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General Information
As you are probably well aware, Madison is
the capital city of Wisconsin. It is a
moderate-sized city with a population of about 225,000
people and is home to one of the largest universities in
the US, the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At
the time of our wedding, the spring semester will have
ended, so most of the students will not be in town.
That's just too bad for them as Madison is at its most
beautiful during the summer.
Wisconsin's capital building, the center
of activity in Madison, is situated on an 8-block strip
of land that runs between two very large lakes-Lake
Mendota to the North and Lake Monona to the South.
All of the events that we have planned for our wedding
weekend will occur in this downtown area. This
page will provide you with some useful information about
area attractions, parking, transportation, dining, and
weather.
Area Attractions
Downtown
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The Wisconsin State Capital Building: The
capital building is open to the public on weekends and
holidays from 8:00am until 4:00pm. While you are
free to just walk around inside, the state also offers
free guided tours throughout the day.
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Dane County
Farmer's Market on the Square: Each year from
mid-April until the end of October, one of the largest
true farmer's markets in the US takes place on the
capital square on Saturdays from 8:30am until 2:00pm.
It is a Madison tradition to visit the farmers market,
grab a quick pastry for breakfast, and then buy some
fresh Wisconsin produce, cheese, meat, or flowers.
If you are in Madison on Saturday morning before our
wedding, we highly recommend a trip to the farmer's
market.
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State
Street: State street is a street for
pedestrians, buses, and emergency vehicles that runs for
about 1-mile from the capital square to the UW campus.
Here you will find a large number of restaurants, shops,
and street performers.
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The Overture Center: The Overture Center is
our new arts center located on state street. The
building houses a number of different theatrical venues
as well as several different art galleries. The
art galleries are free to the public, so just stop by to
see some of the wonderful art displayed here in Madison.
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Monona Terrace: Monona Terrace is a convention
center that was originally designed by Frank Lloyd
Wright. It sits just south of the capital building
on Lake Monona. The views of the lake from the top
of the building are just breath-taking.
Other Locations
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Olbrich
Botanical Gardens: Here you can find 16 acres
of display gardens that are free and open to the public
from 8:00am until 8:00pm. Inside the main
building, there is also a tropical conservatory that is
well worth the required $1 per person donation. At
10am on May 27th, the morning before our wedding,
Olbrich will be having their annual Hosta sale. If
you like plants and want to take home a Wisconsin
sample, this sale might be for you.
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The
World's Largest Brat Fest (Held only during memorial
day and labor day weekends): Two times each year,
Madison hosts the world's largest brat fest.
Travel out to the Alliant Energy Center (located just
across the street from the Holiday Inn listed under the
accommodations section of this website) and buy yourself
a brat (with real meat or the "Boca" vegetarian version)
or a hot dog. All of the food is donated and the
proceeds go to charity.
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Chazen Art
Museum: The Chazen Art Museum on the UW campus
is another great place to see some top-notch art for
free. On weekends, the gallery is open from
11:00am until 5:00pm.
Parking and
Transportation
If you don't bring a car to Madison, you
can use one of three forms of transportation (other than
your feet :) )
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Rental Car: All of the major rental
car companies service the Madison area.
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Taxi: There are three main taxi
companies in Madison:
Badger
Cab at (608) 256-5566,
Union Cab at
(608) 242-2000, and
Madison Taxi at (608) 255-TAXI.
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Public Bus:
The bus system in Madison is called the Metro. The
bus system services much of Madison and is a safe,
economical, and environmentally friendly method of
transportation. One-way fares cost $1.50.
Because downtown Madison is located on a
small strip of land between two lakes, parking can
sometimes be tricky. Street meters are scattered
around the downtown area but you are more likely to be
able to find a parking spot in one of the many parking
garages.
Parking around our wedding/reception site
should be relatively painless. There is street
parking located on East Washington Avenue and Hancock
St. If you are lucky enough to get one of these
meters, then it won't cost you anything as they are not
enforced on Sundays. If you do not get a metered
spot, there is a paid parking lot directly across
Hancock St from the Historic Bellini Italian Restaurant.
Weather
In May, the weather in Madison can be a
bit unpredictable. You should expect high
temperatures in the mid-70's and low temperatures in the
mid-40's. Make sure to bring a light jacket if you
expect to be outside later in the evening.
Dining
Dining suggestions coming soon! |
