Madison Children's Museum

Create your own one-of-a-kind bookmark with dried blooms from the museum's rooftop garden. 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.

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 […]

Explore the world of music and rhythm! Join Tim in the Celebrations room each week to enjoy play-based songs, games, and stories. Today we'll parade around the room, marching in time with the beat and listening to marching band music to celebrate the month of March! 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 create colorful custom prints. This […]

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 our friends from UW Neuroscience for brain-building activities and interact with REAL neurological specimens. Come learn how we think!

Choose your own art adventure—drawing, sculpting, cartooning, and more! Drop by the Art Studio classroom for open-ended creative opportunities, facilitated by our talented staff. This event is free and open to all ages.

Come along for a free night of exploration at MCM, from our own insides to the wide-open cosmos! Join our friends from the UW Neuroscience Outreach and the UW Astronomy Club and handle real neurological specimens at our Braaains! event, and discover objects in the night sky at our rooftop Stargazing program. Keep an eye […]

Join the UW Astronomy Club on the Rooftop Ramble to view the night sky! The Club will operate several telescopes viewing various nighttime objects like planets, nebulae, and other beautiful sights. This event will help visitors identify these sights and foster curiosity about the wonders of the universe.

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.

Give your weekend a bright and early beginning at MCM! Enjoy early hours starting at 8 am, every Saturday through March 30. If you've got little kids in the family, we know you're probably up anyway, so come downtown and let them climb the walls (literally, in our Hodge Podge Mahal climber.) Extended Saturday mornings […]

Come drop into a new art experience each week with Laurie and the Art Studio team. Explore art through a variety of creative media and processes meant for all ages and abilities. We'll take care of all the materials and the messes, too! Today we'll craft suncatchers with a faux stained glass effect. This event is […]

Have an extra-squirrely toddler? Take advantage of the museum's extended Saturday hours! Enjoy the tactile experience of scooping, pouring, and sorting colorful pompoms in the Wildernest, then get out those wiggles during an extra hour in the museum. This event is free with general museum admission.

This winter, enjoy a full extra hour of play on Saturday afternoons! We are open 8 am to 5 pm every Saturday through March 2024. This event is free with general museum admission.