Start your Introduction to Madison the Green Way.. With a Walk around the City!
 
Madison is a city built around two major lakes, Lake Mendota and Lake Monona.  This geography makes for challenging driving because the Capitol is built on a plaza located on one of the only isthmuses in the United States, between the two larger lakes.   
 
But to get a feel for this geography and the city, start your exploration at the Capitol.  At first glance, it looks like you are in Washington since the building is nearly identical to the our nation’s capitol, but it’s a few inches lower to defer to the building in Washington, D.C..  Free tours of the recently refurbished building can be taken daily.  During the winter season, a huge holiday tree decorates the Rotunda. Tours start at the information desk Monday through Saturday at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 a.m. and 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 p.m.; and Sundays at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 p.m. A 4:00 p.m. tour is offered weekdays (Monday - Friday), excluding holidays, during Memorial Day through Labor Day.  
 
Take the Martin Luther King Street Exit to walk two blocks to Monona Terrace Convention Center. Frank Lloyd Wright first proposed this building in 1938.  Its doors were finally opened in 1997 after 60 years of controversy, public discussion being the favorite local indoor sport. Guided tours are offered daily at 1 pm for $3, adult; $2, student.  
 
Then return to the Square, which is the location for the Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings from mid spring to late fall. Regional produce and products are sold there.   The Concerts on the Square are held on Wednesday evenings beginning at the end of June, when the Madison Chamber Orchestra plays themed selections of popular and classical music for the crowds picnicking on the grass of the Capital.  Other summer features include the Art Fair on the Square in July, and as the summer season starts the slide into fall, the Taste of Madison which includes over 100 food/beverage vendors and four stages of live music throughout the weekend.  
 
Next take the State St. exit to walk down Madison’s historic State St. to the University of Wisconsin campus.  Be sure to take in the stores, restaurants, and bars that line the street.  When you get to the end of State. St., University Book Store is on your left, the Memorial Library on your right and beyond that is a Mall with a fountain. Bear to the right and ask for the Memorial Union.  Go to the Rathskeller and consider a beer or ice cream cone on the Union Terrace and enjoy your treat and people-watch as boats sail by in the background.  During this walkabout, you will be introduced to the sites and sounds that are the heart of Madison.