Open Wed–Sun, 9 am–4 pm • Free Thur nights, 4 pm–8 pm • Get museum tickets
Open Wed–Sun, 9 am–4 pm • Free Thur nights, 4 pm–8 pm • Get museum tickets
Illuminate the past and make your own beeswax candle like an early Wisconsinite. Cabin Life invites you each week to try crafts and activities from around the time of our historic 1840s log cabin. This event is free with general museum admission.
Join MCM for a free celebration featuring performances from Beni Daiko, Mukula Dance, and the Zhong Yi Lion Dancers, hands-on activities with UW student groups HASA, SEASA, and CHASA, refreshments from Halo Halo, and more!Support for MCM cultural heritage celebrations provided by Dane Arts and Madison Arts Commission.
Create historic toys and games, and try your hand at playing like a kid from the past in our Wonderground cabin. Cabin Life invites you each week to try crafts and activities from the time of our historic 1840s log cabin. This event is free with general museum admission.
Make your mark with a feathery flourish! Explore writing utensils from early European history through a hands-on quill and ink activity. Cabin Life invites you each week to try crafts and activities from the time of our historic 1840s log cabin. This event is free with general museum admission.
It's an all-day bonanza of free summer fun at MCM! Celebrate the end of the school year and the beginning of summer vacation with Madison Children’s Museum's annual SummerPalooza celebration. Enjoy free museum admission all day, with kid-centric sidewalk parade and performances from Black Star Drum Line, Elmore Lawson, Madison Circus Space kid performers, Marvelous […]
What could be better than a juicy summer strawberry? Homemade strawberry ice cream, of course! Harvest from our organic strawberry patch and find out how make summer's quintessential treat the old-fashioned way. Learn about phase changes and culinary science while churning ice cream, then taste the fruits of your labor! Each week, Cabin Life programs […]
Join Madison Children’s Museum for a FREE evening of hands-on activities, pride-themed crafts, music, storytelling, and more! Special Activities 4-8 pm, Pride crafts, Art Studio 4-8 pm, Pride Scavenger Hunt, Floor 2 6-7 pm, All Ages Dance Party with DJ Jacob and MC Emma, Wildernest
Capture the calming scents of the season. We’ll use herbs harvested from our garden to create sweet-smelling sachets, just like folks did long ago. Hang yours to dry at home and enjoy a little museum magic every time you catch a whiff.
Shake, churn, and spread! Kids help turn cream into butter just like early settlers did—then taste the results on a crunchy cracker. A perfect blend of history, movement, and taste—and a delicious way to get hands moving and minds curious. Ideal for kids ages 2–12.
Practice patience, coordination, and creativity as you build your own beaded bracelet or necklace—just like kids might’ve done long ago. This calming, hands-on activity is ideal for children ages 3–12. Come string a little history together!
No screens, no batteries — just classic fun! Today's program relocates from the Log Cabin to the Celebrations Room due to weather. Try out classic games from many time periods and cultures. Families are welcome to join in. Ideal for kids ages 3–12.
Before refrigeration, families had to get creative to keep food all winter long. Let's explore how people in the past dried herbs and fruit to prepare for the cold months ahead—and then sample some sweet pears from our rooftop orchard! This tasty, hands-on program blends science, storytelling, and seasonal fun for the whole family.
Before ballpoint pens and touchscreens, writing meant dipping a feather into ink brewed from walnuts. Visit the cabin to learn how early Wisconsinites recorded their thoughts and letters—and make your own old-time bookmark with quill and ink. Perfect for curious kids and nostalgic grownups alike.
Únanse al Madison Children's Museum en nuestra celebración anual de la herencia hispana el jueves 9 de octubre, de 5 a 8 pm. ¡Disfrute de una noche de música, comida, actividades artísticas, espectáculos culturales y programas graciosos, todo gratis! Actuaciones: Wisconsin Mashikuna, música de Ecuador, 5:30 pm, Wonderground* Ballet Folklórico María Díaz, 6:30 pm, […]
Join us for a FREE celebration with our Indigenous community, featuring food, music, art, and dance representing Indigenous traditions across the world. Featured Guests: EVAN “BLUE SKY” LOGAN & Group:A tribal Bear/Thunder (Warrior) clan member of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin. Through his lifetime he was raised and taught by some of the most key […]
