I'm house bound, today, the weather gods having taken capricious joy in landlocking my car in ice. I'll see what I can put together for Madison. I have websites bookmarked, it just a matter of formatting them in a post.

Sail, if you need any help or want me to assist with the pimping, please let me know.

The Holiday Inn we stayed at for the first F2F is now a Best Western.

It's also a rathole. I stayed there for a business trip a couple years after the Evanston f2f, and it had gone way, way downhill since we booked the place in 2002.

For museum and history lovers:

Wisconsin Historical Museum

Chazen Museum of Art: On the campus, very small, but has some well-known pieces of art including a Rodin.

Madison Museum of Contemporary Art: Inside the Overture Center, a sight in and of itself.

Wisconsin State Capital

Historic Trust Walking Tours: Start in May.

For the performing arts:

Overture Center of the Arts: Even if there’s no performances you’re interested in seeing onstage, the building is a work of art designed by Cesar Pelli. Take a tour, see the inside of the theatre, it is absolutely gorgeous.

Wisconsin Union Theater: This link if for the theatre itself, but the Memorial Union is a landmark site with more homely entertainments to found in such things as the Stiftskellar, the Rathskellar and the Terrace.

Memorial Union: Scads of fun. Weekly musical offerings in the Rathskellar during the colder months, outside on the Terrace once the weather warms up. Come early, the Terrace fills up fast.

Monona Terrace Convention Center: To be seen just for the architecture, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Sundance Cinemas: For those who like to watch the indie flicks. Very posh.

Star Cinema: We cn haz IMAX.

Orpheum Theatre: One stop shopping for live music, movies and food.

For nature lovers:

Dane County Farmers’ Market, the website is down for maintenance: Located right on the Capitol square and occupying every inch of it, there is so much good food to be found here, it’s a shame it’s not a day long affair.

Henry Vilas Zoo

Olbrich Botanical Gardens: It has a Thai pavilion. What other botanical gardens in the US can claim a real, live, hand-built by Thai artisans pavilion?

For those who like the barley and hops:

Capital Brewery: There are other microbreweries in town, many attached to restaurants, but Capital is a slightly larger facility with an actual tour. Good beer, too!

Local microbreweries include:

Great Dane
Ale Asylum
Angelic Brewing
J.T. Whitney’s
Essen House (don’t brew their own, but 16 German beers! and a fun atmosphere.)

For sports lovers:

Mad Rollin Dolls Roller Derby! Season Finals May 10th.

For those who want to venture a little farther afield:

Mount Horeb Mustard Museum

Wisconsin Dells Boat Tours

The Dells has tons of resorts, gambling casinos, water parks and clubs. Makes a nice day trip.

The House on the Rock: It’s got a full-sized circus carousel, inside. a. house. Opens in May.

Midcontinent Railway Museum

Home of Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin, Spring Green, WI.

American Players Theatre: Also found in Spring Green is the American Players Theater. Amy Acker got her start there.

For those who have no idea where to start, but would like ideas of possible itineraries. Much more inclusive info than above:

Itineraries, ho!

(edited for html linkage)

Great list, Sail! But I'm having trouble figuring out if some of your descriptions are for the links below them or above them. Maybe I'm a dummy.

It’s got a full-sized circus carousel, inside. a. house. Opens in May.

And featured in Gaiman's American Gods, yes?

It's not just A carousel, it's the world's largest. And has angels! [link]

Yes. It is in American Gods. I wanna go!

The descriptions are below Jon. Give me some time and I'll see if I can reformat for clarity.

eta: All done! I think that's a little more readable.

Thanks, Sail! That's much more clear.