Fun in Madison Wisconsin and the Surrounding Areas
How to spend a long weekend in and nearby Madison WI.
Just a short 2.5hrs drive from Chicago, the city of Madison, Wisconsin is a great weekend getaway to take your kids to. Full disclosure, we did not actually stay in Madison and we only went into the city for a few hours, but it is definitely on our list to come back to and visit! We were only there for a short time, but it is such a beautiful city, with so much to see and do.
Instead, we stayed in nearby Verona WI, which is just 20mins Southwest of Madison, and central to many fun kid-friendly attractions and restaurants.
Our long weekend itinerary includes:
A petting farm and a FREE zoo
TWO unique exploration attractions
An amusement park
Touring inside a cave
Our awesome house
And of course, Madison
Take some, leave some, spread it out over more days, or look up other attractions that I may have missed! Either way, you’re guaranteed to have a fun-filled long weekend with your kids.
Photo at Wisconsin Union owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow
Day 1: Madison Wisconsin
Like I already mentioned, I did not originally allot much time in the actual city of Madison… yet, I really wish I had! I honestly am not sure why I didn’t; probably because we already had too much we were fitting in, in such a short amount of time. But we really loved walking around Madison, and it will definitely be towards the top of my list to visit again in the future.
Henry Vilas Zoo
We couldn’t check into our airbnb until 4p, and we didn’t want to waste a whole day, so we decided to drive up early and make a quick trip to Henry Vilas Zoo. First off, this zoo is FREE, so there really is no reason to skip this awesome attraction. But when I was doing my research, I wasn’t really sure what to expect about this zoo. Because it’s free, I assumed it was very small and only had a few animals to see. Plus, the FAQ’s on the Henry Vilas Zoo’s website says you only need 30 mins to an hour there, so that’s all I planned for.
I don’t know what the zoo is thinking, but you most definitely will stay longer than 30 mins here!! I would say 1 to 2 hours is a much better estimated time [our family was there for about 1.5hrs]. This is a legit zoo, with so much to see and a lot of walking to be had. We were more than happy that this unexpected longer visit changed up our original itinerary for this day!
Lunch & Dessert
This pizza joint is the perfect place to take the kids. It’s all pizza by the [huge] slice and it’s order-at-the-counter, so it’s a nice and easy place to eat with young and tired kids.
But the pizza at Ian’s Pizza is not just your normal run of the mill slices. Sure, they have cheese and simple toppings like pepperoni and sausage, but they also have unique pizzas such as a penne alfredo, a drunken ravioli and their all-time best seller, mac n’ cheese pizza! They also have vegan options, salads, huge breadsticks and so much more! I actually am not sure what kind of pizza I ate there, because they got my order wrong, but whatever it was, it was delicious!
Ian’s Pizza has 3 locations in Madison and additional ones in Milwaukee and also Seattle.
A staple on the University of Wisconsin campus, the Daily Scoop is located at the Wisconsin Union, right off of the lake. It’s a great little ice cream shop, serving the famous Babcock Dairy ice cream, with flavors such as the Honey Badger, Churro, Orange Custard Chocolate Chip and the Mnookie Dough.
Wisconsin Union
The Wisconsin Union is considered the “heart and soul” of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where people come to socialize and gather together as a community. It’s an absolutely gorgeous area with lots of seating to grab a bite to eat, hangout with a drink in hand, listen to live music, go boating on the lake or just take a walk down the lakeside path. When we went, it was beautiful outside and I honestly could have stayed there for hours.
Parking Tips
Madison - like many other cities - can get congested, especially since it is also a college town. I wouldn’t say parking is as bad as Chicago, but it can still be very difficult to find a spot. There are parking garages throughout the city, but we were being a bit stubborn about it, so we just drove around and waited until we could find something.
My biggest piece of advice would be to find parking in a central location to where you will be spending your time, and just leave the car there. I did not plan for parking accordingly, so we had to move our car a couple of times. If I had to do it again, I would definitely just plan to stay in one spot and make sure we were prepared to walk around to our destinations.
We did notice that parking seemed to have a fast turnaround. It only took us a couple of drives around the block before a random spot would pop up… or maybe we just got lucky each time??
Day 2: Day trip to The House on the Rock.
Located an hour outside of Madison, The House on the Rock is 100% worth the drive! The House on the Rock is a magnificent collection of wonders and oddities, guaranteed to keep you immersed for hours. In fact, we spent FOUR hours here and all 4 of my kids were completely engaged the entire time!
There are three separate sections that all intertwine and loop around to each other, so you won’t miss a thing. But if the ultimate experience is a bit too intense for you, there are additional ticketing options for visiting only one or two of the sections.
All my photos and my The House on the Rock Facebook Reel does not do justice at all to what you will experience, so you truly have to just see it for yourself!
Don Q Inn
We drove past Don Q Inn on the way to The House on the Rock and just knew we had to make a pit stop there on the way back!
Nestled in front of this quirky hotel sits an ex-military Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter built sometime between 1944 and 1952. The wingspan is 141 ft and four 3,500-horsepower engines, making it once the largest thing in the air at one point in time.
There are daily tours every Saturday and Sunday at 3p, or you can just visit it on your own and at your leisure, at any time.
There’s not much to it, but if you have plane lovers in your family like we do, then it’s definitely worth the visit if you’re already nearby.
The Inn is also open for guests to stay overnight in one of their fantasy-themed suites. There’s hot breakfast, free wi-fi and an indoor / outdoor pool with whirlpool!
Botham Vineyards
We were fortunate that this trip we had my parents with us, so they took half our kids [the two older ones] and headed straight back for our airbnb. For my husband and I, we wanted to take advantage of only having 2 of our kids with us, so after such a long day already, we decided to check out a winery. We found Botham Vineyards, which is about halfway between The House on the Rock and where we were staying in Verona.
I’m so glad we made a pit stop here, because the wine was *really* good! I’m not a huge fan of sweet wine, but many of the wines that we tried at this vineyard were a very good mix of semi-dry and sweet. We were in and out with our tasting and left with 4 bottles in hand, but they do have a really cute outdoor patio that would be a wonderful place to sit back and relax in, if you had the time to. There’s enough open space too, for the kids to run around.
Day 3: An EPIC kind of day.
Epic Intergalactic Headquarters
This place is actually the reason we decided to visit the Madison area in the first place! Epic is a healthcare software company, that designs, develops and sells electronic medical record software. Many academic medical centers use their programs, such as community hospitals, dental clinics, rehab centers and mental health services. 54% of the US population have their medical records in an Epic system.
So why again would we come here? Because their Intergalactic Headquarters is EPIC! See the photos below for yourself! Their 1100 acre campus includes over 2 million sq ft of corporate & conference space, with each building over-the-top decorated with different themes. *Think: a massive art installation*
It is FREE and open to the public to explore all the sections, and I’m telling you that one day is not even enough. We spent almost 4 hours there and only got through 2.5 sections. Some of the themes include the Wizarding Academy, Storybook Campus and the Learning Center. All the buildings are connected by their different floor levels, including underground tunnels, and there are step-by-step directions given at the start of the journey, that help you to hit all areas of exploration. It reminds me a lot of a huge scavenger hunt. We will definitely be back there to check out all the other sections we didn’t get to!
You can see even more photo and video on my Epic Facebook Reel.
Little Amerricka Amusement Park
Little Amerricka Amusement Park is a theme park in Marshall WI, just 30 mins outside of Madison. It has so many perfect rides for kids of all ages. There is no admission to get in; instead, you pay for which rides you want to go on. They also have wristbands- very similar to a carnival.
My only complaint / suggestion is to NOT go during one of their special events. We went on La Movida Day…. The crowds I could deal with, but it was how completely unorganized the lines were that really got to me. It was pretty much a free for all, with no real order to everyone in line, and people pushing to get in front of you. The train was the WORST in that respect.
On any other given day, I have to imagine it’s otherwise much less crowded and easier to maneuver through, so i would definitely recommend going on a normal day.
More photos and videos can be seen on my Little Amerricka Facebook Reel.
Day 4: Exploring a cave and troll.
Cave of the Mounds
Cave of the Mounds was a surprise discovery in 1939, and is now a National Natural Landmark and a wonderful place for adults and kids to explore. I was a little nervous about taking my toddlers through the cave, because I wasn’t sure how difficult it would be to walk through it, but it was very easy and all 4 of my kids and my older parents, did just fine. The tour itself also only takes about 45 mins to get through and there are a couple of ways to exit out early if you needed to.
Grumpy Troll Brew Pub & Mount Horeb
People always recommend Grumpy Troll Brew Pub for lunch or dinner, and now I know why! This place really is the best— but on top of the delicious food and drinks, what really won me over was the immensely nice employees there! Their welcoming nature and sociable service really won me over.
While you’re in Mount Horeb, be sure to stroll the cute downtown area. There are so many unique shops to visit and your kids will love the chocolates shops and vintage candy store. In addition to the Grumpy Troll Brew Pub, there is also a cider pub and a lot of other lunch and dining spots and coffee shops.
Other recommendations
Cafes & Food
160 Keenan Ct, Ste 1
Verona WI 53593
This is the cutest cafe and cocktail bar! They don’t serve food, but they have the most delicious coffees and cocktails on the menu. The whole vibe is even better with the laid back atmosphere, comfortable couches, board games and a really nice outdoor patio. Also kid-friendly!
125 S Main St
Verona WI 53593
I am going to preface this by saying that we did have a couple of issues here… one was service and the other was a food situation. But I would like to think that it was an “off-day”. I’m only adding this to my list of recommendations because I did think the food was delicious. They have a very cute cafe menu of sandwiches, coffees and teas, and they have alcoholic beverages on the menu as well. But what really makes this place unique is that it’s also a yarn shop, that has fun classes and events
If you’re in the mood for a more upscale, kid-friendly restaurant, this is the place to go. With options like steak, seafood, sandwiches and pasta, there is also an extensive menu for kids to choose from. With 4 locations outside of Madison, you will for sure be near one when you’re in the area.
Attractions
2894 Erbe Rd
Blue Mounds WI 53517
We originally had planned to go to this cute petting farm the day of our arrival, to kill some time before checking into our airbnb, but our longer-than-expected trip to Henry Vilas Zoo cut into our time. So I unfortunately don’t have any experience visiting here, but we’d love to come back to the area to check it out in the future.
Lodging
I don’t normally recommend places to stay when we’re on vacation, because we are always out and about and are rarely in the house anyway. I also feel like lodging preferences are so personal and specific for each family. But after staying at this house in Verona, I knew I had to get the word out about it!
The photos in the airbnb listing don’t do it any justice. Nestled at the end of a cul de sac, this home sits on a beautiful lake with a huge yard and outdoor patio that is perfect for eating outdoors. The inside of the home is huge with an open layout and four bedrooms, one being a playroom that is stocked with lots of kids toys and books. Speaking of stocked up, the rest of the home is also stocked with all the amenities you can think of; from toiletries, to condiments and spices to extra towels and bedding.
The location of Verona WI is also central to all the attractions listed in this post; only 20 mins from Madison, Blue Mounds and Mount Horeb, and just 45 minutes from The House on the Rock. Verona itself also has lots of restaurants and shops, and a few grocery stores to choose from, including a Target. I will definitely be staying here again, next time we visit!
See the Airbnb link to the house we stayed at HERE!
For more vacation itineraries or travel tips, be sure to check out my travel page.
All photos in this post are owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow.
*All opinions in this blog post are my own and I’ve received no incentives*
It’s so easy to plan a staycation when you live in or so close to such an amazing city as Chicago. Between the world-class museums, popular tourist attractions, outdoor parks and beaches, broadway theater and so much more, you will never come up short of ideas for the perfect staycation!