In Spring 2023 I found out a friend who lived in Madison was going to move away, so I planned a trip to see a city I would maybe otherwise not have a reason to visit. I stayed with my friend so I don’t have any hotel recommendations, but here is what I got up to for a few days exploring this funky little midwest college town.
The central jewel of downtown is the Wisconsin state capital building. It sits high up on a hill, and the streets around it all bend in to lead there.
Le Tigre Lounge outside downtown. An experience.
Madison geographically is one of my favorite map nerd terms: an isthmus, aka a strip of land between two bodies of water. This means downtown is relatively skinny and walkable combined with some great waterfront views.
I’m a book nerd and lover at heart, so I love finding indie & used bookstores when I travel to bring books home as souvenirs. In downtown Madison I found two great spots:
First up is Paul’s, a lovely used bookstore near the university where I enjoyed taking a stroll around the stacks.
Second is Leopold’s, a combo bookstore, bar, and cafe. I got a new book, a cocktail, and some dessert. What a perfect combination!!!
Honorable mention: I had to connect flights through Chicago O-Hare and there was a cute little branch of Barbara’s Bookstore there so I picked up a third book souvenir during my layover.
When people usually think of Madison they think of a Midwest college town. Easy to walk around, decent food choices, nice people. What might not come up is the fact that the corporate HQ of Epic is also located just outside Madison on a sprawling campus that combines Google and Disney aesthetics and mentalities.
My friend works there so I got a more personalized tour, but anyone can go visit on the weekends and get a map to explore a few buildings and the grounds. It’s truly a wild place to visit (let alone work) so if you have some time, take a stroll around and enjoy just how crazy this corporate campus turned fairytale playground is.
Thanks for coming along to Madison with me for a long weekend. If you have any questions about this funky midwest town, drop them in the comments below.
Happy Travels ~V