Welcome to Wisconsin's Capital

Madison is the capital city of Wisconsin and one of the most unique capitals in America! Why? Because it's built on an isthmus - a narrow strip of land between two beautiful lakes. With Lake Mendota on one side and Lake Monona on the other, Madison is surrounded by water. In fact, Madison has five lakes total, making it a paradise for anyone who loves swimming, boating, or just enjoying beautiful views!

The Magnificent Capitol

The Wisconsin State Capitol is one of the most beautiful capitol buildings in America! Built with 43 types of stone from six countries and eight states, it was completed in 1917. The building has the largest granite dome in the world by volume! Inside, the dome is decorated with beautiful paintings and gold leaf that sparkle in the light.

There's a special law in Madison that says no building can be taller than the Capitol dome. This means you can see the Capitol from almost anywhere in the city! The building sits in the center of downtown Madison, with streets spreading out like spokes on a wheel. It's where Wisconsin's government makes important decisions for the state.

City of Four Lakes

Madison is surrounded by five lakes: Mendota, Monona, Wingra, Waubesa, and Kegonsa. Together, they cover 15,000 acres - that's a lot of water! Lake Mendota is the largest and is so big that it has its own weather patterns. In the summer, people sail, kayak, paddleboard, and swim at the 22 public beaches. In the winter, when the lakes freeze solid, people ice fish, ice skate, and even drive cars on the ice!

Living between the lakes means Madisonians get amazing sunrises and sunsets every day. The University of Wisconsin's Memorial Union Terrace is famous for its colorful chairs where people sit to watch the sunset over Lake Mendota while eating ice cream from the Babcock Dairy - some say it's the best ice cream in Wisconsin!

Home of the Badgers

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of the biggest universities in America with over 45,000 students! The campus is beautiful, especially Bascom Hill where students have to climb a steep hill to get to class. At the top sits Bascom Hall with a statue of President Lincoln. Legend says if you sit in Lincoln's lap, you'll graduate with honors!

The Wisconsin Badgers are the university's sports teams, and Madison goes crazy for them! Football games at Camp Randall Stadium are legendary - 80,000 fans all wearing red and white, doing the "Jump Around" dance between the third and fourth quarters. The mascot, Bucky Badger, was born on October 2, 1940, and was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame. Basketball and hockey games at the Kohl Center are just as exciting!

America's Best Biking City

Madison is one of only five platinum-level bike cities in the entire United States! The city has over 200 miles of biking and walking paths. You're never more than a 10-minute walk from one of Madison's 270 parks. That's 12.7 parks for every 10,000 people - more than almost any other city in America!

One of the coolest things about Madison is that many people bike to work and school all year round - even in the snow! The city has special bike paths that are plowed in winter. The Capital City Trail goes all the way around Lake Monona, and you can bike from one side of the city to the other without ever riding on a busy street.

Cool Places to Visit

The Henry Vilas Zoo is one of the last free admission zoos in the country! You can see lions, tigers, polar bears, and even Wisconsin's famous badgers without paying a penny. The Madison Children's Museum has something no other museum has - a human-sized hamster wheel! Kids (and adults) run inside the giant wheel that hangs above the lobby, and their running generates real electricity for the building!

The Olbrich Botanical Gardens has 16 acres of beautiful outdoor gardens and a tropical conservatory with a waterfall and free-flying birds. In winter, the conservatory is like visiting a tropical island! Madison is also famous for its farmers' market - the largest producers-only farmers' market in the country. Every Saturday, the Capitol Square fills with local farmers selling cheese, vegetables, flowers, and delicious treats.

Amazing Madison Facts