Madison

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the isthmus, the lakes & Dane County — curds, fish fry & Frank Lloyd Wright

The Isthmus & Capitol Square 29 places · area 1 of 7

downtown, King St, Monona Terrace

Photo: Kznf · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

1 Must see within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Dane County Farmers' Market

America's largest producers-only farmers' market (founded 1972): on summer Saturdays some 150 Wisconsin growers and cheesemakers completely encircle the State Capitol, and everything is grown or made by the person behind the stand. Time Out ranks it among the country's best. Order: Saturday-morning cheese curds, cheese bread and in-season produce sold by the people who made them.
Capitol Square (Saturdays Apr–Nov), Madison, WI 53703

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2 Must see within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Fromagination

A European-style cut-to-order cheese shop on the Capitol Square since 2007, showcasing award-winning Wisconsin artisan cheesemakers — the obvious place to taste the state's cheese beyond curds. Order: Cut-to-order Wisconsin artisan cheese.
12 S Carroll St, Madison, WI 53703

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Photo: Wikideas1 · CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons

3 Must see within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Wisconsin State Capitol

The 1917 Beaux-Arts capitol at the heart of the Isthmus — the only granite capitol dome in the US. Free tours cover the rotunda mural 'The Resources of Wisconsin', and the summer observation deck gives a 360° view of the lakes. A National Historic Landmark (2001).
Look for free tours; observation deck in summer
2 E Main St, Madison, WI 53703

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Photo: McGhiever · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

4 Must see within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Monona Terrace

Frank Lloyd Wright's 1938 design for a civic center on Lake Monona, rejected by one vote and built only in 1997, nearly four decades after his death. The free rooftop garden is the city's best lake-and-Capitol view.
1 John Nolen Dr, Madison, WI 53703

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Photo: Corey Coyle · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

5 Must see within The Isthmus & Capitol Square · Friday fish fry

The Old Fashioned

The Capitol Square's all-Wisconsin tavern and supper-club homage — Wisconsin beers, brandy old fashioneds and curds. Voted Madison's best cheese curds in the 2025 reader survey and named by Isthmus associate editor Linda Falkenstein among her top fish fries. Order: Beer-battered cheese curds (house recipe batter) and the Friday fish fry.
23 N Pinckney St, Madison, WI 53703

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6 Must see within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

L'Etoile

Madison's founding farm-to-table restaurant (Odessa Piper, 1976) on the Capitol Square — two of its chefs, Piper (2001) and Tory Miller (2012), won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest. Time Out's Madison list calls it out for working with more than 200 local vendors. Order: The seasonal farm-to-table tasting menu, sourced from 200+ local vendors.
1 S Pinckney St, Madison, WI 53703

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7 Must see within The Isthmus & Capitol Square · European

Osteria Papavero

An intimate Italian osteria (2006) off the Capitol Square; Bologna-raised chef Francesco Mangano advanced to James Beard Best Chef: Midwest nominee in 2023. Order: Chef Francesco Mangano's Bologna- and Tuscany-rooted Italian cooking.
128 E Wilson St, Madison, WI 53703

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8 Must see within The Isthmus & Capitol Square · European

Cento

Capitol Square Italian in a brick-and-stained-glass historic office building; Best of Madison 2026 silver for Restaurant, bronze for Italian and Chef (Edwin Ramirez); reviewed by Isthmus, The Takeout and the Daily Cardinal. Order: Handmade pasta (gnocchi with mushrooms and breadcrumbs) and wood-fired pizza.
122 W Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703

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9 Must see within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA)

Free contemporary-art museum in the Cesar Pelli–designed Overture complex at the top of State Street, with a rooftop sculpture garden.
State St (Overture Center complex), Madison, WI 53703

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10 Must see within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

The Robin Room

Chad Vogel's 2016 lounge that 'catapulted Madison's cocktail scene' (Imbibe); on City Cast's must-try cocktails and coziest-spots lists. Order: The Jasmine (gin, Campari, Cointreau, lemon) or a seasonal house cocktail.
821 E Johnson St, Madison, WI 53703

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11 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

The Plaza Tavern

A Prohibition-era (1930) downtown tavern that invented the double-stack Plazaburger and still won't reveal its sauce; on City Cast's oldest-restaurants and best-dive-bars lists, a Daily Cardinal 'bite of the week'. Order: The Plazaburger with the secret sauce (since 1963–64).
319 N Henry St, Madison, WI 53703

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12 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co.

Madison's flagship brewpub since November 1994, in the NRHP-listed Fess Hotel (1858) at Doty & King; UpNorthNews readers' #1 Madison brewery 2025. Order: House-brewed Good Dog IPA or Black Earth Porter in the 1858 Fess Hotel.
123 E Doty St, Madison, WI 53703

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13 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Orpheum Theater

A 1927 Rapp & Rapp movie palace a block from the Capitol — Art Deco outside, French Renaissance within — still a live-music hall; on the National Register.
216 State St, Madison, WI 53703

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Photo: Daderot · CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons

14 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Wisconsin Veterans Museum

Free state museum on Capitol Square tracing Wisconsin's military history from the Civil War (including Old Abe, the war eagle) to the present. The state has bought the building to replace it with a new five-story museum — check before visiting as construction nears.
30 W Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703

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Photo: James Steakley · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

15 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Gates of Heaven Synagogue

Wisconsin's first synagogue (1863, August Kutzbock) — among the oldest surviving in the U.S.; moved to James Madison Park in 1971 to escape demolition.
302 E Gorham St (James Madison Park), Madison, WI 53703

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16 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Tenney Park & the Tenney Lock

O.C. Simonds' 1899 park — 'Madison's prettiest place to skate' on the lagoon (Isthmus) — and the Yahara's busiest boat lock; NRHP-listed city landmark.
1414 E Johnson St, Madison, WI 53703

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17 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Tornado Club Steak House

Off the Capitol Square, an old-school supper-club steakhouse with classic service — 2012 James Beard Best Chef Tory Miller's date-night pick, and runner-up for Madison's best old fashioned in the 2025 reader vote. Order: Barrel-aged brandy old fashioned and old-school steakhouse steaks.
116 S Hamilton St, Madison, WI 53703

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18 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square · Pizza

Ian's Pizza

The late-night State Street slice shop that made mac-and-cheese pizza a Madison rite of passage. On Time Out's Madison restaurant list and its best-things-to-do roundup. Order: Mac n' cheese pizza by the slice, served until 2:30am.
100 State St, Madison, WI 53703

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19 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square · European

Essen Haus

A Bavarian 'trinken halle' on East Wilson with 16 German taps, the passed-around glass boot, lederhosen-clad servers and live polka every Friday and Saturday — Madison's German-immigrant roots, played loud. Order: Two-liter glass beer boots of German tap beer, soft pretzels with mustard; weekend oompah.
514 E Wilson St, Madison, WI 53703

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20 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Tipsy Cow

Burger-and-whisky bar at the point of King and Main off the Square; bronze for Cheese Curds and Burger and a Best Bar medal in Best of Madison 2025; on UpNorthNews' best-curds list. Order: Beer-battered curds with Tipsy sauce; Wisconsin butter burger.
King St at Main St, Capitol Square, Madison, WI 53703

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21 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Overture Center for the Arts

César Pelli's 2004 performing-arts center at the top of State Street — Overture Hall, the restored Capitol Theater and, next door, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.
201 State St, Madison, WI 53703

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Photo: Corey Coyle · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

22 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Madison Children's Museum

A hands-on museum off the Capitol Square, rebuilt green with the year-round 'Rooftop Ramble' garden (chickens included) — named one of the top five US children's museums by Parents magazine.
100 N Hamilton St, Madison, WI 53703

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23 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Graze

Tory Miller's more casual, glass-walled sibling to L'Etoile on the Square (opened 2010), still farm-sourced; Madison Magazine marked its 15th year. Order: Seasonal farm-to-table gastropub plates with a view of the Capitol.
1 S Pinckney St, Madison, WI 53703

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24 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square · Pizza

Lucille

A tri-level King Street pizzeria and cocktail bar in the old Isthmus building (2016), with a weekly jazz night; in Travel Wisconsin's first-timer's guide to eating in Madison. Order: Wood-fired pizza and craft cocktails; Wednesday-night live jazz.
101 King St, Madison, WI 53703

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25 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Marigold Kitchen

Downtown brunch standby — gold for Breakfast/Brunch in Best of Madison 2026 (silver 2025), and on UpNorthNews' best-brunch roundup. Order: Locally sourced weekend brunch plates.

Downtown (Capitol Square area), Madison, WI

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26 Worth the detour within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Farm-to-table tavern with a James Beard–semifinalist chef, on City Cast's cocktail roundup and UpNorthNews' best-brunch list. Order: Farm-to-table plates and reimagined brunch staples; weekday happy-hour cocktails.

Downtown Madison, WI

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27 Deep cut within The Isthmus & Capitol Square

Robert M. Lamp House

Madison's oldest Wright-designed house (1903), built for his boyhood friend 'Robie' Lamp and hidden inside a downtown block two streets from the Capitol — Atlas Obscura calls it an Easter egg. Exterior only.

Look for private — exterior only

22 N Butler St, Madison, WI 53703

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28 Deep cut within The Isthmus & Capitol Square · European

The Coopers Tavern

Irish-born Peter McElvanna's Capitol Square gastropub (2010) uniting 'Irish and Midwestern flavors' (Isthmus); Destination Madison-listed. Order: The Reuben in the snug, with an Irish whiskey.

20 W Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703

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Closed — kept for the record 29

Short Stack Eatery — CLOSED

A downtown all-day breakfast spot on Time Out's Madison list for more than a decade — it announced its permanent closure in January 2025 (WMTV). Kept on the map flagged closed. Order: Pancake-forward breakfast and brunch.

301 W Johnson St, Madison, WI 53703

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UW–Madison campus & State Street 22 places · area 2 of 7

Bascom Hill, Memorial Union, Picnic Point

the Terrace, 2024 — Photo: CyberTheTiger · CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons

1 Must see within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Memorial Union Terrace

The lakeside terrace of the 1928 Memorial Union on Lake Mendota — the city's 'unofficial living room', with sunburst chairs in John Deere green, Allis-Chalmers orange and yellow, a beer and a Babcock cone at sunset. The Union is on the National Register.

800 Langdon St, Madison, WI 53706

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2 Must see within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Chazen Museum of Art

UW–Madison's free art museum — 25,000 works across two buildings, the second a 2011 Machado-Silvetti addition — the second-largest collection in Wisconsin.

Look for free admission

750 University Ave, Madison, WI 53706

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3 Must see within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Picnic Point

A wooded peninsula that juts nearly a mile into Lake Mendota inside UW's 300-acre Lakeshore Nature Preserve — a flat walk to fire circles at the tip with the Capitol skyline across the water. On the north shore, Atlas Obscura's never-opened 1968 'Wright-style' beach house.

Look for free

Lakeshore Nature Preserve, Univ. Bay Dr entrance, Madison, WI 53705

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4 Must see within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Der Rathskeller

The Memorial Union's 1928 German-style beer hall: when its first keg was tapped in 1933, UW became the first public university in the US to serve beer. Eugene Hausler's murals and riddles, restored after the union's renovation, and the 'Battle of Beer and Wine' next door in der Stiftskeller. Order: A Wisconsin tap beer under the 1928 Hausler murals and 300 steins (then out to the Terrace).

Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St, Madison, WI 53706

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5 Must see within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Babcock Hall Dairy Store

The UW dairy plant's own shop since 1951 — the nation's oldest university dairy facility, making ~75,000 gallons in 90+ flavors from Wisconsin milk. Silver for Ice Cream in Best of Madison 2025. Order: Union Utopia (or Mnookie Dough) scooped from the campus dairy plant.

1605 Linden Dr, Madison, WI 53706

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6 Must see within UW–Madison campus & State Street

The Nitty Gritty

Opened 1968 as a blues club, 'Madison's Official Birthday Bar' since 1985 (330,000 birthdays); rebuilt after a 2023 fire; silver for Burger in Best of Madison 2025. Doug Moe on its storied history (Madison Magazine). Order: The Grittyburger with Gritty Sauce — and a free birthday beer in a commemorative mug.

223 N Frances St, Madison, WI 53703

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7 Must see within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Bascom Hill & the Lincoln statue

The steep historic quad at the heart of campus, crowned by Bascom Hall and Adolph Weinman's seated Abraham Lincoln — the most-photographed spot for graduating seniors, who climb into his lap. Free.

Bascom Hill, UW–Madison campus, Madison, WI 53706

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8 Must see within UW–Madison campus & State Street · European

Paul's Pel'meni

Late-night student institution serving a single dish of Russian dumplings; on The Infatuation's 14 best restaurants in Madison and a Daily Cardinal favorite. Order: Pel'meni (beef or potato) with butter, sour cream, curry and cilantro — the whole menu.

State St area, Madison, WI

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9 Worth the detour within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Camp Randall Stadium

The Badgers' 1917 stadium on a Civil War training-camp site — come for a home game and 'Jump Around' between the third and fourth quarters, when 76,000 people make the stands sway.

1440 Monroe St, Madison, WI 53711

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10 Worth the detour within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Science Hall

An 1888 red-brick Romanesque pile at the foot of Bascom Hill (and a fixture of Accidentally Wes Anderson), where Charles Van Hise built geology's national reputation — a National Historic Landmark since 1993.

550 N Park St, Madison, WI 53706

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11 Worth the detour within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Dotty Dumpling's Dowry

A longstanding campus-edge burger institution off State Street, its ceiling hung with kites and memorabilia. On Time Out's Madison list; Isthmus calls burgers 'the heart and soul of Dotty's'. Order: Thick hand-made burgers cooked to order, with 14 cheeses to choose from.

317 N Frances St, Madison, WI 53703

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12 Worth the detour within UW–Madison campus & State Street · European

Teddywedgers

Pasty counter at the top of State Street since 1976, carrying on the Cornish-miner pasty of SW Wisconsin's lead region; Madison Magazine calls it a Madison staple, and it anchors State Trunk Tour's Wisconsin pasty-shop guide. Order: Traditional Cornish pasty (steak, potato, onion) — the Mineral Point miners' lunch.

101 State St, Madison, WI 53703

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13 Worth the detour within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Allen Centennial Garden

A free 2.5-acre teaching garden around the 1896 Victorian dean's house on the ag campus — themed rooms from a Dutch to a New American garden, featured in The American Gardener.

Look for free

10 Babcock Dr, Madison, WI 53706

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14 Worth the detour within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Observatory Hill Mound Group

A bird effigy and a rare two-tailed water-spirit mound just west of Washburn Observatory, overlooking Lake Mendota (NRHP). Free.

Observatory Hill, UW–Madison campus, Madison, WI

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15 Worth the detour within UW–Madison campus & State Street

UW–Madison Geology Museum

Free campus museum in Weeks Hall: Wisconsin's deep past in rocks, fossils, meteorites, a fluorescent-mineral room, dinosaurs and a mastodon skeleton.

Weeks Hall, UW–Madison campus, Madison, WI

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16 Worth the detour within UW–Madison campus & State Street

L. R. Ingersoll Physics Museum

A 1918 hands-on physics museum — one of the first of its kind — with 65+ interactive exhibits built by faculty and students; free on weekdays.

Chamberlin Hall, UW–Madison campus, Madison, WI

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Willow Creek Woods - Madison, WI — Photo: Daniel J Simanek · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

17 Worth the detour within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Lakeshore Nature Preserve & Lakeshore Path

300 acres along four miles of Lake Mendota's south shore; the Lakeshore Path runs from the Memorial Union through woods and prairie out to Picnic Point. Free.

South shore of Lake Mendota, UW–Madison campus, Madison, WI

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18 Worth the detour within UW–Madison campus & State Street

The Red Gym (UW Armory and Gymnasium)

1894 castle-like armory-gymnasium on Lake Mendota's shore — a National Historic Landmark (1993) that now houses UW's visitor and welcome center.

716 Langdon St, Madison, WI 53706

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North Hall UW — Photo: James Steakley · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

19 Worth the detour within UW–Madison campus & State Street

North Hall (University of Wisconsin)

The university's first building (1851), on Bascom Hill — John Muir's dorm 1860–63; a National Historic Landmark since 1965.

Bascom Hill, UW–Madison campus, Madison, WI 53706

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20 Worth the detour within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Union South & the Sett

The 2011 Prairie-style union steps from Camp Randall — bowling, billiards and a two-story climbing wall at the Sett; Badger Bash with the UW Marching Band before every home game.

1308 W Dayton St, Madison, WI 53715

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21 Deep cut within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Jordan's Big 10 Pub

The Camp Randall pre-game fixture with Regent Street's largest outdoor beer garden — City Cast Madison's tailgate pick; OnMilwaukee's Madison sports-bar guide; Madison Magazine's Regent St game-day story. Order: A game-day beer in Regent Street's biggest beer garden.

1330 Regent St, Madison, WI 53715

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22 Deep cut within UW–Madison campus & State Street

Washburn Observatory

UW's 1881 observatory on Observatory Hill above Lake Mendota; its 15.6-inch Clark refractor still opens to the public on clear-night open houses.

1401 Observatory Dr, Madison, WI 53706

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East side 25 places · area 3 of 7

Willy Street, Atwood, Schenk-Atwood, Monona & the north side

1 Must see within East side

Ahan

'Ahan' means food in Lao: Jamie and Chuckie Brown-Soukaseume's Willy Street restaurant cooks from Jamie's Lao childhood with Wisconsin ingredients. James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Midwest (2025) after an Emerging Chef nod; reviewed by Isthmus and profiled by PBS Wisconsin. Order: Beef laab (Lao beef salad with toasted rice powder) and Luang Prabang-style khao soi in clear chicken broth.

744 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703

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2 Must see within East side · Friday fish fry

Toby's Supper Club

A south-east-side roadhouse supper club in some form since the 1930s, still family-run, with the relish tray, cinnamon rolls and frog legs of the classic Wisconsin menu. Swept the 2025 Madison reader vote: best restaurant, best fish fry and best old fashioned. Order: Friday cod or catfish fish fry, fried perch, the hand-mixed brandy old fashioned, hashbrowns with American cheese on top.

3717 S Dutch Mill Rd, Madison, WI 53718

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3 Must see within East side

Lao Laan-Xang

Madison's first Laotian restaurant, family-run since 1989; the original Willy Street room closed in 2022 but the Atwood Avenue location carries on. On Time Out's Madison list and profiled by Brava and Experience Wisconsin. Order: Laotian classics — moak pa (fish steamed in banana leaf), curry squash, larb and the eggrolls.

2098 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704

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4 Must see within East side

Sardine

French bistro in a converted warehouse on the Lake Monona shore; on The Infatuation's 14 best in Madison, Imbibe's where-to-drink list (best bar seat for a Martini and oysters) and runner-up best restaurant + best view in UpNorthNews readers' 2025 vote. Order: Moules-frites, steak frites with shallot butter, and the gruyère-draped bar hot dog.

617 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703

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5 Must see within East side · Bakeries & kringle

Madison Sourdough

A European-style bakery-café that mills around 40% of its own flour from local farmers' grain; baker Andrew Hutchison was a 2023 James Beard semifinalist (Outstanding Bakery/pastry) and Travel Wisconsin calls it 'a Madison must for breakfast'. Order: Naturally leavened breads from flour milled in-house, croissants (almond, cheddar-chive) and the cinnamon roll.

916 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703

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6 Must see within East side · Bakeries & kringle

Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier

Atwood Avenue chocolatier working in single-origin dark chocolate (an Isthmus cover story); gold for Chocolate in Best of Madison 2026; on Brava's and Experience Wisconsin's chocolate-shop lists. Order: Single-origin dark-chocolate truffles with spices and teas.

2083 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704

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Thai Pavilion at Olbrich — Photo: Mike Goad · CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons

7 Must see within East side

Olbrich Botanical Gardens & Thai Pavilion

16 acres of free outdoor gardens on Lake Monona plus the Bolz Conservatory glass pyramid — and the gilded Royal Thai Pavilion, a gift of the Thai government and the only one on the US mainland.

Look for outdoor gardens free

3330 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704

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8 Must see within East side · Friday fish fry

Mint Mark

Produce-forward small plates from an open kitchen on East Washington, built on Wisconsin farms and local spirits. Its chefs have been James Beard semifinalists in two separate years — Sean Pharr (2024) and Kasey Lee Cooke (2026) — and Travel Wisconsin puts it in its first-timer's guide to eating in Madison. Order: Wisconsin-farm small plates that rotate weekly, and a Friday-night fish fry.

1874 E Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53704

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9 Worth the detour within East side

The Weary Traveler Freehouse

A dim, deep-booth Willy Street pub since 2002, walls lined with travel posters; its award-winning burger is the order. On Time Out's Madison list and in the 2025 reader vote for best bar food. Order: Bob's Bad Breath Burger — half a pound with cream cheese, green goddess, caramelized onions and garlic.

1201 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703

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10 Worth the detour within East side · Friday fish fry

Dexter's Pub

A north-east-side neighbourhood pub whose sustainable, wild-caught fish fry runs twice a week; in Madison Magazine's fish-fry list, Travel Wisconsin's eight Madison fish-fry picks and City Cast's guide. Order: Wild-caught fish fry Wednesdays & Fridays — cod, bluegill, walleye — with Madison Sourdough rye.

301 North St, Madison, WI 53704

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11 Worth the detour within East side

Imaginary Factory

East-side craft-beverage production facility and tasting room of cocktail specialist Hastings Cameron (liqueurs, bitters, aromatized wine); Cameron was a 2026 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service and earlier a finalist. Order: A house-made liqueur/aperitif cocktail (e.g. the pineapple-sage).

1401 Northern Ct, Madison, WI 53703

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12 Worth the detour within East side

Garver Feed Mill

A 1905 sugar-beet factory turned feed mill beside Olbrich Gardens, rescued from ruin and reopened as a food-maker hub and event space; on the National Register since 2017.

3244 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704

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13 Worth the detour within East side · European

A Pig in a Fur Coat

A small Willy Street room serving rich, constantly changing Mediterranean-European small plates built on local ingredients; reserve ahead. On Time Out's Madison list. Order: Shared Spanish/French/Italian small plates — the gnocchi and the beet salad.

940 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703

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14 Worth the detour within East side · Bakeries & kringle

Lazy Jane's Cafe

A Willy Street breakfast house since 1998 with a line out the door and a counter of legendary scones; its founder Jane Capito is credited by the Cap Times with seeding Madison's restaurant scene. On Time Out's Madison list. Order: The scones (lemon crème) and seasonal scramblers and frittatas.

1358 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703

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15 Worth the detour within East side

Ha Long Bay

A Willy Street Southeast Asian institution that reopened in 2025 after a yearlong renovation, now run by the original owners' nieces with their mother's recipes. A family-dinner pick of James Beard winner Tory Miller. Order: Vietnamese, Thai and Lao dishes built on the family's house-made soups, broths and sauces.

1353 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703

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16 Worth the detour within East side

Green Owl Cafe

Madison's dedicated vegetarian & vegan restaurant on Atwood Avenue; gold for Vegetarian/Vegan-Focused in Best of Madison 2026. Order: Vegan comfort food (seitan, tempeh, scratch soups).

1970 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704

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17 Worth the detour within East side · Mexican & Latin

La Taguara

Madison's Venezuelan restaurant (2013), family recipes from the Badell family — arepas, empanadas, patacón; gold for Latin American in Best of Madison 2026; repeatedly covered by Isthmus and the Cap Times. Order: Reina pepiada arepa; pabellón criollo with guasacaca.

3502 E Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53704

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18 Worth the detour within East side

Burrows Park Effigy Mound

A bird effigy with a 128-foot wingspan in a small lakeshore park — one of the best-preserved of Madison's effigy mounds (NRHP). Free.

Burrows Park, Lake Mendota shore (north side), Madison, WI

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19 Worth the detour within East side

Working Draft Beer Company

East-isthmus brewery (2018) with a serious mixed-fermentation program; UpNorthNews readers' #4 Madison brewery 2025 and bronze Brewery in Best of Madison 2026. Order: Modern lagers, IPAs and mixed-fermentation sours.

1129 E Wilson St, Madison, WI 53703

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20 Worth the detour within East side

Banzo

The Library Mall falafel cart that grew a north-side restaurant — Best of Madison 2026 Mediterranean/Middle Eastern gold (Madison Magazine) and Isthmus readers' Mad Faves Middle Eastern pick. Order: Falafel pita and shawarma plates (the lime-green cart's brick-and-mortar).

2105 Sherman Ave, Madison, WI 53704

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21 Deep cut within East side

Wisconsin Governor's Mansion

The 1920s Classical Revival executive residence on 3.7 lakeshore acres in Maple Bluff, home to Wisconsin's governors since 1949; open for limited free summer tours.

99 Cambridge Rd, Maple Bluff, WI 53704

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22 Deep cut within East side

Monty's Blue Plate Diner

A retro east-side diner in a former gas station on Atwood Avenue; on Time Out's Madison list and the State Journal's ranking of Madison's favourite breakfast spots. Order: Diner breakfasts and blue-plate specials in a converted Atwood gas station.

2089 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704

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23 Deep cut within East side

Elmside Park Mounds

Two animal effigies — a lynx and a bear — plus a linear mound on the Lake Monona side of the east isthmus (NRHP). Free.

Elmside Park, Madison, WI

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24 Deep cut within East side · Mexican & Latin

La Rosita

A Latino grocery in Monona with a taqueria counter turning out tortas and tacos — reviewed by Isthmus and named on Time Out's Madison list. Order: Tortas and tacos from the counter of a Latino grocery.

6005 Monona Dr, Monona, WI 53716

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25 Deep cut within East side

Player's Sports Bar & Grill

Atwood neighborhood sports bar City Cast credits with Madison's best bar burgers; silver Sports Bar in Best of Madison 2026. Order: The bar burger City Cast calls the best in town.

Atwood neighborhood, Madison, WI

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West side 25 places · area 4 of 7

Monroe Street, the Arboretum, Hilldale & Odana

1 Must see within West side

Mickies Dairy Bar

A cash-only breakfast diner across from Camp Randall since 1947, with a reader-board menu and portions of legend. First on Time Out's Madison list; the Cap Times covered the founding family handing it to new owners rather than closing it. Order: The famously massive Scrambler, plate-sized pancakes and crispy hash browns (cash only).

1511 Monroe St, Madison, WI 53711

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2 Must see within West side

UW–Madison Arboretum

The world's first restored ecological communities — prairies, savannas and wetlands started by Aldo Leopold and CCC crews in the 1930s — now a National Historic Landmark (2021) with a free trail network. Atlas Obscura's 'Lost City Forest' is the failed 1920s subdivision inside it.

Look for free

1207 Seminole Hwy, Madison, WI 53711

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3 Must see within West side

Jacobs House (Wright's first Usonian)

Frank Lloyd Wright's 1937 house for journalist Herbert Jacobs — often cited as his first Usonian design, and one of eight Wright buildings inscribed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. A private home: view from the street.

Look for private residence — exterior only

441 Toepfer Ave, Madison, WI 53711

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4 Must see within West side

First Unitarian Society Meeting House

Wright's own congregation's church (1949–51), its copper-clad prow roof rising like hands in prayer — a National Historic Landmark (2004) with public tours.

900 University Bay Dr, Shorewood Hills, WI 53705

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5 Must see within West side

Fairchild

A small Monroe Street dining room in a century-old brick building whose chef-owners Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger won the 2023 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest — the third Madison chef ever to take it. Order: A short, seasonal menu — snacks like deviled eggs, a seasonal soup, a couple of pastas and entrées such as halibut.

2611 Monroe St, Madison, WI 53711

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6 Must see within West side · European

Lombardino's

On University Avenue since 1952 (City Cast's oldest-restaurants list); Best of Madison 2026 gold for Italian, silver for Chef (Andres Martinez) and bronze for Upscale Dining. Order: Classic red-sauce Italian-American — housemade pasta and a martini at the bar.

University Ave, Madison, WI

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7 Worth the detour within West side

Henry Vilas Zoo

A 28-acre AZA-accredited county zoo beside Lake Wingra that has been free since 1904 — a condition of the Vilas family's land gift.

Look for free admission

Henry Vilas Park, Madison, WI

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8 Worth the detour within West side

Forest Hill Cemetery

Madison's 1857 garden cemetery: seven effigy mounds from 700–1200 CE (a goose flying toward Lake Wingra, two panthers), Confederate Rest for prisoners who died at Camp Randall, and governors and senators. The city publishes a walking tour.

Look for free

1 Speedway Rd, Madison, WI 53705

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Hoyt Park shelter — Photo: TheCatalyst31 · CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons

9 Worth the detour within West side

Frank W. Hoyt Park

Drumlin-top park with Depression-era CWA/WPA rustic stone shelter, fireplaces, stairs and the Sunset Point lookout, plus 1850s sandstone quarries; on the National Register since 2018.

3902 Regent St, Madison, WI 53705

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10 Worth the detour within West side

Pasture and Plenty

Christy McKenzie's farm-to-table deli, meal-kit and catering hub; a 2024 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Hospitality. Order: Farm-to-table deli sandwiches and grab-and-go meals.

2433 University Ave, Madison, WI 53726

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11 Worth the detour within West side · Bakeries & kringle

Petra Bakery & Restaurant

Jordanian chef Mohammed Elbeik's halal bakery-restaurant on Odana (2021): shawarma from meat butchered in-house; reviewed by Isthmus ('a lovely Middle Eastern interlude'), Madison Magazine and the Cap Times. Order: Halal shawarma, then baklava or Turkish delight.

6119 Odana Rd, Madison, WI 53719

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12 Worth the detour within West side · European

Osteria Novella

Bar Corallini alumni Giovanni Novella and Evan Ackers' Neapolitan/Amalfi osteria (Nov 2025) — everything handmade, pasta to mozzarella; covered by the Cap Times and Madison Magazine and named on City Cast's best new bars & restaurants. Order: Handmade pasta with Amalfi-coast seafood; brick-oven pizza; limoncello cocktails.

2903 University Ave, Madison, WI 53705

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13 Worth the detour within West side

Oakcrest Tavern

West-side neighborhood tavern whose burger keeps topping Madison lists — Isthmus' survey of burger heroes, Doug Moe's Madison Magazine column (Chicago magazine called it the top of 'burger heaven'), and UpNorthNews readers' best bar food 2025. Order: Char-grilled Oakcrest burger from Knoche's steak trimmings, ground daily.

5371 Old Middleton Rd, Madison, WI 53705

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14 Worth the detour within West side · Mexican & Latin

Taqueria Guadalajara

Park Street's real taquería — handmade tortillas, a steamy counter and a back patio; Isthmus readers' Mad Faves Mexican pick, reviewed by Isthmus, the Cap Times and the Daily Cardinal ('Madison favorite'). Order: Tacos on handmade tortillas, huaraches and sopes.

1033 S Park St, Madison, WI 53715

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15 Worth the detour within West side

Sa-Bai Thong

Madison's long-running Thai standard-bearer — an Isthmus readers' Mad Faves Thai pick and a perennial Madison Magazine Best of Madison winner. Order: Fish-sauce-free curries and noodles, voted Best of Madison since 1997.

2840 University Ave, Madison, WI 53705

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16 Worth the detour within West side · Friday fish fry

Gates & Brovi

Sardine chefs Phillip Hurley and John Gadau's Monroe Street fish house–meets–Wisconsin tavern (opened 2012; Wisconsin State Journal); one of Travel Wisconsin's 8 Madison fish-fry picks; a Cap Times family-dining favourite. Order: Friday fried cod or Great Lakes bluegill, clam pizza and chowder.

3502 Monroe St, Madison, WI 53711

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17 Worth the detour within West side

Vilas Circle Bear Effigy Mound

An intact bear effigy (only a leg section lost) in tiny Bear Mound Park by Vilas Park, NRHP-listed with the nearby Curtis Mounds; Vilas Park itself holds a seven-mound group. Free.

Bear Mound Park, Vilas Circle, Madison, WI

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Wingra shore 0596 — Photo: Dori · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

18 Worth the detour within West side

Lake Wingra & Vilas Park beach

Madison's small, quiet fifth lake between the Arboretum and Vilas Park: a sandy beach, fishing piers, paddling, and winter skating on the lagoon; next to the free Henry Vilas Zoo.

Vilas Park, north shore of Lake Wingra, Madison, WI

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19 Worth the detour within West side · Bakeries & kringle

Greenbush Bakery

Kosher donut bakery since 1996 — gold for Bakery–Sweets in Best of Madison 2025 and 2026, UpNorthNews readers' best bakery in southern Wisconsin, #26 on a 2025 national best-donut-shops list. Order: Old-fashioned and apple-fritter donuts (Madison's only certified-kosher bakery).

Greenbush neighborhood, Madison, WI

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20 Worth the detour within West side

Vintage Brewing Co.

West-side brewpub (2010) with a long British-ale/IPA list and a full kitchen; Best of Madison 2026 silver for Brewery; Isthmus beer columnist Robin Shepard tracks its beers. Order: Gratzer (oak-smoked Polish wheat) and a Blue Heaven burger amid 1950s kitsch.

674 S Whitney Way, Madison, WI 53719

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21 Worth the detour within West side · Asian

Swagat

Madison Magazine Best of Madison 2024 South Asian gold; a top reader pick in the Cap Times' best strip-mall restaurants round-up. Order: Fish pakora and lamb shahi korma (lunch buffet).

707 N High Point Rd, Madison, WI 53717

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22 Deep cut within West side

Elver Park

Madison's largest community park (250 acres) — the lighted sledding hill, disc golf and lit ski trails.

1250 McKenna Blvd, Madison, WI 53719

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23 Deep cut within West side

Owen Conservation Park

A professor's hilltop farm returned to prairie and oak savanna — 3 miles of trails and monthly guided nature walks.

6021 Old Sauk Rd, Madison, WI 53705

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24 Deep cut within West side

The Village Bar

West-side neighborhood tavern on Madison Magazine's dive-bar list and City Cast's 'bars that feel like home'. Order: Burger with fried onions and homemade chili.

3801 Mineral Point Rd, Madison, WI 53705

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25 Deep cut within West side

Everly

Monroe Street's sunny California-style room where 'vegetables are the star' (Cap Times review); Travel Wisconsin-listed; rated 4.4 on ~900 reviews. Order: Weekend brunch or the vegetable plates on the indoor-outdoor bar patio.

2701 Monroe St, Madison, WI 53711

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Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg 17 places · area 5 of 7

1 Must see within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg · Asian

Taigu

Gao Hong's Shanxi kitchen (since 2014) — the Madison area's go-to for housemade knife-cut and cat's-ear noodles; reviewed by Isthmus, Madison Magazine (twice) and the Cap Times, and profiled by PBS Wisconsin's Wisconsin Life. Order: Hand-cut knife-shaved noodles or cat's-ear noodles (Shanxi style).

7610 Elmwood Ave, Middleton, WI 53562

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2 Must see within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg

National Mustard Museum

Barry Levenson's free museum of 7,000+ mustards (and mustard memorabilia) in downtown Middleton, with a tasting bar — Wisconsin roadside whimsy at its best.

Look for free admission

7477 Hubbard Ave, Middleton, WI 53562

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John Mann House — Photo: Jaknelaps · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

3 Must see within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg · Friday fish fry

Quivey's Grove

Dinner in an 1856 Italianate sandstone farmhouse (the National Register-listed John Mann House) with a stone-barn Stable Grill. Its Spotted Cow-battered fry is a Madison Magazine pick and an Isthmus food editor's favourite. Order: Award-winning fish fry — cod and perch beer-battered with New Glarus Spotted Cow (Wednesdays & Fridays).

6261 Nesbitt Rd, Fitchburg, WI 53719

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4 Must see within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg

Capital Brewery

Middleton's 40-year-old lager brewery (240 awards) whose Bier Garten — 'Middleton's back yard' — draws 1,500 on summer Fridays; indoor Bier Stube in winter. State Trunk Tour attraction page (2026). Order: Island Wheat (Washington Island wheat) in the Bier Garten.

Middleton, WI 53562

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5 Worth the detour within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg

Craftsman Table & Tap

Middleton taphouse (18 taps, 50 bottles) whose Hook's-cheddar curds took silver for Cheese Curds in Best of Madison 2025 and topped UpNorthNews readers' 2025 cheese-curd vote. Order: Beer-battered Hook's cheddar curds.

6712 Frank Lloyd Wright Ave, Middleton, WI 53562

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6 Worth the detour within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg

Prairie Moraine County Park

The Johnstown Moraine crest on the Ice Age Trail, plus a 76-acre off-leash dog park — Dane County's busiest park and a Best of Madison winner.

6724 Wesner Rd, Verona, WI 53593

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7 Worth the detour within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg · Pizza

Sugar River Pizza

A family-run Verona pizzeria (now several locations) that won Best Pizza in Best of Madison 2025; Isthmus reviewed its growth. Order: Scratch pizza on dough and sauce made daily.

957 Liberty Dr, Verona, WI 53593

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8 Worth the detour within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg · Bakeries & kringle

Hubbard Avenue Diner

Downtown Middleton's retro diner, whose French silk won Madison Magazine's 'Munch Madness' pie bracket; a few doors from the Mustard Museum. Order: French silk pie — 2,000–3,000 sold a year — from a case of a dozen-plus daily pies.

7445 Hubbard Ave, Middleton, WI 53562

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9 Worth the detour within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg · Bakeries & kringle

Clasen's European Bakery

German brothers Ralph and Ernst Clasen's Middleton bakery (since 1959), now third-generation; bronze for Bread in Best of Madison 2025, profiled by Brava. Order: Holiday stollen and German breads from the founders' 1959 recipes.

Middleton, WI

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10 Worth the detour within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg · Asian

Dhaba Indian Bistro

Middleton's Indian bistro — Best of Madison South Asian winner; Isthmus calls it a menu that 'doesn't even need a buffet', and the Cap Times put its biryani in a Madison Indian showdown. Order: Lamb biryani, karhi pakora, lobster korma.

8333 Greenway Blvd #100, Middleton, WI 53562

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11 Worth the detour within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg

Pope Farm Conservancy

105 acres atop three glacial moraines with prairie restorations, a Native American garden and 8 miles of trails — famous for Sunflower Days, half a million blooms that once drew 92,000 visitors in nine days.

7440 W Old Sauk Rd, Middleton (Town), WI 53562

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Gfp-final31 — Photo: Yinan Chen · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

12 Worth the detour within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg

Military Ridge State Trail (Fitchburg–Verona trailhead)

40-mile rail-trail along the old Military Ridge road to Dodgeville; the paved Fitchburg–Verona end is the easy Madison-area ride, with Driftless hills further west.

Quarry Ridge Recreation Area, 2740 Fitchrona Rd, Fitchburg, WI 53719

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13 Worth the detour within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg · Bakeries & kringle

Rolling Pin Bake Shop

Fitchburg strip-mall bakery-café that Isthmus rates 'a top-notch breakfast spot and an inventive sandwich shop' as well as a stand-up bakery; on the Cap Times' 22 best strip-mall restaurants. Order: Layer cakes (lemon sunshine, fudgy raspberry) and breakfast sandwiches.

2935 S Fish Hatchery Rd, Fitchburg, WI 53711

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14 Worth the detour within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg

Wisconsin Brewing Company

Verona production brewery whose pond-side taproom a fellow brewer called 'the most state-of-the-art new brewery in Wisconsin' (Isthmus); featured in Experience Wisconsin's craft tap-room guide. Order: A flight in the two-story-windowed taproom (free Friday concerts in summer).

1079 American Way, Verona, WI 53593

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15 Deep cut within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg

Capital Springs State Recreation Area

Wisconsin's first urban state recreation area — Lake Waubesa shoreline, the Lussier family heritage area and the Lake Farm archaeological trail, joined to Dane County's Lunney Lake Farm park.

3101 Lake Farm Rd, Madison (Fitchburg line), WI 53711

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16 Deep cut within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg

Curry in the Box

The original Fitchburg curry counter (now with a University Ave sibling): curries built on seven Thai and Indian sauces; Isthmus-reviewed and on the Cap Times' best strip-mall list. Order: Panang chicken curry from seven house Thai & Indian curry sauces.

3050 Cahill Main #3, Fitchburg, WI 53711

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17 Deep cut within Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg · European

Hop Haus Brewing Co. (Verona)

German-tavern brewpub on Verona's Main Street beside the Military Ridge State Trail (Isthmus, Verona Press); grew into a second Fitchburg brewery. Order: German-style lagers on the Military Ridge Trail.

231 S Main St, Verona, WI 53593

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Dane County towns 14 places · area 6 of 7

Mount Horeb, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, McFarland, Cross Plains, Mazomanie

1 Must see within Dane County towns

Cave of the Mounds

A limestone show cave in the south slope of the East Blue Mound, discovered by quarrymen in 1939 — a National Natural Landmark (1987) that the Chicago Academy of Sciences called 'the significant cave of the upper Midwest'.

Blue Mounds, WI 53517

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2 Must see within Dane County towns

Stoughton Opera House

Stoughton's 1901 city-hall opera house, left to decay after 1953 and reopened in 2001 after a 20-year community restoration; 80+ shows a year in the Norwegian-heritage town. Celebrated 125 years in 2026.

381 E Main St, Stoughton, WI 53589

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3 Must see within Dane County towns · Friday fish fry

Dorf Haus Supper Club

A Roxbury tavern-and-dance-hall turned German supper club, run by the Maier family since 1959. Gold for Fish Fry in Madison Magazine's Best of Madison 2025 and winner of its 'Most Fabulous Fish Fry' contest; Milwaukee Record calls it the Friday-night pilgrimage. Order: All-you-can-eat Friday haddock fish fry with potato pancakes/fritters, or jäger schnitzel with spaetzle.

County Hwy Y, Roxbury (3 mi SE of Sauk City), WI

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4 Must see within Dane County towns

Grumpy Troll Brew Pub

Brewpub in a 1916 creamery in the middle of the Trollway, open since 1998 and 'still packed every night' (Milwaukee Magazine's Mount Horeb–New Glarus day trip). Order: House ales and lagers and a Friday fish fry among the trolls.

105 S Second St, Mount Horeb, WI 53572

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5 Must see within Dane County towns

Wollersheim Winery

Wisconsin's historic winery: Hungarian count Agoston Haraszthy planted these slopes in the 1840s before leaving to found California's wine industry; Peter Kehl's stone buildings are on the National Register. Now a winery, distillery and restaurant. Order: Estate wines and Wollersheim's own brandy, tasted in the 1840s-rooted stone cellars.

Across the Wisconsin River east of Prairie du Sac, Dane County, WI

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6 Worth the detour within Dane County towns

Drumlin Ridge Winery

Family winery (2017) on a glacial drumlin north of Madison with a 6,400 sq ft tasting room and patio; Best of Madison 2026 silver Wine Bar and bronze Winery; on Brava's Madison-area winery trail. Order: Estate wine or hard cider on the drumlin-top patio with a cheese board.

Waunakee countryside (between Waunakee and Westport), WI

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7 Worth the detour within Dane County towns

Blue Mound State Park

The highest point in southern Wisconsin: two observation towers atop the West Blue Mound look north to the Baraboo Range and east to Madison, with mountain-bike and hiking trails and a hilltop pool.

Blue Mounds, WI 53517 (Iowa & Dane counties)

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Gov Nelson jh02 — Photo: Jhodkiewicz · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

8 Worth the detour within Dane County towns

Governor Nelson State Park

A 422-acre day-use park on Lake Mendota's north shore with a sand beach, restored prairie and oak savanna — and an unusually large panther effigy mound on the Woodland Trail.

North shore of Lake Mendota, Town of Westport (near Waunakee), WI

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9 Worth the detour within Dane County towns

Maple Tree Supper Club

McFarland supper club serving the full supper-club ritual for 40+ years (City Cast); gold for Salad Bar in Best of Madison 2026. Order: Full salad bar and prime-rib specials.

McFarland, WI

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10 Worth the detour within Dane County towns

Firefly Coffeehouse

'Oregon's living room' since 2000, in a former grocery; now run by Wisconsin Cheese Originals founder Jeanne Carpenter with an artisan cheese counter. Silver for Coffee Shop in Best of Madison 2025 and 2026. Order: Espresso and from-scratch bakery, plus a Wisconsin artisan-cheese case.

Oregon, WI 53575

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11 Worth the detour within Dane County towns

Brix Cider

Mount Horeb cidery-restaurant pressing only locally grown apples, two-thirds of its kitchen sourced from Wisconsin farms (Isthmus, Brava); Travel Wisconsin-listed. Order: Small-batch cider from 18 area orchards, with house-made sausages.

119 S 2nd St, Mount Horeb, WI 53572

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12 Worth the detour within Dane County towns

Buck & Honey's

Sun Prairie's big supper-house-style restaurant, a four-time Best of Madison gold winner in 2025 (best restaurant, bartender, outdoor dining, catering). Order: Steaks and an all-day American menu, with live music.

804 Liberty Blvd, Sun Prairie, WI 53590

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13 Worth the detour within Dane County towns

Rex's Innkeeper

Waunakee supper club popular for special-occasion banquets (City Cast's supper-club guide); silver for Salad Bar in Best of Madison 2026. Order: Supper-club salad bar and prime rib.

Waunakee, WI

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14 Deep cut within Dane County towns

Lake Kegonsa State Park

A 343-acre lakeside state park on Kegonsa's northeast shore, a few minutes from Norwegian-heritage Stoughton — beach, campground and prairie trails.

2405 Door Creek Rd, Stoughton, WI 53589

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Day trips 24 places · area 7 of 7

Spring Green & Taliesin, New Glarus, House on the Rock, Devil's Lake & Baraboo

1 Must see within Day trips

Taliesin

Frank Lloyd Wright's home, studio and 600-acre estate in the Wyoming Valley, the exemplar of the Prairie School — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019 (the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright). Tours from the visitor center.

5607 County Rd C, Spring Green, WI 53588

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2 Must see within Day trips

House on the Rock

Alex Jordan Jr.'s maximalist fever-dream (1945–59) atop a rock chimney near Spring Green — the cantilevered Infinity Room, automaton music machines and the world's largest indoor carousel. Time Out calls it a must from Madison; it sits minutes from Taliesin.

5754 State Rd 23, Spring Green, WI 53588

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3 Must see within Day trips

Devil's Lake State Park

Wisconsin's largest state park (1911), a glacial lake ringed by 500-foot pink-quartzite bluffs in the Baraboo Range, 35 miles from Madison — the Devil's Doorway trail is the classic short climb.

Devil's Lake State Park, south of Baraboo, Sauk County, WI

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4 Must see within Day trips

International Crane Foundation

The world's only collection of all 15 crane species, at the Baraboo headquarters of the conservation group founded by two Cornell ornithology students in 1973 — Tone Madison calls it the nature scene's must-see.

E11376 Shady Lane Rd, Baraboo, WI 53913

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5 Must see within Day trips

American Players Theatre

Classical repertory theatre on 110 Driftless acres across the river from Spring Green: the 1,075-seat outdoor Hill Theatre in an oak-wooded hollow plus the indoor Touchstone. Nearly 100,000 visitors a season (June–November); 2026 Regional Theatre Tony Award.

Spring Green (Iowa County side of the Wisconsin River), WI

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6 Must see within Day trips

Al. Ringling Theatre

'America's Prettiest Playhouse' — a 1915 Rapp & Rapp movie palace commissioned by circus co-founder Al Ringling; shows, classic films, Barton organ demos and daily 1:30pm tours.

136 4th Ave, Baraboo, WI

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7 Must see within Day trips

Ishnala Supper Club

Summer-season supper club built in 1953 over Mirror Lake, with Norway pines growing through the floor; won in Best of Madison 2025 and profiled by Cook's Country as the archetype of the Wisconsin supper club. Order: A brandy old fashioned (sweet, sour or press) — 108,504 poured in 2023 — then prime rib over Mirror Lake.

Mirror Lake (inside Mirror Lake State Park), Lake Delton, WI

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8 Must see within Day trips

New Glarus Brewing Co.

The Swiss village's craft brewery, maker of Spotted Cow (Best of Madison 2026 gold for local craft beer, gold Brewery 2025 & 2026); Time Out names it the side-trip from Madison, and its Bavarian-style hilltop brewery has a self-guided tour and beer garden. Order: Spotted Cow — sold only in Wisconsin — in the hilltop beer garden.

Hilltop brewery, New Glarus, WI 53574

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9 Must see within Day trips

Driftless Glen Distillery

Baraboo craft distillery with a riverfront restaurant whose menu is cooked with its own spirits; Best of Madison 2026 gold for Outdoor Dining and bronze for Old Fashioned and Bloody Mary, plus a 2025 Bar medal. Order: A Driftless Glen brandy old fashioned on the Baraboo River patio; brandy-glazed salmon.

Baraboo River, Baraboo, WI

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10 Must see within Day trips

The Del-Bar

Supper club run by the Wimmer family since 1943, its stone-and-glass building designed by Taliesin-trained James Dresser in Wright's organic style; celebrated 80 years in 2023. Best of Madison 2026 silver for Destination Restaurant and Steakhouse, bronze for Supper Club. Order: Prime rib or a steak and a relish tray under Wright-protégé architecture.

Lake Delton, WI

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11 Must see within Day trips

Baumgartner's Cheese Store & Tavern

Wisconsin's oldest cheese store (1931) in Monroe, the Green County seat where the nation's last Limburger plant still runs; a Saveur 100 pick for its Limburger sandwich, also featured by Tasting Table. Order: The Limburger sandwich — three slices on rye with raw onion and mustard — and a local bock.

Monroe, WI 53566

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12 Worth the detour within Day trips

Circus World Museum

The Ringling Brothers' winter quarters (1884–1918), now a Wisconsin Historical Society museum of circus wagons and history with summer big-top shows — a National Historic Landmark.

550 Water St, Baraboo, WI 53913

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13 Worth the detour within Day trips

Pendarvis

Restored 1840s stone and log cottages of Cornish lead miners on Mineral Point's Shake Rag Street, run as a Wisconsin Historical Society site — pair it with a Cornish pasty in town.

114 Shake Rag St, Mineral Point, WI 53565

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14 Worth the detour within Day trips

Aldo Leopold Shack and Farm

The worn-out farm and converted chicken coop where Aldo Leopold's family replanted pines and prairie in the 1930s — the place that grew 'A Sand County Almanac'. A National Historic Landmark (2009); tours via the Aldo Leopold Foundation.

South bank of the Wisconsin River, northeast of Baraboo, WI

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15 Worth the detour within Day trips

Chalet of the Golden Fleece

A 1937–38 Bernese mountain chalet (NRHP) built for Wilhelm Tell pageant founder Edwin Barlow and given to the village as a museum in 1955 — Swiss folk art plus oddities like a Louis XVI watch and Etruscan earrings. Open Saturdays late May–October and festival weekends.

618 2nd St, New Glarus, WI 53574

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16 Worth the detour within Day trips

Seth Peterson Cottage

One of Wright's last designs, a tiny stone-and-glass cottage over Mirror Lake — the first Wright house anywhere you can rent overnight; open-house tours monthly.

E9982 Fern Dell Rd (Mirror Lake State Park), Reedsburg, WI

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Tower Hill Park WI May10 — Photo: Freekee · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

17 Worth the detour within Day trips

Tower Hill State Park

Small state park on the Wisconsin River bluff with the reconstructed Helena Shot Tower (1832) and its 120-foot shaft through the sandstone; NRHP.

SE of Spring Green, Iowa County, WI

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Box car DSSA 18052 — Photo: Slambo · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

18 Worth the detour within Day trips

Mid-Continent Railway Museum

Golden-age steam railroading west of Baraboo — a 7-mile round trip on C&NW track behind historic locomotives (NRHP-listed C&NW 1385).

E8948 Museum Rd, North Freedom, WI 53951

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19 Worth the detour within Day trips

Bailey's Run Vineyard

Hilltop New Glarus winery (2018) with ~30 wines, Green County small plates and weekend live music; Best of Madison winery medals 2023–2026; profiled by Brava and Northwest Quarterly. Order: A flight of estate wines with a brick-oven Neapolitan pizza on weekends.

New Glarus, WI 53574

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20 Worth the detour within Day trips

Minhas Craft Brewery

The Midwest's oldest brewery (1845, ex-Joseph Huber) and the second-oldest in the U.S. (Wikipedia, Tasting Table); State Trunk Tour attraction pick. Order: A tour of the 1845 brewery and its brewery-memorabilia museum.

1208 14th Ave, Monroe, WI 53566

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21 Worth the detour within Day trips

Natural Bridge State Park

Wisconsin's largest natural sandstone arch, with the Raddatz rock shelter beneath it — one of the oldest dated human occupation sites in the upper Midwest.

Town of Honey Creek, southwest of Baraboo, Sauk County, WI

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22 Worth the detour within Day trips

Wyoming Valley School

Wright's 1956 two-room schoolhouse built in honor of his kindergarten-teacher mother, now a cultural arts center a few miles from Taliesin; a stop on Wisconsin's 200-mile Frank Lloyd Wright Trail.

6306 WI Hwy 23, Wyoming (Iowa County), WI

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23 Worth the detour within Day trips

A. D. German Warehouse

Wright's 1921 Mayan Revival brick-and-concrete warehouse in his birthplace town — the western-most stop on the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail.

316 S Church St, Richland Center, WI

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24 Worth the detour within Day trips

Suzy's Pointer Cafe

Mineral Point family diner on State Trunk Tour's 2026 guide to Wisconsin pasty shops — the Cornish miners' pasty in the town they settled. Order: A Cornish pasty with homemade pie.

809 Ridge St, Mineral Point, WI 53565

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How we choose

Named sources recommend every place; review sites never do. Each is pinned to its door and status-checked. Closed places stay, marked closed.

Must see: The places to plan a visit around, graded within each area.
Worth the detour: Strong picks, worth going out of your way for.
Deep cut: For the curious: smaller, odder, more local.

Within each area: by tier, then by named sources, never by popularity. We don’t add ratings, prices or opening hours of our own.

Follow changes — an RSS feed of every closure and status check in this guide.

About this guide

156 places in 7 areas, each recommended by at least two independent sources (61 in all) or one institution such as Michelin.

Every place was checked open and pinned between 3 Oct and 16 Oct 2026. Closed places stay, marked closed.

Photos for 49 places; the rest show a designed cover.

How we choose → Insights →

66 sights and 90 places to eat across Madison — the Capitol Square isthmus, the UW campus, the east and west sides — plus Middleton, Verona, the Dane County towns and the classic day trips (Taliesin, New Glarus, Devil’s Lake), each traceable to the source that named it. The canon is Wisconsin’s own: squeaky cheese curds, the Friday fish fry, supper clubs and the brandy old fashioned, the Dane County Farmers’ Market, Babcock Hall ice cream, Hmong & Lao kitchens and New Glarus beer.

Madison

Madison

The Isthmus & Capitol Square 29 places · area 1 of 7

Dane County Farmers' Market

Fromagination

Wisconsin State Capitol

Monona Terrace

The Old Fashioned

L'Etoile

Osteria Papavero

Cento

Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA)

The Robin Room

The Plaza Tavern

Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co.

Orpheum Theater

Wisconsin Veterans Museum

Gates of Heaven Synagogue

Tenney Park & the Tenney Lock

Tornado Club Steak House

Ian's Pizza

Essen Haus

Tipsy Cow

Overture Center for the Arts

Madison Children's Museum

Graze

Lucille

UW–Madison campus & State Street 22 places · area 2 of 7

East side 25 places · area 3 of 7

West side 25 places · area 4 of 7

Middleton, Verona & Fitchburg 17 places · area 5 of 7

Dane County towns 14 places · area 6 of 7

Day trips 24 places · area 7 of 7

How we choose

Keep Madison offline

Filters

How this guide was made

How the cuisine filters were policed

Web-searched and fact-checked