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
Paint one-of-a-kind colorful creations using sticks gathered from nearby parks, and use them in playful imagination games. This event is free with the price of general admission. Image credit: Courtney Sanchez
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 we're welcoming The Funkee JBeez, an ensemble led by award-winning drummer Joey B. […]
After two weeks of deep cleaning and maintenance, we're back and ready for a fabulously playful fall. Enjoy a squeaky-clean museum and get excited for brand-new autumn programs!
Join us for movement games in the Wonderground! From obstacle courses to dances, group games, balance activities, and yoga, we'll enjoy different opportunities to move our bodies every day. This event is free with general museum admission.
Have you ever wanted to walk on water? Learn how native insects use surface tension to traverse the water, and create your very own water strider buddy out of crafting wire. This event is free with the price of general admission.
Experiment with magnets to learn about polarity and decorate your very own magnet to bring home! 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! Today, we'll create our own functional tote bags to take home. This event is free with general museum admission.
Join us for movement games in the Wonderground! From obstacle courses to dances, group games, balance activities, and yoga, we'll enjoy different opportunities to move our bodies every day. This event is free with general museum admission.
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 MCM staff and friends from Willy Street Co-op to get creative with food in the Lunchbox cafe! Today, we'll channel our culinary creativity with a coloring activity. This event is free with general admission.
Join us for movement games in the Wonderground! From obstacle courses to dances, group games, balance activities, and yoga, we'll enjoy different opportunities to move our bodies every day. 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 also offers heavily discounted admission and memberships to families who […]
Join us for movement games in the Wonderground! From obstacle courses to dances, group games, balance activities, and yoga, we'll enjoy different opportunities to move our bodies every day. This event is free with general museum admission.
Learn about the traditional method for preserving heritage plants and practice seed saving with plants grown in the Rooftop Ramble garden. 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 […]
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.
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 with general museum admission.
Create your own unique nature painting! Experiment with leaves, flowers, sticks, and pinecones as materials to apply paint and see what organic patterns you can create. 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.
Fall 2024 Session Exercise your creativity and have fun learning computer programming! Class participants will learn computer programming fundamentals while making their own interactive art, animated stories, or games using Scratch, a programming language specially designed for teaching. For kids aged 9–13 interested in problem-solving/figuring out how to do stuff—no prior programming experience necessary. Parents […]
Join us for movement games in the Wonderground! From obstacle courses to dances, group games, balance activities, and yoga, we'll enjoy different opportunities to move our bodies every day. This event is free with general museum admission.
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 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 bodies 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 movement games in the Wonderground! From obstacle courses to dances, group games, balance activities, and yoga, we'll enjoy different opportunities to move our bodies every day. 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 also offers heavily discounted admission and memberships to families who […]
Join us for movement games in the Wonderground! From obstacle courses to dances, group games, balance activities, and yoga, we'll enjoy different opportunities to move our bodies every day. This event is free with general museum admission.
Learn about the chemicals contained in everyday kitchen ingredients and discover how they react with one another! Step into the role of a scientist and test these safe combinations with hands-on experimentation. Join us each week for new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities. These hands-on programs foster creativity, ignite curiosity, encourage divergent […]
Celebrate Worldwide Day of Play at Madison Children's Museum on Saturday, September 28, 2024. Find brand new ways to play in the Wonderground, learn about your food's journey from farm to lunch table, create ginormous bubbles on the Rooftop Ramble, and let your creativity flow in the Art Studio! Featured Activities All activities are free […]
Kick off Worldwide Day of Play with our friends from the UW College of Agricultural and Life Sciences! Learn more about the origins of your food, from farm to lunch table. This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Kevin Rej
Celebrate Worldwide Day of Play with us and create ginormous bubbles on the Rooftop Ramble. 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! Today, make your mark and create custom, hand-made stamps. This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Jackie Currie
Join us for movement games in the Wonderground! From obstacle courses to dances, group games, balance activities, and yoga, we'll enjoy different opportunities to move our bodies every day. This event is free with general museum admission.
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 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 bodies in this interactive weekly program. This event will be held in the Nice Age Trail exhibit and is free with general museum admission.
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 also offers heavily discounted admission and memberships to families who […]
Decorate a paper cup planter to bring home a 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 part of our free admission Thursday evenings, 4 pm-8 pm.
Get your creativity flowing with Lexie in the Idea Lab! Practice different methods for generating new art projects and storytelling concepts with guidance from the Idea Machine. This event is part of our free admission Thursday evenings, 4 pm-8 pm every week.
The sky’s the limit on these tiny but mighty toothpick structures. Practice your engineering skills, explore the stability of triangles versus rectangles, and challenge yourself to build high! STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities foster children’s creativity, ignite curiosity, encourage divergent thinking, and increase problem-solving skills as children explore the world around them. […]
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 free treats while supplies last. Not a member yet? Become one today! Membership starts immediately, so you can visit for free anytime the museum […]
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.
Create your own little fairy abode! Experiment with leaves, flowers, sticks, stones, and a sparkling dose of imagination to construct a cozy home for diminutive fae friends. This event is free with the price of general admission.
