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Special Events
Something is happening every day at Madison Children’s Museum!
We also have special events throughout the year. We look forward to seeing you here!
Shine On Madison at the Children’s Museum
Saturday, November 16 @ 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Calling all tiny tots with their eyes all aglow!
Kick-off the holiday season with a special evening event! Madison’s Central Business Improvement District presents Shine On Madison, which launches tonight with a holiday lighting ceremony at 6:08 p.m., an outdoor Winter Night Market, and special activities throughout downtown Madison.
Madison Children’s Museum stays open until 8 p.m. this evening. Help us build a collaborative glowing sculpture to light up the Rooftop Ramble, and join in light and illumination themed crafts.
Madison Children’s Museum’s drop-in programs are included with museum admission (free for members, $9 for non-member adults and children ages 1+, see our registration pages for information on discounts or to buy admission tickets). No pre-registration is needed.
You may buy general admission tickets at the front desk, or save time and order them online. Tickets are good for visiting on any day the museum is open to the public; and they never expire.
Learn more about Madison Children’s Museum admission, including membership and discount programs.
This event is part of Winter Wonder Weeks at
Madison Children’s Museum:
Toddler Date Night: Party Animals
Friday, November 22 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Join us for a special night celebrating everything wonderful and woeful about parenting a toddler!
Bring your toddler along to date night at the museum and enjoy playful fun for all!
Activities for Toddlers:
- Animal Bathtime on the Rooftop — whether you’re pro- or anti-bath, you’ll enjoy helping our messy toy animals get clean
- Playdough Party — smash, mush, squish, and use animal-shaped cutters to get the tactile fun you crave. It’s even better than playing with your food!
- Ball Room — Too little to play in the ball pit with the big kids at the resturant? Well, there are no big kids here, so all the balls are yours!
Activities for Parents:
- Toddler Tantrum Confessions — We know. You’re the worst parent in the world. You wouldn’t let her wash your smartphone or eat the french fries he found under the picnic table at the park. Clear your conscience by writing your tantrum-causing sins on our whiteboard for all the world to see. (Get ideas here.)
- Family Photobooth — Did she walk into the table and get a giant bruise the day before you were going to go get holiday photos taken? Haul your offspring over to our photo backdrop and snap a few shots that might do for your obligatory holiday card or at least a decent Instagram post.
- Parent & Kid Handprint Art — Use your handprints to create an adorable kid & parent art project to keep (or in a cheap frame it makes for a great addition to grandma’s holiday gift!)
- Mocktail for parents, snacks for kids — Featuring our signature mocktail the “Tantrum Tamer.” Because sometimes mommy or daddy needs a pick-me-up too!
- Wobbly Walkers Contest — Whose toddler is the fastest? Divisions for new, experienced, and advanced walkers; with prizes!
- End the evening with a dramatic —but censored—reading of F*%$, Now There Are Two Of You by Adam Mansbach.
Registration is $7 for adults, and free for toddlers. Child attendees should be age 3 and younger.
Space is limited and this event may sell-out, so please register soon. Members get 10% off of registration.
Did you know we offer free membership to new parents?!
Sign up for our free First-Time Parent Membership if you’re a first-time parent with a child under 18 months old.
Tea & Trains 2019
Saturday, December 7 @ 10:30 am - 2:00 pm
Bring your family to celebrate the holidays and support Madison Children’s Museum
Tea & Trains
Saturday, December 7, 2019
10:30 a.m.–2 p.m. at the Madison Club
Tea & Trains is a holiday tradition for Madison area families, enjoying time together while raising money to support Madison Children’s Museum. This special event features signature train collections by guest conductors, activities for children and families and, of course, our annual holiday high tea, with hot chocolate, too. Find gifts, take family photos, craft keepsakes, and make memories to last a lifetime. Tea & Trains is a treat for the young and young at heart.
All proceeds from Tea & Trains support the museum’s Access for Everyone programs, helping all families play, create, imagine, and learn together.
Individual tickets ($35 each) for adults and children over one. Children under one-year-old are free. Please buy your tickets in advance to attend. Quantities are limited and tickets usually sell out. This year we do not plan to offer at-door admission. Ticket holders should check in at our registration desk upon arriving at Tea & Trains.
Activities at Tea & Trains
- Holiday high tea featuring gourmet food and treats to delight all ages
- Conductor Joe Schappel’s private American Flyer electric Model Railway Display, plus interactive train toys
- Find gifts for every member of the family in our Tea & Trains Silent Auction
- Storytime with special guest, to be announced, reading our featured storybook: Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
- Winter arts & crafts with members of the Madison Children’s Museum staff
Special add-on experiences:
- Doll Hairstyling Salon staffed by American Girl Benefit Sale volunteers—bring your own American Girl doll to giver her hair a festive new style
- Toy basket raffles featuring three bountiful baskets of toys, perfect for gifting
Ticket Packages
All packages include Tea Room recognition and Tea & Trains email recognition, in addition to the benefits listed below:
Jingle Bells Package: $125
- 2 Tea & Trains tickets
- 1 museum admission pass (admits up to 4 guests)
Elves Package: $250
- 4 Tea & Trains tickets
- 2 museum admission passes (admit up to 4 guests each)
Conductor Package: $500
- 8 Tea & Trains tickets
- 4 museum admission passes (admit up to 4 guests each)
Become a sponsor of Tea & Trains!
Please see the Tea & Trains event page for all details, updates and ticket information.
Adult Swim: Wizard Academy Yule Ball
Friday, December 13 @ 6:00 am - 10:00 pm
Wizard Academy is coming back to Adult Swim, with a holiday twist!
By popular demand, Adult Swim at Madison Children’s Museum is bringing back our Wizard Academy theme; this year we’re channeling the festivity and drama of the Hogwarts Yule Ball!
- Craft sparkling potions as jewelry, gifts, or ornaments
- Delve into the obscure art and science of wand making
- Adopt your own “adorable” mandrake from our mandrake nursery
- Unfog your future with divination lessons, with a special emphasis on New Year’s divination and luck traditions
- Compete to win the Triwizard cup for your school in our most challenging scavenger hunt yet!
Come see why Adult Swim is one of Madison’s favorite night-out activities!
| Ticket | Details | Price |
| Individual | Admission to Event | $12.75 or $15 day-of |
| Add-on | Coming soon | TBD |
About Adult Swim:
Adult Swim at Madison Children’s Museum honors the public pool tradition of kicking the kids out so adults can have the space to themselves (without the water or need for a swimsuit). This 21-and-up event series offers adults the opportunity to play like a grown-up for the evening—crawling, sliding, crafting, and dancing their way through the museum. Adult Swim events are held 6-8 times a year, each with its own unique, photo-worthy theme. From Steampunk to Prohibition, Science Soirees to Prom, the topics and fun are endless.
Please note, this event is not affiliated with ADULT SWIM, the television and entertainment network—also, we don’t have a swimming pool.
Want to stay up-to-date on the latest Adult Swim news and event announcements? Join our mailing list!
New Year’s Day (We are Open!)
January 1, 2020 @ 9:30 am - 8:00 pm
Ring in the New Year with Madison Children’s Museum
New this year! Madison Children will be OPEN for regular business hours 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. on New Year’s Day.
And as it’s also the first Wednesday of the month, we will be open for FREE from 5–8 p.m. for Free Family Night.
Beat holiday cabin fever and dive into a new year of creative learning!
Madison Children’s Museum’s drop-in programs are included with museum admission (Free for members, $9 for non-member adults and children ages 1+, see our registration pages for information on discounts or to buy admission tickets.) No pre-registration is needed.
You may buy general admission tickets at the front desk, or save time and order them online. Tickets are good for visitation on any day the museum is open to the public and never expire.
Learn more about Madison Children’s Museum admission, including membership and discount programs.
This event is part of Winter Wonder Weeks at
Madison Children’s Museum:
We thank our museum sponsors
