City of Madison Overview

Madison, the state capital and a city of 200,000 people in a metropolitan area with over 400,000 people, is a vibrant community with a wide range of activities. Over the past few years, Madison has won awards from national magazines. For example, in 2005 Outside listed Madison as one of ten new American dream towns. Other magazines have ranked Madison as the top canoeing town, the city with the eighth best schools, and the third safest of America's 100 largest cities.

Cultural activities in town include art festivals, concerts, and theatrical productions. Especially notable are two events held on the Capitol square, namely the Art Fair on the Square and the Concert on the Square series. Numerous local performing groups and guest artists from all over the world perform in Madison each year. In addition to the active University arts program, the Madison Civic Center plays host to a wide variety of musical and theatrical groups.

All this is surrounded by four lakes that provide water sports such as swimming, wind surfing, sailing, skiing, rowing, and fishing. The Hoofer's club on campus, open to students and staff, arranges outings for skiers, hikers, and other outdoor activities. It also rents sail boats, canoes, kayaks, and sailboards for use on Lake Mendota. The university's NCAA sports events provide many opportunities for sport fans.

The area is a four-season display of beauty. You can take a drive through the glacier-carved rolling countryside, paddle a canoe on Cherokee Marsh, or stroll along a lake in a gentle snowfall. In addition, the city is only hours away from wilderness weekends in Wisconsin's state and national forests, or the attractions of larger cities such as Chicago or Milwaukee.

Madison has more than 150 parks within the city limits. In addition, the University of Wisconsin maintains a 3,000-acre arboretum which contains natural prairie and woodlands, groves of lilac and fruit trees, wooded paths, and a lake. The city zoo, considered one of the finest small zoos in the nation, is located next to the Arboretum. In the winter there are extensive cross-country skiing trails on city parks and golf courses; in the summer there are swimming beaches and boat launches maintained by the city. The University Ridge Golf Course is one of the most beautiful courses in the region.

The new Monona Terrace Convention Center, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, provides beautiful conference facilities on Lake Monona near the state capitol. Several international computer science conferences have already been held there.