Looking for fun things to do with kids in Madison? Maybe you are visiting Madison, WI for the weekend and want to know what the locals think are the best things to do around town. Need to mix it up and try something new? No matter if you have lived here for years or are just passing through, there is always something fun and exciting to do here.
There are so many fun things to do with kids in Madison and the surrounding areas – and we’ve rounded up more than 100 of our favorites!
Check out our guide of 100+ fun activities for kids in the Madison area, and be sure to check out our other local resources:
PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS
The Madison area boasts a bunch or really awesome parks! You could almost hit a different park every week and not have the same experience anywhere. These are some of our favorite parks in the area to help a crew of kids blow off steam. One of the best things about all of these parks? They are all FREE! Fun, free and outdoors – it doesn’t get much better than that!
- James Madison Park – 614 East Gorham, Madison
- Olin Park – 1156 Olin-Turville Court, Madison
- Wingra Park – 824 Knickerbocker Street, Madison
- Owen Conservation Park – 6021 Old Sauk Road, Madison
- Picnic Point – 2002 University Bay Drive, Madison
- Country Grove Park – 7353 East Pass, Madison
- Westmorland Park – 4114 Tokay Boulevard, Madison
- Olbrich Botanical Gardens – 3330 Atwood Avenue, Madison
- Hoyt Park – 3902 Regent Street, Madison
- Henry Vilas Zoo (Beach & Park) – 702 South Randall Avenue, Madison
- Sun Prairie Dream Park (Angell Park) – 200 Park Street, Sun Prairie
- Deerfield Dream Park – 642 Autumn Wood Parkway, Deerfield
- Winnequah Park – Dream Park – Healy Lane, Monona
- Badger County Park – 6720 Highway 151, Verona
- Pioneer Park – 7555 West Old Sauk Road, Verona
- McKee Farms Dream Park – 2930 Chapel Valley Road, Fitchburg
- Lakeview Park – 6300 Mendota Avenue, Middleton
- Pheasant Branch Conservancy – 4864 Pheasant Branch Road, Middleton
- Pope Farms Conservatory – 7440 Old Sauk Road, Middleton
- Indian Lake – 8183 Highway 19, Cross Plains
MUSEUMS
Did you know Madison has lots of great museums to explore, including two more children’s museums right here in the area and others that are also family-friendly. These 10 museums stand out as the best destinations for engaging, interactive, and downright fun experiences!
- Madison Children’s Museum | 100 N Hamilton St, Madison, WI
- Explore Children’s Museum | 1433 W Main St, Sun Prairie, WI
- Black Earth Children’s Museum | 1131 Mills St, Black Earth, WI
- Madison Museum of Contemporary Art – MMoCA | 227 State St, Madison, WI
- Chazen Museum of Art | 800 University Ave, Madison, WI
- Wisconsin Veterans Museum | 30 W Mifflin St, Madison, WI
- Wisconsin Historical Museum | 30 N Carroll St, Madison, WI
- University of Wisconsin Geology Museum | 1215 W Dayton St, Madison, WI
- Wisconsin Science Museum | 2300 S Park St, Madison, WI
- National Mustard Museum | 7477 Hubbard Ave, Middleton, WI
FUN WITH ANIMALS
We are lucky enough to have an exceptional AND FREE zoo right here in Madison, but there are a lot of opportunities nearby to see different animals — from goats and chickens, to giraffes and tigers … and everything in between. Everything we have listed is either right here in the Madison area or within easy driving distance.
- Henry Vilas Zoo | Madison
- Milwaukee County Zoo | Milwaukee
- Shalom Wildlife Zoo | West Bend
- Racine Zoo | Racine
- Ochsner Park Zoo | Baraboo
- Wildwood Zoo | Marshfield
- Safari Lake Geneva | Lake Geneva
- Timbavati Wildlife Park | Wisconsin Dells
- Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue | Rock Springs
- Eugsters Farm Market | Stoughton
- Haven’s Petting Farm | Blue Mounds
- Busy Barns | Fort Atkinson
- Country Bumpkin | Wisconsin Dells
- Wisconsin Deer Park | Wisconsin Dells
MINI GOLF
These Madison area miniature golf courses don’t take themselves too seriously and are designed less for perfecting your putt and more for classic family fun.
- Vitense Golfland – MADISON
- Pinseekers – DEFOREST
- Swissland Mini Golf – NEW GLARUS
INDOOR FUN
From gymnastics to trampoline parks, library storytimes to bowling, there is a load of fun to be found indoors in the Madison area!
- GUIDE TO INDOOR PLAY
- INDOOR SPOTS FOR BABIES & TODDLERS
- INDOOR WATERPARKS
- RAINY DAY ACTIVITIES
- BOWLING ALLEYS
FUN WITH WATER
What better way to cool off in the summer than to get in some water! From public pools to splash pads and even some lovely beaches, we make good use of our lakes here in Madison!
PUBLIC POOLS
- Goodman Pool | 325 Olin Ave, Madison, WI
- Bauman Aquatic Center | 2400 Park Lawn Pl, Middleton, WI
- Monona Community Pool | 1013 Nichols Rd, Monona, WI
- Mount Horeb Aquatic Center | 204 Park St, Mt. Horeb, WI
- Dolphins Cove @ PAC | 1010 N. Bird St., Sun Prairie, WI
- Sun Prairie Aquatic Center | 920 Linnerud Dr., Sun Prairie, WI
- Goodman Aquatic Center | 7762 County Road PD, Verona, WI
SPLASH PADS
- Cypress Splash Park | 902 Magnolia Ln – Madison, WI
- Elver Park | 1250 McKenna Blvd – Madison, WI
- Reindahl (Amund) Park | 1818 Portage Rd – Madison, WI
- Lakeview Park – 6300 Mendota Ave – Middleton, WI
- McKee Farms Park – 2930 Chapel Valley Rd – Fitchburg, WI
- Fireman’s Park Beach – 600 Bruce St. – Verona, WI
- Blue Mounds Pool & Splash Pad | 4350 Mounds Park Rd – Blue Mounds, WI
- Conservancy Commons Park – 6822 Yellowwood Lane – DeForest, WI
- Tom & Rita Tubbs Splash Pad & Playground | 550 North Street – Sun Prairie, WI
- Nordic Ridge Park | 1300 Hoel Avenue – Stoughton, WI
- Phoebe Bakken Memorial Park | 4064 Vilas Road – Cottage Grove, WI
PUBLIC BEACHES
- Fireman’s Park Beach
- Ripley Park
- Esther Beach
- Brittingham Beach
- James Madison Beach
- Frost Wood Beach
- B.B. Clarke Beach
- Devil’s Lake State Park
- Governor Dodge State Park
- Schluter Beach
- Vilas Beach
GET CREATIVE! ARTS, MUSIC, ETC.
If you have a creative-minded kiddo, there are lots of amazing opportunities to fuel that enthusiasm in Madison. Concerts, performances, theater, and so much more.
- Kids in the Rotunda – music program designed to captivate families of all ages
- Children’s Theater of Madison– a variety of kid-friendly productions
- Concerts on the Square – free summer concerts for all ages
- Madison Youth Choirs – choirs for students ages 7-18, plus a variety of performances
- Madison Symphony Orchestra – enjoy your favorite films with a live orchestra playing the score
- Madison Museum of Contemporary Art – Check for family workshops and interactive art days throughout the year
- Monroe Street Arts Center – community art studio offering classes and workshops
- Chazen Museum of Art – Open daily and always free!
- Bucky on Parade – A walking tour of public art installations of Bucky Badger, displayed throughout the city
- Public Murals Around Madison
LIBRARIES AND STORYTIMES
Madison
*The downtown library is beautiful on the inside and you can check out other downtown attractions and/or grab a treat or meal on State Street while you’re at it!
CLICK HERE for the locations and events calendars at the surrounding area libraries
SPORTS & ATHLETICS
Madison is a wonderful city to enjoy a variety of sports entertainment and athletics.
- Badger football at Camp Randall Stadium
- UW Volleyball and Wrestling at the UW Fieldhouse
- Badger Basketball and Hockey at the Kohl Center
- Soccer, Softball, Cross Country, and more!
MADISON AREA SPORTS ACTIVITIES
- Madison Mallards Baseball
- Madison Night Mares Softball
- Madison Capitols Hockey
- Forward Madison FC Soccer
