About Madison

Visitors find the best of all worlds in Wisconsin’s vibrant capital city and picturesque surrounding towns: natural beauty, outdoor recreation, stimulating cultural offerings, distinctive restaurants and shops, and an irreverent spirit of fun.

Build on an isthmus between lakes Monona and Mendota, Madison is renowned for its beautiful scenery. A total of 5 area lakes and over 200 parks provide an abundance of year-round outdoor activities from hiking, biking, swimming, and sailing in the summer to cross-country skiing, snow sailing, and ice fishing in the winter.

Madison offers a variety of things to do before and after conference sessions. Within blocks of most conference hotels and one block from the Memorial Union is the iconic State Street, a beautiful pedestrian mall. Connecting campus to the state capital, a walk along State Street features many significant Madison destinations such as the Overture Center for the Arts, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, The Orpheum Theater along with many restaurants, bars, and shops. Once you make it to the Capitol, take a self-guided tour of this beautiful and historic building.

To search for other activities while in Madison, view the Calendar of Events.

Madison is on Central Time.

Getting Around Madison

Madison offers several ways to get around and explore the city while you’re here. If you’re not quite up to walking down State Street or up Bascom Hill there are plenty of other modes of transportation to get you where you need. Madison Metro Bus System travels throughout downtown Madison including routes to and from the UW campus area. Biking is also a popular mode of transportation and Madison offers bicycle rental stations, several rental shops, and extensive bike trails within the city and surrounding areas.Madison also offers taxi and rideshare options. Uber and Lyft are both available in town. Hailing a traditional taxi in Madison is not common and you will receive must fast service by calling a company directly. To reach a taxi service directly, call one of the numbers below:

Madison Taxi: 608-255-8294

Union Cab: 608 242-2000

Weather

Mid-September in Madison is usually sunny and warm with temperatures averaging between 60 and 80 degrees. Temperatures and precipitation can vary quite a bit this time of year so make sure to check in with The Weather Channel site for Madison before you travel!