OPEN all weekend • Regular hours: Open Weds–Sun, 9 am–4 pm • Free Thurs nights, 4 pm–8 pm • Get museum tickets
OPEN all weekend • Regular hours: Open Weds–Sun, 9 am–4 pm • Free Thurs nights, 4 pm–8 pm • Get museum tickets
Join us for story time and hear Teresa read some of her favorite books using her DynaVox. With this speech-generating device, Teresa shares stories that help us build listening skills, develop early literacy, and celebrate each other’s differences. This event is free with general museum admission.
Join Ms. Laurie and our Art Studio staff for a weekly drop-in art experience designed for MCM's youngest visitors and their caregivers. Through open-ended & process-based projects, empower your little artist to freely explore materials and art-making with their senses. And the best part? We take care of cleanup! This event is free with general […]
Visit MCM for free every Thursday evening, 4–8 pm! Enjoy extended hours each Thursday, completely free of charge. Please check in at the admissions desk when you visit during free hours. Looking for more affordable ways to visit? During the rest of the week, MCM offers reduced cost admission and memberships every day to families […]
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 […]
Explore the teeny, teeming ecosystem hiding in our compost bucket! Examine living organisms in compost samples under the microscope, and make-and-take vermaculture compost "tea" to bring home a special nutrient blend for your houseplants.Join us each week for new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities. These hands-on programs foster creativity, ignite curiosity, encourage […]
Enjoy exclusive, members-only playtime in the museum before things get busy! Enjoy complimentary coffee and free treats to accompany the brisk, spring morning (while supplies last.) Not a member yet? Become one today! Membership starts immediately, so you can visit for free anytime the museum is open. Learn more about membership.
Each Sunday, join Art Studio staff and your fellow crafters for a collaborative art experience! Help generate large-scale puppets and costumes for use at special MCM festivities (Summerpalooza and beyond!) This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Eleanor Ford
Join us for a story and circle time that connects children to kindness and nature. Sing songs, interact with puppets, listen to a story, and move your body in this interactive weekly program. This event will be held in the Nice Age Trail exhibit and is free with general museum admission.
Join us for story time and hear Teresa read some of her favorite books using her DynaVox. With this speech-generating device, Teresa shares stories that help us build listening skills, develop early literacy, and celebrate each other’s differences. This event is free with general museum admission.
Get moving and grooving with your li'l one! Do you have a dancing baby? Discover Junko's 8-week music class where babies and toddlers can explore their natural love of rhythm. Together, you and your tiny dancer will bounce, sway, and rock with the music while learning simple rhythm patterns. They'll build critical social skills as […]
Join Ms. Laurie and our Art Studio staff for a weekly drop-in art experience designed for MCM's youngest visitors and their caregivers. Through open-ended & process-based projects, empower your little artist to freely explore materials and art-making with their senses. And the best part? We take care of cleanup! This event is free with general […]
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 […]
Pick out a clay pinch pot and bring home your own cutting from MCM's Rooftop's succulents! Learn to take care of your new friend, so you can help it grow and thrive. This event is free with general museum admission.
Join Junko as we explore different sensory materials every week!Please note, this program location may vary. Check at the admissions desk for the most up-to-date information.This event is free with general museum admission.
Help staff inoculate mycelium into wooden logs to grow shiitake mushrooms, and learn how to plant edible fungi at home! Please note, this activity may include supervised and closely guided use of a hammer. This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Distant Hill Farms
Create your own mixed-media bird nests and celebrate the return of migratory birds to Wisconsin this spring! This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Heather MacNeil
Join Art Studio staff and your fellow crafters for a collaborative art experience! Help generate large-scale puppets and costumes for use at special MCM festivities (Summerpalooza and beyond!) This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Eleanor Ford
Join us for story time and hear Teresa read some of her favorite books using her DynaVox. With this speech-generating device, Teresa shares stories that help us build listening skills, develop early literacy, and celebrate each other’s differences. This event is free with general museum admission.
Join Ms. Laurie and our Art Studio staff for a weekly drop-in art experience designed for MCM's youngest visitors and their caregivers. Through open-ended & process-based projects, empower your little artist to freely explore materials and art-making with their senses. And the best part? We take care of cleanup! This event is free with general […]
Visit MCM for free every Thursday evening, 4–8 pm! Enjoy extended hours each Thursday, completely free of charge. Please check in at the admissions desk when you visit during free hours. Looking for more affordable ways to visit? During the rest of the week, MCM offers reduced cost admission and memberships every day to families […]
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 […]
Experiment with renewable energy using our KidWind turbine kit! Build wind turbines, test out their energy output based on fan blade shape, size, number, and angle, and make modifications to create the ideal windmill. This event is free with general admission. Image credit: KidWind and Mandy Putnam
Join Junko as we explore different sensory materials every week!Please note, this program location may vary. Check at the admissions desk for the most up-to-date information.This event is free with general museum admission.
Join us for a story and circle time that connects children to kindness and nature. Sing songs, interact with puppets, listen to a story, and move your body in this interactive weekly program. This event will be held in the Nice Age Trail exhibit and is free with general museum admission.
Join us for story time and hear Teresa read some of her favorite books using her DynaVox. With this speech-generating device, Teresa shares stories that help us build listening skills, develop early literacy, and celebrate each other’s differences. This event is free with general museum admission.
Join Ms. Laurie and our Art Studio staff for a weekly drop-in art experience designed for MCM's youngest visitors and their caregivers. Through open-ended & process-based projects, empower your little artist to freely explore materials and art-making with their senses. And the best part? We take care of cleanup! This event is free with general […]
Visit MCM for free every Thursday evening, 4–8 pm! Enjoy extended hours each Thursday, completely free of charge. Please check in at the admissions desk when you visit during free hours. Looking for more affordable ways to visit? During the rest of the week, MCM offers reduced cost admission and memberships every day to families […]
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 […]
Join Junko as we explore different sensory materials every week!Please note, this program location may vary. Check at the admissions desk for the most up-to-date information.This event is free with general museum admission.
Madison Children’s Museum welcomes children and families with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and sensory challenges to experience the museum during sensory-friendly hours, free of charge. This program aims to bring families together to learn through play in an environment that supports the unique needs of children with ASD. This program is free to all attendees! […]
Join Art Studio staff and your fellow crafters for a collaborative art experience! Help generate large-scale puppets and costumes for use at special MCM festivities (Summerpalooza and beyond!) This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Eleanor Ford
Join us for a story and circle time that connects children to kindness and nature. Sing songs, interact with puppets, listen to a story, and move your body in this interactive weekly program. This event will be held in the Nice Age Trail exhibit and is free with general museum admission.
Join us for a story and circle time that connects children to kindness and nature. Sing songs, interact with puppets, listen to a story, and move your body in this interactive weekly program. This event will be held in the Nice Age Trail exhibit and is free with general museum admission.
Join us for story time and hear Teresa read some of her favorite books using her DynaVox. With this speech-generating device, Teresa shares stories that help us build listening skills, develop early literacy, and celebrate each other’s differences. This event is free with general museum admission.
Join Ms. Laurie and our Art Studio staff for a weekly drop-in art experience designed for MCM's youngest visitors and their caregivers. Through open-ended & process-based projects, empower your little artist to freely explore materials and art-making with their senses. And the best part? We take care of cleanup! This event is free with general […]
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.
Every month this summer, enjoy free concerts at MCM featuring an eclectic mix of Madison bands. Adults get to dance and chat, kids climb and play, and caregivers enjoy low-stress social time in an outdoor play space like no other! Tonight we're welcoming Christo's Novelty Combo, an ensemble led by award-winning instrumentalist Christo Ruppenthal. Christo's […]
Our art studio staff will lead visitors in a weekly assortment of creative clay sculpture activities.
We will create all kinds of collaborative projects- plant pots, jewelry, ornaments, tiles and more.
All ages are welcome to join us and experiment with clay.
May the fourth be with you! Join us as we celebrate the galaxy's geekiest holiday with a weekend of intergalactic programming and events, including an out-of-this-world display of intricate Star Wars-themed LEGO sculptures courtesy of our creative friends at WisLUG.This event is free with general museum admission.
