MADISON CAPITOL AND DOWNTOWN LENGTH & CONFIGURATION: 3-mile loop DIFFICULTY: Easy SCENERY: Historical buildings, downtown shops, the Capitol, views of Lakes Mendota and Monona EXPOSURE: Mostly sun TRAFFIC: Moderate to heavy TRAIL SURFACE: Sidewalks HIKING TIME: 1 hour DRIVING DISTANCE: 0.5 mile from the Capitol Square ACCESS: Year-round MAPS: USGS Madison West WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY: Yes FACILITIES: In shops and restaurants along the route CONTACT: visitmadison.com COMMENTS: This area is busiest on Saturday mornings, especially during Wisconsin Badger football games and the Farmers'' Market. IN BRIEF Stroll the eclectic downtown area, visit the majestic Capitol, climb Mansion Hill, and take in the lakeshores on both sides of the isthmus. DESCRIPTION Starting from the corner of Lake Street, begin up State Street toward the Capitol. Just about every style of ethnic food can be found in the next seven blocks (0.5 mile), from the classic Wisconsin State Street Brats to more exotic fare, such as Peruvian, Afghan, and Tibetan cuisines and Russian dumplings. Clothing, music, books, coffee shops, and an assortment of gift shops and boutiques make this a nice alternative to the usual mall-variety stores.
Street musicians, university students, and a few panhandlers, unfortunately, are ubiquitous and add to the vibe that is quintessentially Madison. You pass State Street Brats on your right halfway up the first block. Cross Gilman Street; in the next block to your left, across the street is Lisa Link Peace Park, where a historical marker remembers Madison''s role in the antiwar movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Continue toward the Capitol and pass Sacred Feather, a fine hat store and one of the only freestanding houses along here. You''ll cross the one-way, traffic-heavy Gorham Street and, another block later, Johnson Street heading the opposite direction. Henry Street crosses this intersection as well. Cross Johnson Street and then Henry Street to stay on State Street. At this corner, find the towering glass corner of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (closed Mondays; check mmoca.
org or call 608-257-0158 for hours and exhibit information). There is a somewhat upscale rooftop terrace restaurant and bar. The view of State Street makes it worth a visit. The museum is part of the Overture Center for the Arts complex, which runs along the entire next block. Look for the old facades of two of the structures that once stood here--most notably the 1922 Capitol Theater; they were worked into the new building. Across the street is the Orpheum Theatre, which brings in a mix of concert events throughout the year. In the last block of State Street before you reach the Capitol Square, find Ian''s Pizza, a local favorite. At the top corner of State Street are two museums: The State Historical Museum and the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.
Cross the street to get to the Capitol at the corner of Mifflin and Carroll Streets. The Capitol is open to the public, free daily tours are available, and, from Memorial Day through October, you can climb to the observation deck for great views of the city in all directions. Hours are Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; weekends and holidays 8 a.m.
-4 p.m. Call 608-266-0382 for more information. Go right along Carroll Street to Main Street, and head left. Halfway along the block is Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Boulevard. Go right here and follow it two blocks to get to the Monona Terrace. Based on a design by Frank Lloyd Wright, the convention center''s rooftop terrace offers views of Lake Monona and occasional live music in the summer months.
Return along MLK Jr. Boulevard to the Capitol and continue around the square, going right on Main Street to Pinckney Street. Go left here and follow it to Mifflin Street. At this intersection, you will find the award-winning Madison Children''s Museum (madisonchildrensmuseum.org). Cross Pinckney to the right and then Mifflin to the left, and take the angling Hamilton Street right and down the hill from the Capitol. You will walk three blocks (0.25 mile) to Gorham and cross to James Madison Park.
This park along the shore of Lake Mendota offers canoe and sailboat rentals and is often alive with ultimate Frisbee, pickup basketball games, and sunbathers. Go left and pass the 1863 Gates of Heaven synagogue, a sandstone and brick structure brought here from West Washington Avenue to be preserved. At Butler Street, go right one block and then left, climbing Gilman Street into what is known as the Mansion Hill District. Have a look at some fine houses from some of the wealthiest of the 19th-century Madisonians. After two blocks, go right on Wisconsin Avenue and come to the Edgewater Hotel, with its central terrace and bar overlooking Lake Mendota. Go left on Langdon Street and begin passing more rather large houses. Many of these are Greek fraternity or sorority houses. The Greek system began at the University of Wisconsin in 1857, and many of the chapter houses you see now were built in part as an answer to the housing problem before the advent of residence halls.
At the intersection of Carroll and Langdon Streets is a historical marker in honor of Frank Lloyd Wright and his relationship with the Madison area. You can follow Carroll Street to the lakeside, where steps lead you down for a view of the water. Continuing down Langdon Street, follow the street''s bend to the right, and then continue two more blocks to Lake Street. Go right one short block to the end of the street, and follow the lakeside promenade to the left, which will take you to the University''s Memorial Union Terrace. This is an excellent place to watch the sunset from the various tables and docks. Food and drink are available outdoors in season, and live musical acts are regularly scheduled on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. These events move indoors by late fall. Heading away from the lakeside, cross through the parking lot with the Union to your right.
On your left is an enormous redbrick building that looks more like a fortress. This is the 1893 Red Gym, which was once home to UW basketball and various other events. Cross Langdon Street at the crosswalk in front of the Memorial Union, and take the angle walk through Library Mall that passes the central fountain. Just beyond that is a concrete speaker''s pulpit. You can see the university''s Chazen Museum of Art from here as well. Going left there will take you between the Memorial Library and University Bookstore and return you to your starting point at State and Lake Streets. NEARBY ACTIVITIES This is the heart of the Mad City, and activities are too numerous to list. The Dane County Farmers'' Market on the Capitol Square on Saturday mornings from April through October is a Madison social event as much as a time to get local produce, cheese, meat, and baked goods.
Another market is held off the square on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on Wednesday mornings. Check out visitmadison.com for a calendar of other downtown events, such as Maxwell Street Days and Art Fair on the Square. GPS COORDINATES AND DIRECTIONS N43° 04'' 29.11" W89° 23'' 50.62" From the Capitol Square, go northeast 0.2 mile (three blocks) on Wisconsin Avenue to Gorham Street.
Go left and follow Gorham 0.4 mile as it crosses State Street and bends right, becoming University Avenue. Two blocks later, turn right on Lake Street and park in the parking ramp half a block down on the right. The hike begins another half block beyond at the corner of Lake and State Streets.