Madison Guidebook

Jordan
Madison Guidebook

Breweries

Madison and the surrounding area have some of the best breweries in the Midwest! Check these out.
Large Waunakee brewery and restaurant.
Octopi Brewing
1131 Uniek Dr
Large Waunakee brewery and restaurant.
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Working Draft Beer Company
1129 E Wilson St
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Wisconsin's best and most famous microbrewery! You can ONLY get their brews in Wisconsin as they are illegal to export to other states.
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New Glarus Brewing Company
2400 WI-69
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Wisconsin's best and most famous microbrewery! You can ONLY get their brews in Wisconsin as they are illegal to export to other states.
Large brewery in Verona featuring live outdoor music during the summer.
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Wisconsin Brewing Company
1079 American Way
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Large brewery in Verona featuring live outdoor music during the summer.
Madison brewery infamous for their extremely hoppy beers and bonkers bottle label art.
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Karben4 Brewing
3698 Kinsman Blvd
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Madison brewery infamous for their extremely hoppy beers and bonkers bottle label art.
Brewery near Madison College that features gluten-free beers.
ALT Brew
1808 Wright St
Brewery near Madison College that features gluten-free beers.
Not a brewery per se, but they make a mean whiskey.
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Old Sugar Distillery
931 E Main St
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Not a brewery per se, but they make a mean whiskey.
Specialize in sours. If you're unfamiliar, think "fruity, similar to wine" but still hoppy, malty, and carbonated.
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Funk Factory Geuzeria
1602 Gilson St
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Specialize in sours. If you're unfamiliar, think "fruity, similar to wine" but still hoppy, malty, and carbonated.
Giant Jones Brewing Company
South Brearly Street
Delta Beer Lab
167 E Badger Rd
Middleton brewery featuring a large outdoor patio area with live music.
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Capital Brewery
7734 Terrace Ave
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Middleton brewery featuring a large outdoor patio area with live music.
Award-winning brewery with three locations throughout town. East Washington Ave is their newest and largest, Frances St attracts a diverse campus crowd, especially during summer, and their Whitney Way location is filled with incredible kitsch decor straight from the 1950s.
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Vintage Brewing Co. Capitol East
803 E Washington Ave
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Award-winning brewery with three locations throughout town. East Washington Ave is their newest and largest, Frances St attracts a diverse campus crowd, especially during summer, and their Whitney Way location is filled with incredible kitsch decor straight from the 1950s.
Featuring multiple locations throughout the city, this is the original. Ask for a table in the secret biergarten out back!
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The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company
123 E Doty St
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Featuring multiple locations throughout the city, this is the original. Ask for a table in the secret biergarten out back!
A nice brewery and restaurant in the Atwood neighborhood.
Starkweather Brewing Company
A nice brewery and restaurant in the Atwood neighborhood.

Arts, Culture, & History

Featuring concert venues, museums, and places of historical interest within the city.
My favorite Madison music venue! Attracts touring acts and local performers of all genres.
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Majestic theater
115 King St
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My favorite Madison music venue! Attracts touring acts and local performers of all genres.
Large State Street theater that attracts famous bands and comedians.
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Orpheum Theater
216 State St
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Large State Street theater that attracts famous bands and comedians.
Atwood neighborhood institution that attracts bands, standups, and film festivals.
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Barrymore Theatre
2090 Atwood Ave
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Atwood neighborhood institution that attracts bands, standups, and film festivals.
Madison's newest and largest concert venue that attracts Grammy-winning acts of all genres.
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The Sylvee
25 S Livingston St
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Madison's newest and largest concert venue that attracts Grammy-winning acts of all genres.
Small bar and alternative/indie venue.
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High Noon Saloon
701 E Washington Ave
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Small bar and alternative/indie venue.
Free art museum featuring an extensive collection of Japanese woodblock prints originally owned by internationally famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
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查森艺术博物馆
800 University Ave
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Free art museum featuring an extensive collection of Japanese woodblock prints originally owned by internationally famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Frank Lloyd Wright-designed convention center on Lake Monona. The terrace is open to the public on top and features incredible views of the lake.
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Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center
1 John Nolen Dr
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Frank Lloyd Wright-designed convention center on Lake Monona. The terrace is open to the public on top and features incredible views of the lake.
Children's museum with cool science and nature exhibits.
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麦迪逊儿童博物馆
100 N Hamilton St
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Children's museum with cool science and nature exhibits.
Veteran's museum on Capitol Square, features exhibits about every war since Wisconsin became a state in 1848.
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Wisconsin Veterans Museum
30 W Mifflin St
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Veteran's museum on Capitol Square, features exhibits about every war since Wisconsin became a state in 1848.
A university museum featuring a nice collection of fossils.
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University of Wisconsin Geology Museum
1215 W Dayton St
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A university museum featuring a nice collection of fossils.
Non-campus affiliated art museum.
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Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
227 State St
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Non-campus affiliated art museum.
A museum focusing on Wisconsin's history from the Ice Age to today.
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Wisconsin Historical Museum
30 N Carroll St
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A museum focusing on Wisconsin's history from the Ice Age to today.
It sounds wild and honestly isn't very exciting to look at, but Elvis Presley stopped a mugging using his Karate skills in the early 1970s only a few blocks from my home. There is a memorial plaque commemorating this weird little slice of Madison history.
Elvis Madison Karate Fight Memorial Plaque
3618 East Washington Avenue
It sounds wild and honestly isn't very exciting to look at, but Elvis Presley stopped a mugging using his Karate skills in the early 1970s only a few blocks from my home. There is a memorial plaque commemorating this weird little slice of Madison history.
This is the arch where Union soldiers left their training facility in Madison to march across town to the train depot at Union Corners where they were then sent to the southern battlefields of the American Civil War.
Camp Randall Memorial Arch
1455 Monroe St
This is the arch where Union soldiers left their training facility in Madison to march across town to the train depot at Union Corners where they were then sent to the southern battlefields of the American Civil War.
Grab a pitcher, enjoy live music, swim, enjoy a sunset at this beautiful lakeside student union.
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Memorial Union Terrace
800 Langdon St
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Grab a pitcher, enjoy live music, swim, enjoy a sunset at this beautiful lakeside student union.
Gorgeous venue for Broadway plays and prestigious musical acts.
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Overture Center for the Arts
201 State St
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Gorgeous venue for Broadway plays and prestigious musical acts.

Food & Drinks

Madison has the best food scene for a city it's size anywhere in the United States! These are a few of my favorite restaurants and bars.
Walking distance greasy-spoon diner. Cash only!
Fair Oaks Diner
44 S Fair Oaks Ave
Walking distance greasy-spoon diner. Cash only!
Madison's tastiest BBQ place.
Smoky Jon's #1 BBQ
2310 Packers Ave
Madison's tastiest BBQ place.
Best Mexican food in town!
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Taqueria Guadalajara
1033 S Park St
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Best Mexican food in town!
Fantastic food and drinks. Get a brandy old-fashioned with a side of cheese curds!
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The Old Fashioned
23 N Pinckney St
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Fantastic food and drinks. Get a brandy old-fashioned with a side of cheese curds!
Their newest location, this Madison pizza joint has been a campus institution for 30 years.
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Ian's Pizza Garver
3241 Garver Green
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Their newest location, this Madison pizza joint has been a campus institution for 30 years.
Madison's best pizza place! Try the Thai Pie or Couch Potato.
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Glass Nickel Pizza Co. - Madison East
2916 Atwood Ave
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Madison's best pizza place! Try the Thai Pie or Couch Potato.
Delicious ramen place just off the Square.
Morris Ramen
106 King St
Delicious ramen place just off the Square.
A nice bar and grill with fantastic prime rib, sandwiches and breakfast. Recently refurbished and with a new patio!
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Brothers Three Bar & Grill
614 N Fair Oaks Ave
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A nice bar and grill with fantastic prime rib, sandwiches and breakfast. Recently refurbished and with a new patio!
Nice restaurant and tavern with delicious local food and a good tap list.
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The Coopers Tavern
20 W Mifflin St
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Nice restaurant and tavern with delicious local food and a good tap list.
Indonesian cuisine, we get delivery from here regularly and absolutely love it. Best Pad Thai in town.
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Bandung Indonesian Restaurant
600 Williamson St
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Indonesian cuisine, we get delivery from here regularly and absolutely love it. Best Pad Thai in town.
Gourmet pizza place and cocktail bar located in a former bank on Capitol Square. Ask the bartenders about going down to the vault, where you can sip cocktails in a massive bank vault converted into a cozy lounge.
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Lucille
101 King St
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Gourmet pizza place and cocktail bar located in a former bank on Capitol Square. Ask the bartenders about going down to the vault, where you can sip cocktails in a massive bank vault converted into a cozy lounge.
Cool tapas and cocktail lounge.
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Mint Mark
1929 Winnebago St
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Cool tapas and cocktail lounge.
Fancy brunch spot along Lake Monona.
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Sardine
617 Williamson St
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Fancy brunch spot along Lake Monona.
Delicious Middle Eastern place.
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Banzo
2105 Sherman Ave
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Delicious Middle Eastern place.
Breakfast and brunch place. Get here early as it is very popular and tends to get busy.
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Monty's Blue Plate Diner
2089 Atwood Ave
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Breakfast and brunch place. Get here early as it is very popular and tends to get busy.
Cool cocktail bar.
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Alchemy
1980 Atwood Ave
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Cool cocktail bar.
Italian restaurant and cocktail lounge.
Bar Corallini
2004 Atwood Ave
Italian restaurant and cocktail lounge.
Madison's oldest bar, features punk bands a few nights a week. Cash only!
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Mickey's Tavern
1524 Williamson St
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Madison's oldest bar, features punk bands a few nights a week. Cash only!
Madison's most popular Vietnamese and Laotian restaurant. Gets very busy so be prepared to wait a while for a table.
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Hạ Long Bay Restaurant
1353 Williamson St
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Madison's most popular Vietnamese and Laotian restaurant. Gets very busy so be prepared to wait a while for a table.
A very cool Willy St restaurant that was the gathering place for radicals, socialists, and free thinkers during Madison's heyday in the 1960s.
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Weary Traveler Freehouse
1201 Williamson St
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A very cool Willy St restaurant that was the gathering place for radicals, socialists, and free thinkers during Madison's heyday in the 1960s.
A cocktail and wine bar located in the penthouse of one of Madison's few skyscrapers. Fantastic views and tasty cocktails, a perfect date night spot.
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Eno Vino Downtown
1 N Webster St
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A cocktail and wine bar located in the penthouse of one of Madison's few skyscrapers. Fantastic views and tasty cocktails, a perfect date night spot.
Gourmet sushi place.
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RED
316 W Washington Ave
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Gourmet sushi place.
Gourmet Italian restaurant.
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Cento
122 W Mifflin St
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Gourmet Italian restaurant.
Fancy gastro-pub, you will want to make a reservation.
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Graze
1 S Pinckney St
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Fancy gastro-pub, you will want to make a reservation.
New Orleans-style oyster bar featuring live jazz on occasion.
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Tempest Oyster Bar
120 E Wilson St
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New Orleans-style oyster bar featuring live jazz on occasion.
Great happy hour specials and delicious Italian food.
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Paisan's Restaurant
131 W Wilson St
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Great happy hour specials and delicious Italian food.
Madison's best steak house and supper club.
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Tornado Steak House
116 S Hamilton St
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Madison's best steak house and supper club.
Come here for free, all you can drink beer on your birthday or after a game. It attracts a rowdy college crowd.
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Nitty Gritty-Madison
223 N Frances St
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Come here for free, all you can drink beer on your birthday or after a game. It attracts a rowdy college crowd.
Cocktail and beer bar on the Square, it's definitely a hipster place.
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Genna's Lounge
105 W Main St
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Cocktail and beer bar on the Square, it's definitely a hipster place.
Summer camp-themed bar on Langdon St on campus, named after the famous dive that Rodney Dangerfield performed at the end of "Back to School", an 80s comedy filmed on the UW campus.
Camp Trippalindee
601 Langdon St
Summer camp-themed bar on Langdon St on campus, named after the famous dive that Rodney Dangerfield performed at the end of "Back to School", an 80s comedy filmed on the UW campus.
Brazilian grill where they bring the meat to your table on sticks and shave it directly onto your plate. Come hungry, this place is expensive but absolutely worth it when you arrive with an empty stomach.
Samba Brazilian Grill
240 W Gilman St
Brazilian grill where they bring the meat to your table on sticks and shave it directly onto your plate. Come hungry, this place is expensive but absolutely worth it when you arrive with an empty stomach.
Campus breakfast institution. Gets EXTREMELY busy, especially on Badger football game day. Cash only!
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Mickies Dairy Bar
1511 Monroe St
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Campus breakfast institution. Gets EXTREMELY busy, especially on Badger football game day. Cash only!
Cool restaurant overlooking the Dane Co Airport runway. They offer the $100 Burger, a burger and fries plate that includes a 30-minute plane ride around the city. You will want to call for a reservation.
Pat O'Malley's Jet Room
3606 Corben Ct
Cool restaurant overlooking the Dane Co Airport runway. They offer the $100 Burger, a burger and fries plate that includes a 30-minute plane ride around the city. You will want to call for a reservation.
North side brunch spot.
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Ogden's North Street Diner
560 North St
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North side brunch spot.
Cool beer and cocktail bar. Occasionally featuring live music.
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Tip Top Tavern
601 North St
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Cool beer and cocktail bar. Occasionally featuring live music.
Delicious brunch place.
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Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery
2827 Atwood Ave
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Delicious brunch place.
Delicious custard (ice cream but thicker) spot. Locally owned and operated!
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Michael's Frozen Custard
2531 Monroe St
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Delicious custard (ice cream but thicker) spot. Locally owned and operated!
Best fried chicken in town and a good local tap list as well. Wall murals feature some Madison history as the restaurant used to be the pilot's lounge for the original Madison airport in the 1930s.
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Off Broadway Drafthouse
5404 Raywood Rd
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Best fried chicken in town and a good local tap list as well. Wall murals feature some Madison history as the restaurant used to be the pilot's lounge for the original Madison airport in the 1930s.
Good food and brews with live music. There is typically a $5-10 cover charge if you are staying for music.
Red Rooster
Good food and brews with live music. There is typically a $5-10 cover charge if you are staying for music.

Entertainment & Activities

Madison's minor league baseball team, you can usually score a smoking deal on Duck Blind seats and get all you can eat/drink. Also great for families in the stands. There is usually a small carnival set up for every game for kids.
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Madison Mallards
2920 N Sherman Ave
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Madison's minor league baseball team, you can usually score a smoking deal on Duck Blind seats and get all you can eat/drink. Also great for families in the stands. There is usually a small carnival set up for every game for kids.
Very nice free zoo located in the Monroe neighborhood on the near west side of Madison.
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亨利·维拉斯动物园
702 S Randall Ave
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Very nice free zoo located in the Monroe neighborhood on the near west side of Madison.
Historic football stadium where the Wisconsin Badgers kick other Big Ten teams' butts!
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威斯康星大学坎普兰德尔体育场
1440 Monroe St
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Historic football stadium where the Wisconsin Badgers kick other Big Ten teams' butts!
Basketball and hockey arena for the Wisconsin Badgers. Also home to concerts, graduations, and UW's massive career fairs.
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The Kohl Center
601 West Dayton Street
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Basketball and hockey arena for the Wisconsin Badgers. Also home to concerts, graduations, and UW's massive career fairs.
Mini golf, batting cages, driving range, par three course, and a bar and grill.
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Vitense Golfland
5501 Schroeder Rd
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Mini golf, batting cages, driving range, par three course, and a bar and grill.
A lovely walk around Wisconsin's Capitol Building. Farmers' market on Saturday mornings in Spring, Summer and Fall, definitely check that out! Good selection of restaurants and bars as well.
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Capitol Square -South
223 W Main St
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A lovely walk around Wisconsin's Capitol Building. Farmers' market on Saturday mornings in Spring, Summer and Fall, definitely check that out! Good selection of restaurants and bars as well.
Madison's only casino featuring slots and virtual poker.
Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison
4002 Evan Acres Rd
Madison's only casino featuring slots and virtual poker.
Nearest golf course to my home, also features an affordable driving range.
Bridges Golf Course
2702 Shopko Dr
Nearest golf course to my home, also features an affordable driving range.
Madison's most popular course.
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Odana Hills Golf Course
4635 Odana Rd
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Madison's most popular course.
Middleton golf course that is absolutely beautiful and very reasonably priced.
Pleasant View Golf Course
1322 N Pleasant View Rd
Middleton golf course that is absolutely beautiful and very reasonably priced.
The UW's golf course, you will need to reserve a tee time at least a week or two in advance if you want to play this professional-level course that hosts the American Family Classic every year.
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University Ridge Golf Course
9002 County Rd PD
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The UW's golf course, you will need to reserve a tee time at least a week or two in advance if you want to play this professional-level course that hosts the American Family Classic every year.
Local race track, check their website for events.
Madison International Speedway
1122 Sunrise Rd
Local race track, check their website for events.
A barcade featuring classic 80s and 90s arcade games and a few newer arcade games designed by independent studios. Only midwest spot with a Killer Queen console.
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I/O Arcade Bar
924 Williamson St
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A barcade featuring classic 80s and 90s arcade games and a few newer arcade games designed by independent studios. Only midwest spot with a Killer Queen console.
Popular Madison gay bar featuring drag shows and dancing.
FIVE Nightclub
5 Applegate Ct
Popular Madison gay bar featuring drag shows and dancing.

Parks & Nature

Gigantic arboretum perfect for hiking, jogging, riding bikes, or a scenic drive.
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University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum
1207 Seminole Highway
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Gigantic arboretum perfect for hiking, jogging, riding bikes, or a scenic drive.
Beautiful gardens where you are guaranteed to see the largest Thai Pavilion in the Western Hemisphere and happy couples shooting gorgeous wedding shots. Entry is free for the outdoor portion, the indoor section (open year round) has a $2 admission fee.
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奥尔布里希植物园
3330 Atwood Ave
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Beautiful gardens where you are guaranteed to see the largest Thai Pavilion in the Western Hemisphere and happy couples shooting gorgeous wedding shots. Entry is free for the outdoor portion, the indoor section (open year round) has a $2 admission fee.
Large park on Lake Mendota near downtown.
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James Madison Park
614 E Gorham St
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Large park on Lake Mendota near downtown.
A German-style biergarten on Lake Monona, a short walk from Olbrich Botanical Gardens.
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The Biergarten at Olbrich Park
3527 Atwood Ave
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A German-style biergarten on Lake Monona, a short walk from Olbrich Botanical Gardens.
Large park on Lake Mendota that features an ice rink in the winter months.
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Tenney Park
402 N Thornton Ave
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Large park on Lake Mendota that features an ice rink in the winter months.
A lovely UW garden on the west end of campus. Features a corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum), a gigantic, alien-like plant that smells like death when it blooms.
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Allen Centennial Gardens
620 Babcock Dr
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A lovely UW garden on the west end of campus. Features a corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum), a gigantic, alien-like plant that smells like death when it blooms.
West side park featuring a gigantic hill that's great for winter sledding.
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Elver Park
1250 McKenna Boulevard
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West side park featuring a gigantic hill that's great for winter sledding.
Olin Park features the Midwest's largest beer festival, Great Taste of the Midwest, every August and a fantastic Christmas light show in November and December. Fantastic views across the lake of the Capitol Building and downtown as well.
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Olin Park
1156 Olin-Turville Ct
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Olin Park features the Midwest's largest beer festival, Great Taste of the Midwest, every August and a fantastic Christmas light show in November and December. Fantastic views across the lake of the Capitol Building and downtown as well.
You can rent boats at this park to go for a paddle around Lake Monona.
Brittingham Park
829 W Washington Ave
You can rent boats at this park to go for a paddle around Lake Monona.

Shopping

Features shopping, food court, and a movie theater. Also surrounded by great chain restaurants.
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East Towne Mall
89 E Towne Way
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Features shopping, food court, and a movie theater. Also surrounded by great chain restaurants.
Madison's ritziest mall.
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Hilldale Shopping Center
726 N Midvale Blvd
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Madison's ritziest mall.
Monroe St features a large collection of local and boutique shops, perfect if you are looking for a unique gift.
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Monroe Street
Monroe Street
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Monroe St features a large collection of local and boutique shops, perfect if you are looking for a unique gift.
Madison's west side mall.
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West Towne Mall
66 W Towne Mall
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Madison's west side mall.
Tons of bars, restaurants, and boutique shops along this campus mainstay.
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State Street
State Street
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Tons of bars, restaurants, and boutique shops along this campus mainstay.

Essentials

Large grocery store with great selection.
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Hy-Vee
3801 E Washington Ave
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Large grocery store with great selection.
Fancy grocery store featuring large selection of organic produce.
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Metro Market
6010 Cottage Grove Rd
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Fancy grocery store featuring large selection of organic produce.
Basic and affordable grocery store.
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ALDI
3925 Lien Rd
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Basic and affordable grocery store.
I mean, it's a Walmart. They have everything. This is probably the nicest one in Madison.
Walmart Supercenter
4198 Nakoosa Trail
I mean, it's a Walmart. They have everything. This is probably the nicest one in Madison.
East side Target.
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Target
4301 Lien Rd
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East side Target.
Madison's largest Asian grocery store.
Asian Midway Foods
301 S Park St
Madison's largest Asian grocery store.