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    Madison Children's Museum

    4.1 (98 reviews)
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    Updated 1 month ago

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    Jessica M.

    Madison Children's Museum is an awesome adventure for young children. Admission fee is $11 per person if you purchase the tickets online. I think the fee is fair and it is less expensive than the other children museums that we have visited. My sister-in-law and I brought our four kids and we couldn't even cover every exhibit within the two hours that we stayed for. The first floor is catered to young children with a treehouse, bone bridge, soft toys, various puzzles, rock climbing wall, slide, and water dome. Our kids really enjoyed running through the bone bridge, conquering the rock climbing wall, and repeatedly going down the slide. When we finally ventured upstairs, there is a huge, two-story Hodge Podge Mahal climber that seemed to have drawn inspirations from a scrap yard. Due to its unique design and height, it can be intimidating and require some creative thinking on how to conquer the conquest. Once our kids figured it out, it was a nonstop cycle of watching them climb up and slide down. After about 30 minutes, they were finally ready to move onto the next exhibit. There is an arts and crafts section with plenty of scissors, drawing paper, and markers. It was standard and nothing particularly stood out but our kids, whom are preschoolers, were easily entertained. So it gave me a little break to sit and watching them color and draw. It looks like they have two outdoor play areas, one on the roof top and the other on ground level. Unfortunately it was too cold during our visit and we did not have the chance to explore those exhibits.

    Chicken
    Judy C.

    I came here with my nephew and ended up having more than him I think. My nephew is only nine months old so, he cannot fully enjoy a lot of things the museum has to offer. For the most part, we brought him to the water area and then to the infant area where he parallel played with another little baby; so cute! I was so excited to see that they had a cute little rat bakery, as I am a baker. It was interactive where you could turn the lights on. It was wayyyy too cute. Then, I learned there were animals upstairs which got me super excited. I was able to pet a chicken. Best. Day. Ever.

    Capitol building and sunset in one!
    Catherine A.

    I adore a children's museum with free days for accessibility, and the price is otherwise so fair. Brought my 7 and 11 year old here and we definitely could have hung out for more than the three hours we had. The rooftop was a treat (amazing sunset view), the park was a favorite and the pie play area as well. Seems like a genuinely warm and full play of energy and exploration.

    Rooftop natural play area
    Melissa J.

    Really great children's museum! My kids had a great time exploring all the different exhibits. There was lots to climb on to get some energy out. I loved the rooftop garden area, but we couldn't stay out too long because it was cold the day we visited. My daughter loved the art area and could have stayed there for hours. All the employees were super friendly and helpful. We went on a Thursday evening when they have free entry from 4-8 so if you just want to check it out for a bit this is a great option for you!

    Outside view
    Phillip Y.

    We took a drive out from Rockford to visit this museum and the zoo. We spent more time in the zoo since son was interested in the animals more. I can't blame him since this children's museum was pretty lacking even though it has 2 floors. My son spent most time at the indoor treehouse which was the only thing worth talking about. There is upstairs which had a large craft section and weird historical section. There is outdoor playground but only a few people dared to play on snow covered structures. There was a kitchen but very small. The pizza oven was a highlight for my son but that's pretty much it. ATSC reciprocal membership covered our admission but not worth coming back again. Parking was at garage so paid by the hour.

    Isabel P.

    First of all, I might come back to edit this review later because there is just so much I wanna say about this awesome place If you're a first time parent and your baby is under 18 months, you can get a free membership until they turn 18 months old! We went for the first time when our son was 6 months and since then we have been about 6 times- we will definitely be purchasing a membership when our free one is up. Right now for the summer they're doing a program on Tuesday mornings where the indoor playground is only open for babies under 2, so they're free to crawl around & explore at their own pace. It's also a great way to meet other parents of young kids. The indoor playground is really cool- there are little huts full of baby dolls, stuffed animals, musical instruments, and other fun toys. There is a "veggie garden" where kids can harvest felt and cloth vegetables out of the floor There's a water play room where kids can explore at a sort of water table with see-through pipes of water flowing endlessly down the walls & mist surrounding the whole room- it is right near a large glass wall so sunlight streams in so beautifully through the mist. There's also a small area where crawling babies and non-mobile babies can do some tummy time and practice sitting or moving around- it has a cloth cushion floor and is near a bookshelf and a fishtank. There are little activities on the walls of this area such as photos of babies' faces and some wooden beads on a string attached to the walls. The wonder ground (outdoor playground) is also super cool for kids who are a little older- and kids are encouraged to play in rain or shine. They have hammock swings that I was able to put my baby on & he had fun swinging and spinning gently while looking up at the sky. The rooftop garden had baby chickens, rabbits, and cool sculptures as well as a view of the capitol and the lake. There's also a cozy little hut up there with books and comfy cushions. There was a whole exhibit about Frank Lloyd Wright that taught kids about his childhood inspirations growing up in Wisconsin. There are hands-on activities along with text descriptions of his early life. The art studio is so fun, with art activities held regularly. It is truly a shrine to creativity with collage covering many surfaces, and things painted in bright colors. One wall held a collaborative art piece which the children are encouraged to participate in by adding their own creative vision We love this place and look forward to participating in all the activities as our son grows

    Awesome view of the Capital building from the roof.
    Rebecca M.

    We visited using our Reciprocal pass from our hometown museum. If your pass is in network, you receive half off admission for all of your guests. The lady at the counter happily welcomed us! It's Wisconsin so it gets harshly cold... I appreciate the large coat room. It gets a little chaotic in there with sooooo many people unloading their coats and strollers but it's convenient. I guess I'm spoiled from our museum back home because I was just lacking a "wow" factor here. My toddler had fun running around but I feel like she didn't necessarily get anything out of the little exhibits. However, I'm trying to review from an unbiased standpoint, hence the 4 stars. *pretending like this is the only children's museum I've ever been to* On the main floor is a large treehouse for the kiddos to run around in. There's tunnels to go through and bridges to climb. In the back are some cute pods for reading in and a small water section with waterproof vests. Highly recommend for toddlers. The second level is complete with history, technology and creative craft sections. These are appealing to older elementary kids. Some of the technology bits weren't working but that's okay. In the craft area was a huge paint wall which is pretty cool but way too messy for my liking. If you'd like your kids to do that, I'd highly recommend wearing Old clothes that you don't mine being ruined. They try to split it up into stations with bead crafts, sculpting, coloring/cutting/pasting. The best part is the rooftop garden/greenhouse with both step and elevator access. We went in the winter so we didn't reap the benefits of the garden but they did have a small ice skating rink set up with helmets and skates. Inside the green house had a fun sand box to dig for dinosaur bones. There's also a few animals inside. Plus, perfect photo op with the capital building. During the summer, I'd hang out up here all the time. Overall, it was just so chaotic to me. Once we got to the roof where there were less people, we all sighed out of relief. It's got its high and lows, definitely worth checking out for yourself. Keep an eye on your kiddos, it gets insane!

    A toddler playing with a measuring cup in a faucet in the water room.
    Ellen C.

    This place is truly magical! It's beautifully decorated and has many fun areas for little ones to explore. There was lots of opportunities for our toddler to interact and get hands on with the exhibit. Our toddler's favorite part was the water room--he spent a solid half hour playing in there and wound up soaking wet. Definitely bring a change of clothes if your little one likes water. Overall, our toddler had an amazing time exploring the museum and so did my husband and I! As a result, we ended up purchasing a membership at the end of our visit. I know we'll be back a lot!

    Otis H.

    We visited the Children's this past weekend for the SummerPalooza 2019! There were children everywhere! I always forget about this place, but it is filled with things to do, learn and experience! For the Summer Palooza they gad a wide array of things to do! This event had a face painting, balloon animal making, a full on parade, a magician, all of the things to tire you and your child out! We sat through the magician and he was pretty dope, card tricks, hat tricks, water tricks, egg tricks. He kept the children and adults engaged. It was fun. We were able to experience the second floor as the elevator was broken and we had bags with us that felt full of bricks. The second floor had a human hamster wheel, some slides, some building blocks and farming adventures. We had a ball in this place.

    Rob C.

    Adults who don't have children don't realize that Madison has one of the best children's museum. When my daughter visited with her two year old, she suggested that we should go. It was gray, cloudy and cold so was the perfect day to be indoors. It was an awesome experience! There was so much frenetic activity going on that 2 year old had more activities than he could possibly have had by staying home with us! The building is broken up into great areas for both learning and play. An added bonus was that they have an open rooftop with a assortment of activities. We probably spent more time on the rooftop than we did elsewhere. Fortunately it was not raining but cloudy. I'm sure on a bright sunny day it may be a little bit overwhelming to be outdoors. For all of those of you who have visiting children, this is a great stop. Highly recommended.

    Anna G.

    I was visiting family in Rockford, IL and we wanted to take a day trip up to Wisconsin. My cousin searched the web for child-friendly activities to do in Wisconsin and found the Madison Children's Museum. I really loved the urban garden themed outside part. There is something here for every age. Check out the log cabin and ask the staff questions about it. They are informed and eager to tell you the history. All in all, if I find myself in Wisconsin again, I will visit. A great thing about this place is that they honored my St. Louis Science Center membership card and my little one and I were able to enter free! Also, take your child up to the roof. My daughter had the most fun up there holding baby chickens and petting the snake.

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    Our children love this place. Fun for hours each time! We highly recommend this place.

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    Ask the Community - Madison Children's Museum

    Review Highlights - Madison Children's Museum

    . The rooftop garden had baby chickens, rabbits, and cool sculptures as well as a view of the capitol and the lake

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Black Earth Children's Museum

    Black Earth Children's Museum

    (6 reviews)

    I preferred this over the Madison Children's Museum. It was way cheaper- $6 per person versus $18…read moreand although it was smaller, it seemed like there was more to do. More themed little nooks for my boys to explore. They especially loved the vet clinic.

    This is the first Children's museum that I have been to, so note that my review is without…read morecomparison. I wasn't sure what to expect, given that Black Earth is a small town, but I was blown away! What a cool little space, only 15 minutes west of Middleton, WI. There is plenty for kids to do from ages 1-10 years. The museum is divided into small activity rooms with different themes. There is a cave, night sky room, food market and kitchen, farm/tractor theme and rock wall with balance stones to name a few. It appears that they are currently working on building a veterinary clinic too. The main space had a large climbing/play structure as well as a music stage and my absolute favorite, flying squirrel exhibit with a suction tube to make the brown scarf "squirrels" fly off the tree! There is also 0-18 month old room for the littles and a cool art space. The upstairs was closed, but from what I could see it looks like there is a toy library (what a great idea)! Admission is $6 per person, and memberships are also available. Free street parking is available as well. We ended up spending and hour and a half and only left because it was getting close to nap time. Such a fun way to spend the morning. If you have a child, I highly recommend checking it out!

    Olbrich Botanical Gardens

    Olbrich Botanical Gardens

    (212 reviews)

    Schenk - Atwood

    If you're visiting Madison, Wisconsin, add Olbrich Botanical Gardens to your list…read more We went in the off-season and it was still absolutely beautiful. The conservatory feels like stepping into a mini jungle--lush greenery, colorful orchids, and that warm, humid air that makes you forget it's winter outside for a minute. It's such a peaceful stop if you're looking for something relaxing, something scenic, or just want a quiet break from exploring the city. Honestly, I can only imagine how stunning this place is in peak bloom--but even off-season, it's 100% worth it. If you're building a Madison itinerary, this one's a must-see

    Came to Madison for a bike ride around Monona Lake. After lunching at Ian's Pizza (at Garver Feed…read moreMill) we took some time to stroll through Olbrich Botanical Gardens. First time, and boy were we impressed. Most of the garden is free, with the exception of the Bolz Conservancy which is $6/person. Very reasonable pricing. There is lots to see. And if you wanted to see it all without rushing through, you should probably set aside a couple of hours. There is ample parking in a lot out front. Inside you will find the information desk, a gift shop, entrance to the conservatory, or doors to take you back outside to the many different garden spaces. We walked through the Great Lawn, the Prairie Dropseed, Perennial Gardens, and ended up a the Thai Pavillion & Gardens. Most of the walking is in shade, which helped a lot on this very hot day. There is lots more to see, so we will definitely need to come back.

    Madison Children's Museum - childrensmuseums - Updated May 2026

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