Madison Landmarks and Monuments

(Madison, Wisconsin - WI, USA)



Wisconsin's capital city of Madison possesses a number of historical buildings, landmarks and mansions, many of which boast imposing architecture on a grand scale.

Famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright had strong links with Madison and once lived here as a child. He is responsible for designing several of the city's most striking and important buildings, such as both the Harold C. Bradley House, and the Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House.

Centrally located and shaped as a cross, the Wisconsin State Capitol Building is called home by the Wisconsin Legislature chambers, the Wisconsin Supreme Court and also the governor's offices. Inspired by the architecture of Washington DC's Capitol, this State House was completed in the year 1917, after the previous Capitol suffered at the hands of a huge fire, virtually burning it to the ground when its state-of-the-art sprinkler system failed, since the reservoir it was connected to was dry. To make matters worse, the State Legislature had recently cancelled the fire insurance policy.


Wisconsin State Capitol Building

Address: 2 East Main Street, Madison, Wisconsin (WI), 53703, USA
Tel: +1 608 266 0382
The central towering dome (the biggest granite dome in existence) is the most recognisable distinguishing feature of this landmark and raises the overall height of the structure to almost 87 meters / 285 feet. Standing proudly atop the dome is the 'Wisconsin Statue', which was added in 1920 and sculpted by famed artist Daniel Chester French of New York. A National Historic Landmark since 2001, the Wisconsin State Capitol Building is clearly visible from quite a distance, since a state law is in place to prevent any surrounding structure from being any taller than the base of the rotunda. Guided tours depart on a regular basis and often take in rooms such as the Cabinet Room of the Governor, the Assembly and the Senate, as well as an elevated observation deck.
Open hours: guided tours, September to May, Monday to Saturday - 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, Sunday - 13:00, 14:00, 15:00; June to August, Monday to Saturday - 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, Sunday - 13:00, 14:00, 15:00
Admission: free

Wisconsin Governor's Mansion

Address: 99 Cambridge Road, Madison, Wisconsin (WI), 53704, USA
Tel: +1 608 246 5501
The 34-room Wisconsin Governor's Mansion or 'Executive Residence' is an especially grand home, situated within the neighboring suburb of Maple Bluff, to the northeast of downtown Madison and alongside the attractive easterly shoreline of Lake Mendota. Built during the early 1920s and sold to the state in 1949 for just under US$48,000, the mansion is now the official residence of the governor of Wisconsin. The estate covers an area of almost 1.5 hectares / 4 acres, while the property itself boasts elegant southern Classical Revival architecture and features grand fluted columns fronting the entrance. Roughly 20,000 visitors now come here each year, enjoying guided tours of the principal rooms and the landscaped gardens.
Open hours: daily - 08:00 to 17:00; guided tours, April to August, Thursday - 13:00 to 15:00
Admission: free

First Unitarian Society of Madison

Address: 900 University Bay Drive, Madison, Wisconsin (WI), 53705, USA
Tel: +1 608 233 9774
Serving a local congregation of more than 2,000 people, the meeting house of the First Unitarian Society of Madison was built between the years of 1949 and 1951. It was designed by one of the world's most renowned architects of the modern 20th century, Frank Lloyd Wright. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and also registered as a National Historic Landmark, the structure has a simple sweeping roof with steep angles, which looks as if it almost touches the ground. Regular worship services are held here, often featuring live choir music.
Open hours: guided tours by appointment, May to October, Monday to Friday - 10:30 and 14:30, Sunday - after 09:00 and 11:00 services; November to April, Sunday - after 09:00 and 11:00 services, two week notice required
Admission: suggested donation

Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House / Jacobs I

Address: 441 Toepfer Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin (WI), 53711, USA
Sited to one side of the Glenway Golf Course, the Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House is another of the city's Frank Lloyd Wright creations. The house was built in 1937, after local journalist Herbert Jacobs challenged the architect to design him a house for less than US$5,000. This is believed to have been the very first of Wright's acclaimed 'Usonian' homes and it therefore holds an important place in the history of contemporary residential architecture. In fact, the house is now famous the world over. Many people refer to the property as 'Jacobs I', since the family soon outgrew the space and moved to their 'Jacobs II' house in 1944, which is located at 3995 Shawn Trail and was also designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, being named the 'Solar Hemicycle'.
Open hours: guided tours can be arranged
Admission: free

Harold C. Bradley House

Address: 106 North Prospect Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin (WI), 53726, USA
Often referred to as the Mrs. Josephine Crane Bradley Residence and found in the University Heights Historic District, close to the Eugene A. Gilmore House, this attractive residence is a classic example of Prairie-School architecture, coming complete with strong angular lines and overhanging eaves. The property was built in 1909 as a wedding gift from university professor Harold C. Bradley to his future wife, with its design being very much influenced by those of Frank Lloyd Wright and other leading architects of the era. In 1976, the Harold C. Bradley House was listed as a National Historic Landmark and it has been occupied by the Sigma Phi Society of the University of Wisconsin since 1915.
Open hours: guided tours by arrangement
Admission: free

Gates of Heaven Synagogue

Address: 302 East Gorham Street / Butler Street, Madison, Wisconsin (WI), 53706, USA
Tel: +1 608 257 2944
The Gates of Heaven (Shaarei Shamayim) Synagogue dates back to 1863. It was founded by a local Jewish population that arrived from Germany and was originally built at 214 West Washington Avenue. With German-style Romanesque Revival architecture similar to those houses within the adjoining neighborhood of Mansion Hill, this historic synagogue is actually the eighth-oldest in the whole of the USA and joined the National Register of Historic Places in the year 1970. Shortly afterwards it was acquired by the city of Madison and then actually relocated to its present setting, in the James Madison Park, since the prospect of demolition loomed. The building was literally raised upon sets of wheels and carefully towed to the park (and then fully restored), where it is now a popular spot for weddings (all faiths).
Open hours: daily - hours vary
Admission: free

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Address: 702 West Johnson Street, Madison, Wisconsin (WI), 53706, USA
Tel: +1 608 265 3000
Established in 1848 and located within central Madison, the University of Wisconsin-Madison features a spreading campus fronting Lake Mendota, where it covers an area of more than 930 hectares / 2,300 acres. This important educational institution is both the state's largest and oldest, with its campus including no less than five National Historic Landmarks, namely the Armory and Gymnasium on Langdon Street, the Bradley Harold C. House on North Prospect Avenue, the Dairy Barn on Linden Drive, the North Hall on the Bascom Mall, and the Science Hall on North Park Street. Other notable sights and buildings include Bascom Hall, the Carillon Tower, Dejope Hall, the George L. Mosse Humanities Building, Grainger Hall, the Memorial Union, Music Hall, Van Hise Hall, the Wisconsin Union and Weeks Hall, where the Geology Museum is to be found. Close to 45,000 students are now enrolled here, roughly three quarters of which are undergraduates.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free