Madison Children's Museum

MCM Roadshow: Parks Alive! At Warner
2025-08-13 17:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | WI
We’re taking the museum on the road! At community events all around Madison, you can stop by our station to dive into hands-on maker activities, design a small take-home art project, and experiment with creative fort-building. Our traveling play station sparks curiosity, encourages problem-solving, and brings museum-style learning to local events.

Happy Birthday, Madison Children's Museum!
2025-08-14 09:00 - 20:00 | WI
August 14, 2010, marked a new chapter for Madison Children’s Museum: We opened our forever home here on Hamilton Street. Fifteen years later, we’re honoring this milestone with a full day of birthday festivities! All day long we’ll make colorful party hats, decorate a giant cardboard cake, and create a collaborative birthday mural in the Art Studio. Don’t miss giant bubble experiments from 1–3 pm, followed by a festive birthday parade with Junko in the Wonderground at 1:30 PM.
During our evening free admission hours, join Jane from ZinZo Face Painting in the Celebrations Room 5-7 pm to get a colorful new look for the evening. As with our Lunchbox Cafe, you may pay what you wish. Face painting is free with admission, but donations are encouraged and go directly to the artist.
It’s the perfect day to bring friends and family and experience the joy of a birthday party MCM style!

Tales with Teresa
2025-08-14 09:30 - 10:00, 2025-08-21 09:30 - 10:00 | WI
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.

Let's Move! with Abby
2025-08-14 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-08-15 13:00 - 14:30, 2025-08-16 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-08-20 10:00 - 11:30 | WI
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.

Birthday Bubbles!
2025-08-14 13:00 - 15:00 | WI
Celebrate Madison Children’s Museum’s 15th birthday with the magic of giant bubbles! Watch colorful spheres shimmer and float, or grab a wand and make your own. It’s a hands-on way to join the party—filled with laughter, creativity, and bubbles big enough to wow kids and grown-ups alike.

Grand Tiny Parade!
2025-08-14 13:30 - 14:30, 2025-08-21 13:30 - 14:30 | WI
Join the tiniest parade with the biggest heart! Kids and grown-ups alike can grab a shaker or drum and jump into the rhythm as we parade through the Wonderground’s Down Under.Every Thursday, Junko and friends lead the fun in this playful, musical celebration.

Free Thursday Evenings
2025-08-14 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.

MCM Roadshow: Parks Alive! At Owl Creek
2025-08-14 17:00 - 19:00 | WI

Urb Garden Sensory Station
2025-08-15 10:00 - 11:00 | WI
Scoop, sprinkle, and sift! In the Urb Garden, children discover earthy textures, soft petals, and fragrant plants from our Rooftop Ramble. These sensory garden bins invite open-ended play, giving little hands a chance to explore nature’s shapes, colors, and scents up close. It’s a calm, tactile experience that builds observation skills and introduces the joy of nature.

Music with Junebug
2025-08-15 10:30 - 11:00 | WI
Sing, stomp, and hop to the beat with Junko “Junebug” Yamauchi. These energetic, interactive sessions blend lively music, playful rhythms, and storytelling elements that spark imagination. Junko’s joyful energy builds connection, confidence, and community—all through the magic of music and movement. Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

STEAM Time: Magnets
2025-08-15 11:00 | WI
Gain a better understanding of how magnets work and make one to bring home.

Clay It Forward!
2025-08-15 13:00 - 15:00 | WI
Roll, shape, and sculpt with us on Friday afternoons! Join Art Studio staff to explore the magic of clay while creating pots, tiles, and shapes that will find a home here in the museum. It’s a hands-on way to leave your creative mark while learning the basics of ceramic art.

Adult Swim: Moving Day
2025-08-15 17:30 - 21:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
All fun, no sweat—it’s Adult Swim: Moving Day!

Come celebrate the fresh-start feeling of a new move without the stress of packing up your life. Kick back with a cold beer, test your skills with cardboard box Tetris, acquire a new fave thing at our oddity swap, and more!

Moving day obstacle course: flex those muscles in the Wonderground
Pet rocks: create the quiet, tidy roomate you’ve always dreamed of
Premiere Trivia sessions at 6, 7, and 8 pm
Tennant Resource Center: learn about your rights as a renter, and test your knowledge with the TRC crew

Please note: The museum is NOT actually moving. Please do not call that friend with a truck or start boxing up the gift shop... we have packing tape, and we’re not afraid to use it.

Tickets

Ages 21+ ONLY

$20 in advance

$25 day of the event

Bring the whole moving crew! Get 10% off for 10 or more tickets, applied automatically at checkout.

Get Tickets

What is Adult Swim, anyway?

Adult Swim at Madison Children’s Museum honors the public pool tradition of kicking out the kids out so adults can get silly (just without an actual pool). This 21+ event series offers the chance to play like a grown-up— sipping, sliding, and pivot-ing your way through the museum.

Ticket cancellation/exchange policy.

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MCM Roadshow: Juju's Annual Block Party
2025-08-16 00:00 - 23:59 | WI

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Camp Kindergarten 2025
2025-08-18 09:00 - 11:00 | WI
Camp Kindergarten is designed to playfully foster social and behavioral skills useful for school readiness in children preparing to start kindergarten in the fall.

Kids will get to run like a gerbil, create like an artist, and think like a scientist, all while practicing important social skills. Each morning begins with free play time. Making new friends and playing together will help campers practice important Kindergarten skills, like turn-taking and standing in line, and will encourage kindness and confidence.Led by Heather Davis, MCM Family Learning and Research Manager, this popular program helps children develop social emotional skills as they prepare to start the school year.

Price & Logistics

$100 per child, MCM member discount is 10%This four-day camp runs Monday, Aug 18 through Thursday, Aug 21Campers may pack a snack. All activities will take place on site at MCM.

Register Now

MCM Roadshow: Parks Alive! At Galaxy Park
2025-08-18 17:00 - 19:00 | WI

Open Tuesday (special for August)
2025-08-19 09:00 - 16:00 | WI
We’re adding an extra day of play throughout August! The museum will be open every Tuesday this month, giving families more opportunities to visit their favorite exhibits, try out activities, and enjoy the last days of summer. Make your plans now for a special Tuesday outing!

STEAM Time: Nature Miniatures
2025-08-19 10:30 | WI
Design and build your own miniature nature scene.

Exploration Station: Dried Flower Bookmarks
2025-08-19 10:30 - 12:00 | WI
Create your own bookmark using dried flowers! Decorate your bookmark to your liking and then take it home to use for your next book.

MCM Roadshow: MATC Early Learning Event
2025-08-19 15:00 - 16:45 | WI

Fiber Arts Adventure
2025-08-20 13:00 - 15:00 | WI
Fabric, yarn, and imagination unite! Join Laurie from 1–3 pm for a drop-in workshop full of fiber arts projects like sewing, weaving, and more. Perfect for curious creators of all ages—make something delightful to take home.

Cabin Life: Drying Time & Tasty Pears
2025-08-20 14:00 - 15:00 | WI
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.

MCM Roadshow: Meadowood Health Partnership Community Dinner
2025-08-20 17:00 - 19:00 | WI

MCM Roadshow: Bayview Bash
2025-08-21 15:00 - 18:00 | WI
