As Wisconsin’s capital city, Madison tops many “best” lists, including best place to live and work, best college sports town, one of America’s safest cities, and a top green city. Visit the Destination Madison website for more information on what to do, where to stay, and what to eat while you’re in town.
PLACES TO STAY
- Wisconsin Union Hotel & Club Suites (on campus)
- Fluno Center (on campus)
- Graduate Madison
- Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Madison
- Hilton Garden Inn Madison Downtown
- Hampton Inn & Suites Madison
- AC Hotel Madison Downtown
- Best Western Premier Park Hotel
- Madison Concourse Hotel
- The Edgewater
- Accommodations in the Greater Madison Area
- Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast Association
THINGS TO DO
- Wisconsin Union Event Calendar
- UW-Madison Event Calendar
- Isthmus Guide (city-wide events)
- Madison Magazine Events (city-wide events)
- Destination Madison Events (city-wide events)
WHERE TO EAT
Madison is ranked as a top city for foodies, and there are endless opportunities for tasty meals around the UW–Madison campus and in the city of Madison. Below are dining options both on campus and in the downtown Madison area.
UNIVERSITY HOUSING
University Housing offers market-style dining locations where all food is available in an all-you-care-to-eat format. Residents access the Dining Markets with their weekly dining plans, and guests pay a flat amount for each meal. Nutrition information is provided for all offerings. There are many options to accommodate dietary and allergy needs, including vegan & vegetarian diets and food allergies. Please note all our Dining Markets are cashless. Accepted forms of payment include Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. There are also convenience stores for groceries and grab-and-go items, a Starbucks, and delivery service. For a list of locations and day-of menus, please click here.
WISCONSIN UNION’S UNION SOUTH
1308 W Dayton Street
Union South offers many food and beverage options. Check out their website for the most up-to-date list.
WISCONSIN UNION’S MEMORIAL UNION
800 Langdon Street
Memorial Union offers many food and beverage options. Check out their website for the most up-to-date list.
DISCOVERY BUILDING
330 N Orchard Street
Aldo’s Cafe
Aldo’s Cafe offers fresh made sandwiches, salads, and bakery items featuring local, seasonal ingredients from area farms.
BABCOCK HALL DAIRY STORE
1605 Linden Drive
A trip to UW–Madison wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Babcock Hall Dairy Store, the oldest university dairy plant in the United States. Best known for ice cream, Babcock also makes cheeses and locally produced milk. Visitors may view dairy plant observations via the second floor observation deck.
LIBRARY MALL FOOD CARTS
731 State Street, near Lake Street and East Campus Mall
Our food carts are #1 according to MSN. Located near State Street and the bottom of Bascom Hill, these food carts are a popular lunch stop and feature cuisine from around the world including falafel, pot stickers, empanadas, spring rolls and smoothies.
*Many carts are cash only*
STATE STREET AND OFF-CAMPUS
This pedestrian street connects our campus to the state capital and is lined by restaurants where students go to grab a bite after class or on the weekends. You can find a comprehensive list of dining options in the downtown area at Madison’s Central Business Improvement District website.
Welcome Center
Campus and Community Information Welcome Desk at Union South
1308 W. Dayton Street
608-263-2400
Mon.–Fri., 7:30 a.m.–10 p.m.
Sat.–Sun., 8 a.m.–10 p.m.