Madison Children's Museum

Catapult Crafting
2023-12-26 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
3… 2… 1… Launch! Make your own catapult and see how far pom poms and other projectiles can fly. Learn about the physics of force and motion while launching objects of different weights and sizes.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Closed: Dec 24–Dec 25
2023-12-24 00:00 - 2023-12-25 23:59 | WI
Madison Children’s Museum is closed December 24 through December 25. But don’t fret! We’ll be back on Tuesday, December 26 from 9 am–4 pm and through the New Year.

Clay Day: Polymer Clay Pins
2023-12-23 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 “make and take” custom pins with polymer 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.

Exploration Station: Holiday Homes
2023-12-23 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Build your own little house out of carboard and decorate it for winter! Exercise your imagination and utilize diverse craft materials to design something festive.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Photo credit Camille Wooding

STEAM Time: Tinker Trees
2023-12-22 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Build a little tannenbaum using hardware and washers. Sort the washers smallest to largest, and experiment with how to attach parts together.

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.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Photo credit: Anne of Left Brain, Craft Brain

Solstice Lantern Making
2023-12-21 13:30 - 15:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Create your own solstice lantern to light up the night on the darkest day of the year!

This event is free with general museum admission.

Messy Art with Laurie: Painting with Jingle Bells
2023-12-21 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
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 paint with jangly, joyful jingle bells.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Opening of the City Table Temporary Exhibit
2023-12-20 09:00 - 16:00 | WI
Our beloved City Table is making a comeback for a limited time!

At Madison Children’s Museum, we’re all about up-cycling. From recycled art supplies in the Art Studio, to our mural of plastic bottles in the Wonderground, and a Lake Michigan buoy in the Hodge-Podge-Mahal climber, we love giving new life to old items. Now, we’re refurbishing a community-favorite legacy exhibit, the City Table.

Kids visiting MCM’s 2nd floor exhibits from 2010 to 2017 adored the City Table, a not-remotely-to-scale mini replica of the Madison Isthmus. With the City Table, visitors can take on the role of city planner—reinventing Madison and devising their own transportation system.

As we prepare for an exciting transition in the Capitol Point exhibit area, the City Table returns from Winter Wonder Weeks 2023 to April 2024. This temporary installation will be located in the Celebrations Room, across from the 2nd floor elevator.

Holiday Music with Suzuki Strings of Madison
2023-12-17 15:15 - 15:45 | WI
The violas of Suzuki Strings of Madison present holiday and classical favorites. Come enjoy the rich and festive sounds of performers ages 10-17.

Let's Make! with Lexie
2023-12-17 13:00 - 15:00 | WI
Explore new materials and creative techniques through facilitated art activities and bring home hand-made treasures and trinkets. Projects vary each week and may include sculpture, painting, comics, printmaking, and more!

This event is free with general museum admission.

Exploration Station: Wood Slice Ornaments
2023-12-17 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-12-16 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Flex your fine motor skills and creativity to decorate a wood slice ornament for the holidays. While you’re crafting, count the rings and see how old your tree is!

This event is free with general museum admission.

Saturday Art Adventures: Sock Critter Stuffies
2023-12-16 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. 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 “make-and-take” creative sock stuffies.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Holiday Concert with McFarland High BlueNotes Choir
2023-12-10 11:30 - 12:00 | WI
What’s better than holiday melodies floating through the museum on a chilly Friday morning? Enjoy a seasonal choir performance with students from McFarland High School’s BlueNotes Choir.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Data Festival
2022-06-25 15:30 - 17:00 | WI
Why do you think that she is a witch? He hasn’t got stuff all over him. Well, I didn’t vote for you. A newt? Look, my liege! I don’t want to talk to you no more, you empty-headed animal food trough water! I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries! Now leave before I am forced to taunt you a second time!

Data Con 2
2021-06-29 17:00 - 19:45 | WI
Join us at Data Con 2.0, a dynamic gathering of data professionals, researchers, policymakers, and innovators from across the region. This convention offers a full day (or weekend) of insightful panels, hands-on workshops, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities—all focused on the power of data to drive decision-making, innovation, and community impact. Whether you’re in government, academia, business, or tech, come discover the latest trends, tools, and best practices in data science and analytics. Connect with peers, share your work, and be inspired to use data for good. Don’t miss this hub of regional data excellence!

Data Convention
2021-06-28 17:00 | WI
Join us at the Midwest Data Convention, a dynamic gathering of data professionals, researchers, policymakers, and innovators from across the region. This convention offers a full day (or weekend) of insightful panels, hands-on workshops, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities—all focused on the power of data to drive decision-making, innovation, and community impact. Whether you’re in government, academia, business, or tech, come discover the latest trends, tools, and best practices in data science and analytics. Connect with peers, share your work, and be inspired to use data for good. Don’t miss this hub of regional data excellence!

Data Fiesta
2021-06-25 17:00 | WI
Join us for a Data Party — a fun, collaborative event where we dive into datasets, explore insights, and share discoveries in an informal, engaging atmosphere. Whether you’re a data enthusiast, researcher, student, or just curious, this is your chance to learn new tools, clean and visualize data, and connect with others over snacks, music, and meaningful analysis. Bring your laptop, your questions, and your curiosity! No advanced experience required — just a willingness to explore and collaborate. Come for the data, stay for the community. Let’s turn numbers into narratives together! Everyone’s invited to this celebration of data discovery.

Data Party
2021-06-25 16:00 | WI
