Madison Beaches and Goodman Pool Open This Weekend

Grab your water wings and pail and shovel and don't forget the sunscreen because school's out and Madison's beaches are officially open. Goodman Pool and Cypress Spray Park are open starting Saturday too.

The Goodman Pool has 2 water slides, a big shallow area with easy entry for the little kids and spray areas for the to play in. The daily rate for residents is $4.25 for adults and $2.75 for kids 1-18. It's $4.75 for each non-resident adult and $3.00 for each non-resident child. You can get season passes as well. The beaches and Cypress Spray Park are free.

There is also a splash park at Lakeview Community Park in Middleton.

[via madison.com]

Madison, WI Beaches
http://www.cityofmadison.com/beaches/

Goodman Pool
325 Olin Ave.
Madison, WI 53713
(608)264-9292
http://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/pool/


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Cypress Spray Park
902 Magnolia Lane
Madison, WI
http://cityofmadison.com/parks/major/cypressspraypark.html


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Ice Skating at Tenney Park in Madison, WI

The Tenney Park lagoon, on Madison's near east side, is great for ice skating. The warming house was packed, but the lagoon is so big that two hockey games could be played while the rest of us could skate, or fall down, without worrying about being run over. The ice was a little rough in a couple of spots, but nothing that needed to be avoided. You can rent skates, check out hockey sticks, and the ice skating trainers that look like walkers too.

The rental rates from the park's web site are:
Adults/1st hour $6.00
Additional Hours $2.00
Children 14 and under $3.00
Additional Hours $1.00

And the hours from the web site are:
Mon-Fri 2:00 p.m. - 9:30p.m.
Sat-Sun 11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Elver and Vilas parks also have ice skating and rentals in the warming shelter. Goodman, Garner, Olbrich, Warner, and Westmorland parks also have skating and warming shelters, but they don't rent skates according to the web site.

Tenney Park
1338 Sherman Ave.
Madison, WI 53703
http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/parks/winterAct2.html


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Eplegaarden in Fitchburg, WI

Eplegaarden is a farm just south of Madison. There are several pumpkin patches and an apple orchard for picking apples. We had a good time picking out pumpkins on a beautiful October afternoon. Unfortunately, we didn't bring a lot of cash or our checkbook and had to leave three of them behind since they don't take credit or debit cards. The hours also are different depending on the day. The hours on the web site are not the same hours that were posted at the farm. The farm pretty much closes at 5 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday according to the web site although the sign that was posted said they are open until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays the week we were there.

Eplegaarden
2227 Fitchburg Rd
Fitchburg, WI
(608) 845-5966
eplegaarden.com

Splash Park at Lakeview Community Park in Middleton, WI

Today, the girls and I tried out the new splash park located in Lakeview Community Park in Middleton. We had such a good time! There's plenty of room to run around in the sprinklers and get wet. There's also enough open space between sprinklers, so if you want to stay dry, you can. Plenty of benches to sit and take a break and have a snack. The splash park is free, which is especially nice. Lakeview Park itself is a wonderful park. It has a great shady playground area, a pond and paths to walk. Fantastic place! Wish we had discovered it earlier in the summer.

Splash Park @ Lakeview Community Park
6300 Mendota Ave
Middleton, WI 53562

(Thanks for the review Julie!)

Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) in Madison, WI

MSCR offers a wide variety of programs for kids as well as adults. We have taken a few classes including Pre-Ballet, Parent/Child Art and currently, our three year old is enrolled in a swimming class called Shrimp Dip. It is a parent/child class, which means a parent or other adult needs to go in the water with her and participate. Basically, you are your child's teacher. She is loving it and will even let me pull her hair back for class, which is a MAJOR accomplishment!! The classes are reasonably priced (I think swimming was about $30 for 8 weeks). A new MSCR guide comes out every season. I think I may enroll myself in an exercise class. It's something you should check out. They have something for everyone.

Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR)
3802 Regent St
Madison, WI 53705
(608) 204-3000
mscr.org

(Thanks for the review Julie!)

Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, WI

Olbrich Botanical Gardens is one of my family's favorite places to go, all year round. Last week we went to see their spring flower show entitled "Springtime Skyline: An Urban Oasis". A rooftop garden is all set up with beautiful flowers, including daffodils, tulips, violas and hydrangea. It was wonderful to step out of winter and into spring, if just for a little while. The show is free but a $2 donation is suggested. Here's a link to the spring flower show, if you would like to read more about it:

http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/Olbrich/special%20events/Spring%20Show/spring_show.htm

We also wandered through the Bolz Conservatory, which is like stepping into a tropical rainforest. It is so warm and balmy, it helps you beat your winter blues. There's a waterfall, which falls into a goldfish and Koi pond and stream, which always captivates my girls. Sophie loves running around in the rain forest. The Conservatory is $1 per person, kids 5 and under are free. It is also free to Garden members.
In the spring, summer and fall we like to stroll (or run, as Sophie does!) through the beautiful outdoor gardens. It's a great place to wander through and enjoy the flowers and plant life. A fabulous place to be outdoors.

Olbrich Gardens does have a special events. Our favorite is Blooming Butterflies. It starts in the the lobby, where they have butterfly displays set up to enjoy, then the conservatory where they house live butterflies!! It's an amazing sight! Then out to the gardens to collect stamps to fill your Butterfly Passport. Find butterflies in their native habitat throughout the gardens, and earn a custard cone from Michael's Frozen Custard! Who can beat that!!
Make sure you check out the Olbrich Gardens website, which is listed below. A great family outing.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens
3330 Atwood Ave
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 246-4550
ci.madison.wi.us/Olbrich/

(Thanks for the review Julie!)

Pheasant Branch Conservancy in Middleton, WI

Pheasant Branch is a sprawling conservancy in the city of Middleton. The north end of the conservancy is a large, roughly square park. The southern portion is a narrow stretch of woods snaking through Middleton. It's got a good gravel path for walking or biking, and has great shade in the summer. Skiing is available in the winter.

Parisi Park sits just south of the intersection of the conservancy and Park Street, and there's another small park at the very northern end of the conservancy. The nearby Middleton Aquatic Center (waterslides!) and tennis courts make this a good day trip for a family looking for a variety of activities.

Pheasant Branch Conservancy
4864 Pheasant Branch Rd
Middleton, WI 53562
pheasantbranch.org

(Thanks for the review Honkus!)

Vitense Golfland in Madison, WI

This place has two outdoor mini-golf courses, a rockwall and batting cages outside. Inside, there is another mini-golf course and a few chuck-ee-cheese type games (skee ball, etc).

The courses are all pretty fun, and going inside here to play games in the winter doesn't have that same overwhelming feeling that chuk-ee-cheese gives me.

There's a snack bar too.

(they also have a par 3 golf course and a driving range for adults)

Vitense Golfland
5501 W Beltline Hwy
Madison, WI 53711
(608) 271-1400
vitense.com

(Thanks for the review Anne!)

Fireman's Park in Verona, WI

This is the best swimming beach close to Madison. It's a converted quarry, not a natural watershed destination, so there is no significant residential or agricultural fertilizer runoff that makes most of the other lakes algae-ridden.

It's a little pricey for non-Verona-residents ($4 for adults, $3 for kids), but it has a concession stand, lifeguards, a diving board, two water slides (a big one and a little one) and a playground.

Fireman's Park
570 Bruce St
Verona, WI

(Thanks for the review ChrisDolan!)

Bristol Renaissance Faire in Bristol, WI

About a two hour drive from Madison, the Bristol Faire is a great day of renaissance fun for the whole family. Unlike a lot of renaissance faires, there's lots of trees and shade. You can go in street clothes, or dress up in costume, as you like.

Kids can enjoy a variety of rides and treats, grownups can enjoy a wide variety of shopping, and everyone can enjoy a bunch of open air performances, shows, and jousts.

Wear good shoes, the faire is BIG, and there's a lot of walking to be done. Bring an all terrain stroller for the wee ones, and sunblock for everybody.

Use a two-for-one coupon from a Bucky Book, and catch it on a kids' free day, and you can save quite a bit of money on admission. The faire is seasonal, open on weekends during the summer, so check the website for the schedule.




Bristol Renaissance Faire
12550 120th Ave
Bristol, WI
renfair.com/bristol/

(Thanks for the review Media Ninja!)

Wingra Park in Madison, WI

Wingra Park is a Madison city park on Lake Wingra. Through a private company, they rent canoes, kayaks, pedalboats and sailboats and offer concessions. They have a large field for soccer, etc. plus basketball hoops and a playground. They recently removed all of the swings (except two baby swings) from the playground -- I have no idea why.

It does not have a public shelter, so it's not considered a "major" park.

Wingra Park
2425 Monroe St
Madison, WI
(608) 233-5332

(Thanks for the review ChrisDolan!)

Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, WI

The Henry Vilas Zoo is one of the best places to visit in Madison. There is no entrance fee to the zoo, which is wonderful. It is also the perfect size to take children, small enough that you can make it through in an hour, but with enough variety to hold their interest. There is a newly renovated Children's Zoo, which includes a goat feeding area where, for 75 cents you get a pellet filled ice cream cone to feed them. The Children's Zoo also is home to the Conservation Carousel, which for one dollar you can ride almost any animal you can imagine. There is also a large play area for the kiddos. The zoo recently acquired three new giraffes, which my three year old can not get enough of. She would go to the zoo every day, if she could!!

Henry Vilas Zoo
702 S Randall Ave
Madison, WI 53715
(608) 266-4732
vilaszoo.org

(Thanks for the review julie!)

Little America in Marshall, WI

This is an amusement park with child-friendly rides - bumper cars, merry-go-rounds, bumper boats, etc. There are also a couple of roller coasters (the wooden one is surprisingly very fun), a mini-golf course, and go-karts. You can buy a wristband good for unlimited rides and mini-golf for $20.

There is a special section for littler kids too (under 4 maybe).

We went on a Friday afternoon and there were short or no lines for the rides. Overall, a very fun day.

Little America
700 E Main St
Marshall, WI 53559
(608) 655-3181
littleamerricka.com

(Thanks for the review Anne!)

Original Wisconsin Ducks in Wisconsin Dells, WI

The "Ducks" are boats with wheels that were used to move troops during World War II. Nowadays they are used to take tourists through the woods of the Wisconsin Dells and up the Wisconsin River. Other than a few uncomfortable minutes where they try and sell you a book and postcards in the woods, the rest of the hour long ride is a nice change from waiting in line at the other attractions in Wisconsin Dells.

It is about $20 for an adult, $6 for kids, and young children are free.

Original Wisconsin Ducks
1890 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
(608) 254-8751
wisconsinducktours.com

Burke Park in Madison, WI

Burke Park is a nice, shaded park with a climbing gym that has a toddler section for the little ones and a more challenging area for the older kids. It also has swings, a teeter-totter and a train sandbox. There is a covered picnic area when the kids need a snack or lunch. Wonderful park. It's worth the drive to the town of Burke.

Burke Park
5365 Reiner Road
Madison, WI

(Thanks for the review julie!)

UW-Madison Arboretum in Madison, WI

The Arboretum has over 1000 acres of plant life and includes wetlands, forest, ornamental trees, prairies and more. The best part about the Arboretum is its countless and varied hiking paths. We go there dozens of times each year, and we always seem to find new trails to explore. Some go through deep woods, others cross an open plain. Some are hilly, some are flat. Some go by water, and some traverse sandy stretches. There's even a boardwalk that extends over a marsh. We put our little one in a front carrier and let our preschooler lead the way. We're so happy to see our kids enjoy the Arboretum, and it's especially fitting since it's where we first got engaged!

UW-Madison Arboretum
1207 Seminole Highway
Madison, WI 53711
(608) 263-7888
uwarboretum.org

(Thanks for the review Triple_M!)

Windom Park in Madison, WI

About the only thing going for this park is that its near our house. The play equipment is sparse especially compared to the one on the other side of the fence at the apartment complex next door.

Windom Park
1920 Windom Way
Madison, WI 53704

Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay, WI

Bay Beach Amusement Park is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. My parents would take my sisters and I here every summer, and we looked forward to it every single year. There are a ton of rides for kids of all ages and there's no admission fee, plus at twenty five cents a ticket, the price just can't be beat! Most rides cost only one ticket, a few like the carousel, the bumper cars and ferris wheel are two tickets. Plus, there's a train that takes you for a little ride around the park. If you have kids, you MUST check out this fabulous place!

Bay Beach Amusement Park
1313 Bay Beach Road
Green Bay, WI 54301
(920) 448-3365
http://www.ci.green-bay.wi.us/geninfo/baybeach_web/baybeachhome.html

(Thanks for the review julie!)

New Zoo in Green Bay, WI

Green Bay, Wisconsin has a new zoo and it's called The NEW Zoo! The NEW Zoo has many animal exhibits, including a Snow Leopard, a Red Panda, and my personal favorite, the penguins. The most incredible spot at the NEW Zoo has to be the Giraffe lookout tower where, twice a day, you can get an eye-level view of the giraffes and actually hand-feed them! It's amazing!! I have never had a cooler experience at a zoo.

New Zoo
4378 Reforestation Rd
Green Bay, WI 54313
(920) 434-7878
thenewzoo.com

Peck's Farm Market in Spring Green, WI

Peck's Farm Market. We have a 4 year old and 6 year old. They like to feed the goats and look at the animals. There is a small playground there too. There is a market that sells flowers, good vegetables, bakery and other things to eat. There is also a gift shop. It is fun for the whole family.

Peck's Farm Market
E3217 Us Highway 14 and 60
Spring Green, WI 53588
http://www.pecksfarmmarketeast.com/

(Thanks for the review sheri!)