Regular winter hours: Wed–Sun, 9 am–4 pm • Free Thurs nights, 4 pm–8 pm • Get museum tickets
Regular winter hours: Wed–Sun, 9 am–4 pm • Free Thurs nights, 4 pm–8 pm • Get museum tickets
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.
Join us for story time and hear Teresa read some of her favorite books using her DynaVox. With this speech-generating device, Teresa will share stories and help build listening skills, develop early literacy, and celebrate each other’s differences. This event is free with general museum admission.
Join 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! Today we'll use the spin art technique […]
Start your own mini-garden by planting seeds to take home, and decorate your own one-of-a-kind plant cup! This event is free with the price of general admission.
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.
THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT! Can't make the party? Come to Member Morning, on Saturday June 1, 8–9 am In honor of the opening of the Nice Age Trail, we’re throwing a preview party just for museum members. Enjoy exclusive early access to the Nice Age Trail and engage in nature-themed fun throughout the […]
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 from Ugly Apple Cafe while supplies last. Not a member yet? Become one today! Membership starts immediately, so you can visit for […]
Come celebrate the grand opening of MCM's brand-new nature exhibit, the Nice Age Trail! Buzz, slide, hop, flutter, and tromp through a four-season environment as you "walk in the paws" of some of Wisconsin’s most amazing animals. This interactive nature experience encourages imagination, exploration, and practicing kindness — to animals, to nature, to people, and […]
Come celebrate the grand opening of MCM's brand-new nature exhibit, the Nice Age Trail! Buzz, slide, hop, flutter, and tromp through a four-season environment as you transform into some of Wisconsin’s most amazing animals. This interactive nature experience encourages imagination, exploration, and practicing kindness — to animals, to nature, to people, and to yourself. All […]
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.
Illuminate the past and make your own beeswax candle like an early Wisconsin settler. 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 us for story time and hear Teresa read some of her favorite books using her DynaVox. With this speech-generating device, Teresa will share stories and help build listening skills, develop early literacy, and celebrate each other’s differences. This event is free with general museum admission.
Celebrate the emergence of cicadas in Wisconsin by learning about this year's brood and making your own carapaced buddy out of art materials. Join us each week for new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities. These hands-on programs foster creativity, ignite curiosity, encourage divergent thinking, build problem-solving skills, and offer new ways for […]
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.
Every first Friday 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's featured act, Panchromatic Steel, fuses island styles with pop hits, rock, and jazz, […]
MCM's 11th annual free family celebration and kickoff-to-summer returns to the Capitol Square! SummerPalooza includes free museum admission all day (9 am–4 pm), along with exciting activities, guest programs, and live entertainment. Be sure to "take a walk in their paws" and enjoy our brand new nature exhibit, the Nice Age Trail! Performances at Rotary […]
Dive into an exciting drop-in art experience each week with Laurie and our Art Studio team. Embark on projects with a wide variety of art media and processes for all ages and abilities. Materials are included—and the best part? We take care of cleanup! This event is free for SummerPalooza!
Soak up the sun and taste the Wisconsin summer! Harvest fresh herbs from our cabin garden and enjoy a refreshing batch of museum-made sun tea.
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.
Join astronomers from the American Astronomical Society for daytime skygazing activities and an art project exploring the sun and planets. Make a UV-reactive bead bracelet, view the sun safely in the sky, and color a crater! This event is free with general museum admission.
Start your own mini-garden by planting seeds to take home, and decorate your own one-of-a-kind paper plant pot! This event is free with the price of general admission.
Join Junko each Wednesday to create your own scented playdough that's a squishy, smush-able sensory delight. This event is free with general museum admission.
Create your own sustainable stationery with recycled paper and water! This event is free with general museum admission.
Channel your inner aviation engineer and create your own paper helicopter! Launch it off the Wonderground climber, see the impact of your design choices, and create again. Join us each week for new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities. These hands-on programs foster creativity, ignite curiosity, encourage divergent thinking, build problem-solving skills, and […]
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.
Investigate how trees age by counting the rings of "tree cookies", then make a decorated necklace of your own as a keepsake. This event is free with the price of general admission.
Dive into an exciting drop-in art experience each week with Laurie and our Art Studio team. Embark on projects with a wide variety of art media and processes for all ages and abilities. Materials are included—and the best part? We take care of cleanup! Today, you'll create your very own mosaic masterpiece to take home. This event […]
Investigate how trees age by counting the rings of "tree cookies", then make a decorated necklace of your own as a keepsake. This event is free with the price of general admission.
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.
Rain or shine, we're making crafts inspired by the day's weather! Possible crafts include kites, sun paper art, rain art, and other weather-related creative projects. This event is free with the price of general admission.
Join Junko each Wednesday to create your own scented playdough that's a squishy, smush-able sensory delight. This event is free with general museum admission.
Create colorful, sun-inspired art with vibrant yarn and sticks. This tactile activity is a perfect for little ones practicing fine motor control and hand-eye coordination! This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Ana Ziengel
Madison Children's Museum hosts a stage for the city's annual Make Music Madison event! Enjoy free, family-friendly live music at Rotary Plaza Stage, just outside the museum's front entrance. In the event of rain, performances will take place in the Museum's Community Concourse. Rotary Plaza Stage (outdoors) 10–10:30 am, Madison Children's Museum staff band10:45–11:15 am, […]
Create your very own instrument out of recycled materials and see what sounds you can make! Join us each week for new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities. These hands-on programs foster creativity, ignite curiosity, encourage divergent thinking, build problem-solving skills, and offer new ways for kids to explore the world around them. […]
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.
Blend, baby, blend! Use the power of body movement and our bike blender to make tart, refreshing lemonade to enjoy with the whole family. This event is free with general museum admission.
Dive into an exciting drop-in art experience each week with Laurie and our Art Studio team. Embark on projects with a wide variety of art media and processes for all ages and abilities. Materials are included—and the best part? We take care of cleanup! Today, we'll create tactile paintings using colored sand. This event is free with […]
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.
Blend, baby, blend! Use the power of body movement and our bike blender to make refreshing, delicious lemonade. This event is free with general museum admission.
Join Junko each Wednesday to create your own scented playdough that's a squishy, smush-able sensory delight. This event is free with general museum admission.
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 […]
See yourself in vibrant color! Get your photo printed and create a collage with joyful colors and affirming messages. This event is free and open to all ages.
Join the International Crane Foundation for programming in our brand new Nice Age Trail exhibit. Learn more about how cranes move and how their bodies have adapted to environments like that in Wisconsin. This event is free with the price of general admission.
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.
Lets get messy! Make mud pies and other (non-edible) creations with your little one in the garden to celebrate World Mud Day. This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Amity Hook-Sopko, Green Child
Dive into an exciting drop-in art experience each week with Laurie and our Art Studio team. Embark on projects with a wide variety of art media and processes for all ages and abilities. Materials are included—and the best part? We take care of cleanup! Today, we'll create printed textiles using dyes and resist made from mud. This […]
Somebody burst your bubble? No worries—we can make new ones! Explore the shiny, pearlescent world of bubble science and learn how these squeaky-clean beauties are formed. This event is free with the price of general admission.
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.
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 […]
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.
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.
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.
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 […]
Enjoy a sunny Fourth of July with MCM! The museum will be open today for our typical Thursday hours, 9 am to 8 pm, with free admission 4 pm to 8 pm.
Let your twig flag fly! Create colorful banners of your own design, mounted on sticks gathered from the museum's gardens. This event is part of our free admission Thursday evenings, 4 pm-8 pm. Image credit: Bonnie Scorer
Science, technology, engineering, and math—they're a critical part of nearly everything and you can use them to make amazing things! In this workshop, kids become architects and engineers as they design, build, and test small structures. Then they will light up their creations by building circuits while learning about renewable energy. Price & Logistics This […]
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.
Every first Friday 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! UPDATE: Don't Mess with Cupid will be unable to perform due to illness. We […]
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. July is Member Appreciation Month! Look forward to extra-special perks and events just for our fabulous museum members, all […]
All hands on deck! Channel your creativity and engineering skills to build your fastest and float-iest vessel. Test your boat in the pond and don't be afraid to cast away old designs. Experiment with different shapes and materials to see how they float, sink, capsize, or glide in the water. This event is free with […]
Dive into an exciting drop-in art experience each week with Laurie and our Art Studio team. Embark on projects with a wide variety of art media and processes for all ages and abilities. Materials are included—and the best part? We take care of cleanup! Today, let's weave handmade baskets. This event is free with general museum admission.
