Let's Make! with Lexie
2024-06-30 13:00 - 15:00, 2024-07-07 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago)
Explore new materials and creative techniques through facilitated art activities and bring home hand-made treasures. Projects vary each week and may include sculpture, painting, comics, printmaking, and more!

This event is free with general museum admission.

SOLD OUT: Drama in the Wonderground: Dido, Queen of Carthage 6/30, 6 pm
2024-06-30 18:00 - 20:00
All performances are sold out.

Madison Shakespeare Company returns to MCM to stage three evenings of Christopher Marlowe’s first play, the tragedy Dido, Queen of Carthage, with the Wonderground climber taking center stage—literally. It might not exactly be the set envisioned by the infamous playwright, poet, spy, and member of The School of Night, but Elizabethan London lacked our exhibits team.

Owing to the content of this play—the Elizabethans were notoriously bloody-minded—this event is suggested for adults and mature teens.

Get Tickets

Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 on the day of the show

Food and drink: cash (& cards) bar with a variety of alcoholic and NA beverages. You are welcome to bring a water bottle and/or light snacks. Please no glass containers or carry-in alcohol. Smoking and vaping are not permitted on the premises.

Accessibility & comfort: the Wonderground space has accessible single use/family restrooms, a drinking fountain and water bottle filling station. The performance takes place outdoors; please dress for the weather and take any needed precautions for heat, rain, etc. Our seating plan is flexible, and we will be able to adjust seats to accommodate any members of your group using a wheelchair or other mobility device.

Weather: we (MCM and MSC) will make every effort to complete each performance as planned. The performance will go on in a light rain, as long as the actors and audience are safe. If we need to hold the performance to allow for weather to pass, there is a sheltered area in the Wonderground where audience members can wait. If there is potential for severe weather, we will make a go/no-go call no later than two hours before curtain. Check this website link or individual Facebook events for updates (we will only post updates in the event of delay or cancellation). Umbrellas will be permitted only at the back of the audience seating, in spaces where other audience members’ visibility will not be blocked. We will have a limited supply of rain ponchos available.

In the event of a cancellation or partial cancellation, ticket purchasers will have the option of a full refund or a ticket transfer for another performance (pending availability). All requests for ticket transfers should be directed to Kia Karlen before 3 pm on the day of the show. Requests will be handled in the order received.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Wonderground and hope you enjoy the show!

Tuesday Member Morning
2024-07-02 09:00 - 12:00, 2024-07-09 09:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Enjoy exclusive, members-only time in the museum each Tuesday for Member Appreciation Month! There’s no better way to play at MCM, especially for our young visitors who are easily overwhelmed by crowds. Stretch out, enjoy the exhibits at your own pace, and enjoy a chilled-out morning together in the museum.

Not a member yet? Become one today! Membership starts immediately, so you can visit for free on Member Morning or any other time the museum is open. Learn more about membership.

Open Art Studio
2024-07-02 10:00 - 11:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Choose your own art adventure through exploration of materials. Create robots, cars, houses, and more. Drop by the Art Studio classroom for open-ended creative opportunities, facilitated by our talented staff.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Early Explorers Playgroup
2024-07-03 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-07-10 10:00 - 11:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Social time for babies and their grown-ups!

This playgroup is thoughtfully designed for our earliest visitors. We will provide a space for infants and toddlers (2 years and under) and their caregivers to explore and play together, and engage in activities that support various aspects of child development. Parents and caregivers will have the opportunity to connect with one another over a variety of topics. Come meet other families and make new friends!

This event will be held in the Celebrations Room and is free with general museum admission.

Exploration Station: Botanical Soap Making
2024-07-03 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Learn about liquids and solids as we make soap using fragrant flowers and vibrant botanicals from our Rooftop Ramble garden.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Music Time with Tim!
2024-07-03 11:00 - 11:30, 2024-07-10 11:00 - 11:30
Explore the world of music and rhythm! Join Tim in the Celebrations room each week to enjoy play-based songs, games, and stories.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Playdough Party with Junko
2024-07-03 13:30 - 14:30, 2024-07-10 13:30 - 14:30
Join Junko in the Art Studio Classroom each Wednesday to create your own scented playdough that’s a squishy, smush-able sensory delight.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Insect Scavenger Hunt
2024-07-03 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-07-04 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-07-05 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-07-06 13:30 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Be very, very quiet… we’re hunting insects! Join us in the Urb Garden, where we’ll sharpen our observation skills and search for bugs hiding in the plants. Gentleness is encouraged—no insects will be harmed in the making of this program.

This program is free with general museum admission.

Cabin Life: Beads & Baubles
2024-07-03 14:00 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Get decked out with wooden beads and sinew thread while exploring early jewelry-making. Flex your fine motor skills and practice hand-eye coordination to design custom bracelets and necklaces out of natural, historical materials.

Cabin Life invites you to try your hand at crafts and activities from around the time our original log cabin was built in the 1840s.

This event is free with general museum admission.

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Enjoy exclusive, members-only time in the museum for a great addition to your Farmers Market family outing. There’s no better way to play before the museum gets busy! Enjoy complimentary coffee and delicious donuts while supplies last.

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