisconsin's Governor and First Lady, news and speeches, and the Executive Residence
  • Find Legislators: Use this service to look up representatives in Wisconsin government based on a street address
• Federal: The United State's government has a presence in Madison through elected representatives and some facilities
  • US Sen Johnson: United States Senator Ron Johnson
  • US Sen Baldwin: United States Senator
  • US House Pocan: Mark Pocan, 2nd District Wisconsin
  • US Ct: United States Court, Western District of Wisconsin; includes Bankruptcy Court, District Court, Probation and Pretrial Services
  • Army ERC: United States Army Engine Research Center University of Wisconsin--Madison; devoted to fundamental research on spark ignition and diesel engines
  • -USA Federal-: USA Federal Government links; links to major top-level Web sites related to the United States government; you can use these to locate federal services available in the area

Services

Support for human needs and infrastructure

• Transport: Madison offers transit options; Madison is noted for its many bicycle trails; Madison does have a public bus transit system; outside the Isthmus (the area around the State Capitol and University of Wisconsin), the city sprawls out and bus service gets less frequent
  • Airport: Dane County Regional Airport; a regional airport offering commercial and general aviation flights
  • Bike Fed: Wisconsin bicycling advocacy and suport
  • Car Free: Possible in Madison; with great walkability and a transit system, you could easily live without a car in Madison
  • Car Sharing: Avoid owning a car; be car-free as much as possible, but keep the idea that you can rent or borrow a car only when you need it--for a big project or trip to far-out areas, for example
  • Metro: Madison's bus public transit system (Metro); includes routes and schedules; trip planner
  • Badger: Badger Bus; commercial bus transit company offering frequent travel between Madison and Milwaukee's downtown or Mitchell International Airport; also service to Minneapolis
  • Greyhound: National, commercial bus transit company; offers connections from Madison to the United States, Canada, and Mexico
  • Van Galder: Van Galder Bus; commercial bus transit company offering service between Madison and other south central Wisconsin cities to Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports and Chicago's downtown
  • Jefferson: Jefferson Lines daily; scheduled bus service serving Madison, connections to Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas, and more in 11 midwest states
• Human: Health and human services
  • Arc: Wisconsin state-wide membership organization serving people with developmental disabilities and their families
  • Senior: Wisconsin Senior Services; Senior Resources Online; services available to older adults in the state of Wisconsin including alzheimer's, benefits, care, residential, elder abuse, family care, home health, hospice, hospitals, housing, nursing, and veterans.
  • -USA Human-: National Health and Human services; you can use these directories to find doctors, hospitals, dentists, and other health and human services
• Facilities: Institutions, units, organizations, or systems that build, distribute, plan, or and keep area resources or infrastructure working
  • Plan: City of Madison Comprehensive Plan; strategic, long-term vision and goals, objectives, policies, and recommendations guiding the city’s growth and development
  • Energy: Madison Gas and Electric Company; a community energy company
  • Alliant: Alliant Energy Corporation; utility and consulting

Media

Access information about and in many cases read (or listen to) Madison's media outlets

• Periodicals: Madison's many publications offer Web sites with online content
  • Capital Times: Daily newspaper; online presence as madison.com
  • WI St Jrnl: Wisconsin State Journal; daily newspaper; online presence as madison.com
  • Badger Herald: University of Wisconsin--Madison student independent newspaper
  • Cardinal: University of Wisconsin--Madison daily campus official newspaper
  • Brava Magazine: Madison women
  • Isthmus: Alternative weekly newspaper; online presence as thedailypage.com
  • UW Press: The University of Wisconsin Press; publishes books and journals; publishing arm of the University of Wisconsin, a division of the Graduate School of the University of Wisconsin--Madison
  • Madison Mag: Madison Magazine; monthly slick magazine showing off Madison culture and business
  • Maximum Ink: Music magazine; online and in paper; covers music scene and live music calendar, interviews, features, reviews; distributed throughout Wisconsin and surrounding areas
  • Progressive: Left of center (even for Madison); subscription-based magazine
  • Chan 3000: Channel 3000.com; online presence of WISC-TV
• Broadcast: Broadcast communications; Madison' media broadcasters; directories give current listings of stations for radio and tv
  • Radio-locator: List of radio stations within listening range of Madison; from radio-locator.com
  • Radio Streema: Web-based radio stations in Madison; from streema.com
  • Radio Discussion: Radio, TV Station, and Media News Site and Discussion Forum
  • HD Radio: search for HD Radio Stations in Madison, WI (ZIP code 53703); this form requires a zip code for searching; click the city name in upper right hand corner; then enter 53703for Madison (the zip code of Madison City Hall)
  • MCC12: Madison City Channel 12; Local governmental legislative meetings (e.g. Madison Common Council, Dane County Board of Supervisors); Local governmental boards, committees, commissions, etc.
  • TV Index: Television stations in the Madison market
  • TV Streema: Television stations in the Madison market

Education

Madison's educational opportunities

• Higher: Madison is well-known as a college town because of the University of Wisconsin--Madison campus; however, there are other options for higher education in the city
  • Edgewood: Edgewood College; private college; Independent Roman Catholic
  • Herzing: Herzing College; proprietary; offers undergraduate degrees; main campus of the Herzing Education System
  • MATC: Madison Area Technical College; public technical and community college for the greater Madison area
  • UIU-Madison: Upper Iowa University; independent liberal arts; has Madison center
  • UW-Madison: University of Wisconsin--Madison; public research university; campus of the University of Wisconsin System; notable business school, biotechnology research, etc; NCAA Division I sports
  • UW-System: University of Wisconsin System; administrative unit based in Madison of state-wide system of public universities and colleges
  • UW-Extension: University of Wisconsin Extension; administrative unit based in Madison for lifelong learning
• Schools: Madison's primary, secondary, trade, and professional schools
  • K12: Madison Metropolitan Schools District; government-run public schools
  • TechSkills: Career training school; offers classroom training and certification for computer certifications, medical billing and coding, pharmacy technician training, and other business education