Madison Children's Museum

Clay Day: Modeling Clay Minis
2025-04-18 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Explore the squishy, smudgy, sculptable world of clay! Today, we’ll make-and-take mini statuettes with modeling clay.

Each Friday, join us for a different drop-in clay experience in the Art Studio. We’ll work with a variety of media–ceramic clay, dough, paper clay, polymer clay, and more. This event is free with general museum admission.

STEAM Time: Renewable Energy with KidWind
2025-04-18 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
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

Music with Junebug
2025-04-18 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-04-11 10:30 - 11:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join us for Music with Junebug, led by Junko Yamauchi!

This program gives toddlers and preschoolers the opportunity to sing, dance, explore instruments, and play. Music and movement activities promote brain development and connect us to our family and community.

For today’s Music with Junebug location, please ask at the admissions desk or check the Welcome Wall in our lobby. This event is free with general museum admission.

Let's Move! with Abby
2025-04-18 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-04-17 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-04-16 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-04-12 13:00 - 14:30, 2025-04-11 13:30 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join us for movement games and activities! From obstacle courses to dances, group games and balance activities, we’ll enjoy different opportunities to move our bodies every day. Program location is subject to change, depending on the weather. Please check our Welcome Wall for the most up-to-date location information.This event is free with general museum admission.

Early Explorers Playgroup
2025-04-18 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-04-11 09:30 - 10:30 | 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.

Aventuras en Español: el Día del Niño
2025-04-17 17:00 - 19:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Celebra el Día del Niño con nosotros. Únete a nuestro taller especial para celebrar a los niños. Haremos mini piñatas, jugaremos a las sillas musicales con música latina animada, y disfrutaremos de un espectáculo de marionetas, todo en español. ¡Es una celebración llena de alegría donde todos pueden aprender y jugar juntos!

Celebrate Children’s Day with us! Join us for a special workshop to celebrate kids. We’ll make mini piñatas, play musical chairs with lively Latin music, and enjoy a puppet show—all in Spanish. It’s a joyful celebration where everyone can learn and play together!This event is part of our Free Thursday Evenings, 4 pm to 8 pm every week.

Cereal for Dinner
2025-04-17 17:00 - 19:00
As voted by visitors in our kids-only election: the Lunchbox will offer a Cereal-for-Dinner service! Cereals featured will be Frosted Flakes, Honey Nut Cheerios, and granola. Cow’s milk and oat milk will also be provided. Crunch to your heart’s content, as long as supplies last!

Wild Wonders: Adopt a Succulent
2025-04-17 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
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 part of our free admission Thursday evenings, 4 pm-8 pm.

Lexie's Idea Lab: Zine Party!
2025-04-17 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Get your creativity flowing with Lexie in the Idea Lab! Practice different methods for creating 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.

Free Thursday Evenings
2025-04-17 16:00 - 20:00, 2025-04-10 16:00 - 20:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
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 who qualify through our Access for Everyone initiative.

Messy Art with Laurie
2025-04-17 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
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 museum admission.

Tales with Teresa
2025-04-17 09:30 - 10:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
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.

Music Time with Tim
2025-04-16 11:00 - 11:30
Explore the world of music and rhythm! Join Tim each week to enjoy play-based songs, games, and stories.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Puppet Parade: Crafting Creatures
2025-04-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
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

Exploration Station: Birds & Nests
2025-04-13 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
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

Saturday Art Egg-ventures
2025-04-12 13:00 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Dive into an exciting drop-in art experience each week with Laurie and our Art Studio team. We’ll offer projects in a wide variety of art media and art processes for all ages and abilities. Today, celebrate spring and decorate delightfully vibrant eggs. This event is free with general museum admission.

Exploration Station: Planting Shiitake Mushrooms
2025-04-12 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
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

Adult Swim: Time Warp
2025-04-11 17:30 - 21:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
It’s a timestream mashup at Adult Swim!

Take a jump to the left and drive your DeLorean into the TARDIS as we slingshot around the sun for Adult Swim: Time Warp. The patient among you can stay tuned for more details; the rest of you can jump into the future to learn them now (and let us know).

Adult Swim Tickets

$20 advance

$25 day of event

Bring the whole friend group and get 10% off your order of 10+ tickets!

Get Your Tickets

Timebending Activities

Wisconsin Time Machine: Great Scott! Channel your inner Marty McFly and travel back to October 26, 1985, with Wisconsin’s own iconic DeLorean time machine.

Premier Trivia–Time Warp edition: Twist your brain through time and space with temporally-inspired trivia.

Time Hopping: Travel to 1850, 1925, 1975, 2125, and 3025 in different spots across the museum.

Build Your Own Time Capsule: Craft lava lamp jewelry, make mini robots, and write a letter to your future self (spoiler alert: you’re awesome) in the Art Studio.

Future Food Frontier: Join friends from the UW Entomology Society to sample the protein of the future: insects! Pro(tein) tip: enough ice cream makes anything taste good.

Storied Flavors from Banzo: Feast on Mediterranean favorites, for purchase from Banzo’s pop-up food truck!

Music from 1970s with DJ Nick Nice: Groove is in the heart… and also the Wonderground. Bell-bottoms optional!

Gerbil Wheel of Time: Take a mind-bending journey that will make Doctor Who look like a time tourist. Where in time will it spit you out? Only your Future Self can say.

Soil… with a Past: Discover the time-essential process of composting and find out how yesterday’s food waste is essential for a greener future.

MG&E Madness: It’s electric! It’s kinetic! Create spin art and generate power with your own body movement.

What is Adult Swim?

Adult Swim at Madison Children’s Museum borrows the public pool tradition of kicking out the kids so adults can have the place to themselves (just without actual swimming). Adult Swim makes space to play like a grown-up—crafting, drinking, and leap-year-ing your way through the museum.

Ticket cancellation/exchange policy.

Sensory Worlds with Junko
2025-04-11 13:30 - 14:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
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.

Clay Day: Bas-Relief Sculptures
2025-04-11 13:00 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Explore the squishy, smudgy, sculptable world of clay! Today, we’ll create scenes in clay using negative space and exercising our fine motor skills.

Each Friday, join us for a different drop-in clay experience in the Art Studio. We’ll work with a variety of media–ceramic clay, dough, paper clay, polymer clay, and more. This event is free with general museum admission.

STEAM Time: Adopt a Succulent
2025-04-11 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
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.

Wild Wonders: Bug Buddies
2025-04-10 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Create your own little insect companion using craft wire, beads, and other mixed materials.

This event is part of our free admission Thursday evenings, 4 pm-8 pm.

Lexie's Idea Lab
2025-04-10 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
