Mad about Madison

We have spent the past few days running madly about in Madison, Wisconsin. What a treat this college town/state capital is; and, it is a treat that costs practically nothing. The museums and gardens are basically free to all visitors, donations requested, except for the $1 (not a typo) for the conservatory. And to alter an old adage, you get more than you pay for.

Our favorite museum was the Veterans Museum. Staffed by vets, this museum leads visitors through displays starting with the Wisconsin Brigade at the battle of Antietam, and progressing through each conflict up to today.

The story told was informative and the displays excellent. Photographer Matthew Brady is credited with bringing the blood of battle to public awareness. Local product Harley-Davidson showed up in the WWI display.

Even Vietnam and the protests were presented.

The Wisconsin History Museum tells what we find is the history of most states: the arrival of Europeans, displacement of Native Americans, and industrialization. The “Odd Wisconsin” exhibit was a delightful change, showing inventions, cons, and quirks.


The Geology Museum is small but the displays are beautiful and the duckbill dinosaur formidable.


The exterior of the state capitol of the Badger State is beautiful.
The interior however exceeds expectations.















This is a view of the Supreme Court's Courtroom

















Madison has two art museums. The Olbrich on the campus of UW has small, but good quality, collections from the Egyptians to contemporary. The Contemporary Art Museum is part of the Ovation Theater. It has a limited permanent collection but interesting temporary displays. The walk up the four flight glass staircase leads to a garden roof top and restaurant, both with good views of the city.


For a city with a long winter, there’s a lot of wonderful things to enjoy outside, including many parks and five lakes. We visited the two major parks. The Arboretum is a 1200-acre escape from civilization. The only sounds heard were from parents guarding their nests. Walking the trails feels like being out in the wilderness.



More civilized and colorful and planned is the Olbrich Botanical Gardens. The sixteen acres are divided into specialty gardens. Now is the time for peonies of many hues. The Thai Pavilion, a gift from Thailand and dedicated immediately after 9/11, is adorned with stone symbols of Thai Buddhism. The main focal point is a gilded royal pavilion. Unlike the conservatory in Milwaukee, this one, though small, was filled with many lovely tropical plants and a few birds.


The gift shop also got Anna Lee’s attention. As mentioned earlier, all this nature and art cost virtually nothing to visit. The citizens of Madison are most fortunate in their cultural options.

They also have some good and interesting restaurants. We got a kick out of Ella’s Deli where toys are in the tables, overhead, and all around. The food is good too.

Ocean Grille offers a three-appetizer dinner that was one item too many but tasty. Jerry enjoyed his fish wrapped in a thin slice of potato (an idea Anna Lee would like to create). The farmers market overflowed with flower stands and some hot house vegetables. The asparagus and sweet onions we bought were yummy.