Whenever I'm visiting somewhere new, I like to take in the local museums as a means of getting a…read morefeel for the place. The Chazen was a sublime way to spend part of my afternoon and I'm so envious of the students who attend school there--I would've killed to have had something like this on my campus as an undergraduate. There are three floors of art to digest; the first two are rotating exhibits so make sure to take it all in. Everything was so well lit and while spacious to accommodate all the art, it also feels nice and cozy inside. The third floor is the true gem though. That's where you'll find art throughout the ages; there is so much for the eyes to feast upon, and more notable names in art history. The best surprise for me was encountering several works by my favorite artist (Calder). To behold his mobile in the flesh is otherworldly and always moves me to tears. You cannot come to Madison and skip this museum without doing yourself a huge disservice. I'd haunt this place if I were a local. It's truly sublime.

Free, Free, and Free. Trust me, somebody's paying for it, but this is a must visit gem. We were…read morelucky enough to catch a portion of a classical ensemble in the lobby that was exquisite, then tour the galleries and as you can see from my pics, they did not disappoint. We apparently were on the cusp of a museum reset, so some areas had already been closed off to the public as a result. When in the area again, we will def revisit the Chazen. Whether a couple with many miles or a new budding romance, or even solo, this stop is a must on your itinerary for the heart, soul and mind.

Great venue, nice music and light system The tiered floor is…read moregood Enjoyed dog STAR! What a well-rounded group of guys who really hit it hard for the people and the fans! following the boss Keanu Reeves style hits it hard and consistent! very enjoyable

We mainly come here for the concerts, so I'll definitely be back whenever there's a show I want to…read moresee. The atmosphere and live music are usually a highlight, although the drink prices are pretty steep. Tonight's service was not quite as good as what I've experienced here before, and the performance itself was decent but didn't really stand out. Still, it's a convenient place to catch a concert, so I'll be returning for another show.

We came here to see wild kratts show. It was nice venue and also sensory areas for those who need…read moretheir own space. Drinks and snacks were reasonable with some markup. Seats were nicer than at Minneapolis Orpheus theater. Garage parking was pretty easy with event parking at $10.

The performing arts center offers many opportunities to see various art forms including galleries,…read moreplays, musicals and music. I've recently discovered the broadway subscription package and highly recommended. The packages offer varying price points with some around 50-60 per show. Arrive early and visit the free galleries throughout.

I thought the museum was pretty cool but on my part of the trip I was just casually looking at the…read morefree section but I'm sure that there's more fun stuff you paid for the full admission. The man at the front desk was very friendly and helpful. So great history seen in another room though it's more localized stuff and a bit too recent to be called history. Then again being called The Troll Capital world since 1984 is still a bit young too. You can find some great troll figures to purchase as well. Sadly, I really wasn't too Blown Away by the museum at all.

Why is this museum so exceptional?! Seriously, I am a museum junkie for sure, and this is one of…read morethe BEST learning spaces I have ever seen. Especially, considering the small size of the community, and the distinctly rural nature of its history, the stories shared are compelling, beautifully rendered, and artistically curated. I did not expect to spend so much time reading every sign and exploring every detail of the artifacts on display - well done to the team behind this space! Special recognition goes to the portion of the exhibit covering the Native residents of the area. An accurate depiction of removal and resettlement, an honest account of the human impact of settlement and colonization, as well as an up to date account of the current status of the first residents - this is the most complete and accurate account I have seen in a Wisconsin museum, and it is very appreciated. The telegraph exhibit comes alive when you approach - be warned, it scared me! LOL - but I bet kids love it.

I had a wonderful experience at Broom Street Theater. This is a small local theater that puts on…read morepredominantly independent shows. The exterior of the building is bright and colorful, while the interior was very dark. The theater is very intimate- 2 rows of seats on 3 sides of the stage- something I think added to the show that I saw. The particular show that I saw was a play with B Movie/Horror themes- and it was so much fun! Tickets were $22 if you purchased online ahead of time, and were pay what you can at the door. I chose to purchase mine online to reserve my spot- the night I attended the show was sold out. They did do a pass of baskets to help support the theater and had a tip jar of sorts for the actors at the door to keep the place going. I look forward to coming back for another show in the future- it was a blast!

I've passed by this place daily and finally got the chance to catch a show and see what the inside…read morelooks like. I love the colorful exterior of the building and upon entering it was pretty dark and if you're like me, you'll be surprised as to how small and intimate the stage and seating are. I was expecting to walk into a big theatre and loved the smaller space. There's no bad seat in the house. The shows are very reasonably priced and they have two bathrooms inside. I watched the Delicious Classic - Sprung show and it was hilarious! Great actors, space, and vibe at this local theatre. I'll definitely be back to catch some more shows this summer.

A large and diverse art fair on the square around the capitol. We found things at various price…read morepoints and bought several pieces. The one issue is that being mid-July and held on asphalt streets, it was scorching HOT. The benefit to being near the Capitol building is that it is open so you can go inside and cool off, use the restroom etc (though the ingress/egress was ridiculously inaccessible, which for a government building is just nonsense.) Given how hot Midwestern summers now are, perhaps consider shifting the schedule.

We stopped here for something to do because we were in the area and it was a nice summer day for an…read moreoutdoor activity. The square has a lot of restaurants and bars in the area so we would do a couple things before moving on. AFOS is basically an outdoor event where artists from all styles show their work and hope to sell some so they display and show it all off. It's free to enter as a prospective buyer and walk around looking at some neat art works. It's like a mini outdoor museum and some of it is really neat to look at. This is definitely a cool stop if your in the area when it's happening.

Was fun but many things are expensive, some of the prize games say $10 but I got charged like $42…read morefor two players. If you play with multiple people only one will win so it is a money grab. Workers are very nice and welcoming. I think the youth policy should be changed to 8pm, 7pm seems too early. We spent a lot of money and couldn't get back in, sucks but probably wouldn't buy an all day pass again unless we went in the morning.

This is a great event for families and youngsters. So many educational exhibits and crafts and…read moreprojects the kids in 4-H put together. The food choices were great with everything from burgers to pitas, Thai food and BBQ. Being our first county fair we were afraid of the animal smells etc but the facilities were kept clean and relatively lacking strong odors. They had nice entertainment options like the BMX Pros Trick Team and some acrobats. All in all good clean fun! We arrived before 3 pm and admission was only $3. Plan on it for next year!

We had not been to this festival since we moved here a few years ago right before covid. This year…read morewe made a point to attend on the Friday evening to see a comedy troupe. It was quite good. Fortunately it was in a tent since it did rain. The food choices were pretty decent and the prices were typical for these type of festivals. There were a number of musical acts we would have liked to see but the next two days were blazing hot and sunny and this park has virtually no shade. The bigger stages were in the sun so even though we stopped on our bikes we did not stay. I know this park is in the neighborhood and thus why they hold the event here but they should really work on planting some trees for not only a more attractive park but to help make a setting more conducive to a summer festival.

I'm very excited to provide this review while you still have two days to enjoy the fun…read more This has always been a fun, FREE fest but the previous venue was a series of dirty vacant lots. This year, the venue is the lovely new Central Park on the near east side. What a difference! There is grass, real restrooms and great food and drink! There's a nice selection of beer (including Capital Brewery) and a surprisingly good red for $6/glass. I've become such a wine snob I was really excited to taste this decent, affordable wine. I also appreciate that beer and wine can be enjoyed throughout the grounds and not limited to a fenced garden. Food options are plentiful, including the usual suspects: Lao Laan-Xiang and Jamerica. There's also a fried catfish place and Dobhan kitchen. I'd love to see more French, French colony or Creole food options. Those are hard to find in Madison, but even a crepe stand would be cool. I do love that Gail Ambrosius is there with her French truffles, chocolate dipped frozen bananas and assorted sorbets. If she hasn't run out of Mexican chocolate sorbet, buy it immediately! Also, I had Curd Girl fried cheese curds with their homemade ranch dressing. Good lawd! Outrageously good! The music is the real reason to attend the fest. They bring in some great French, Creole and African bands for the main stage, which we enjoyed. Check the schedule or just show up. You can't go wrong. If you like to sit, there are a few chairs around, but it's best to bring your own lawn chairs. I also really liked the night club vibe provided by DJs in la Bistro tent. It was packed and FUN! What a great way to bring some diversity to the music scene. Bottom line: Great music Excellent new venue Great drinks Great food (even though not enough French inspiration) Limited parking, so bus or bike is best BYO chairs See you there!