UW–Madison campus tour: Bascom Hill, the Terrace and State Street

The University of Wisconsin–Madison was founded in 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state, and the two have been bound together ever since. Madison sits on a narrow strip of land between two lakes, with the State Capitol at one end of State Street and the university at the other. The campus then runs west for several kilometres along the wooded shore of Lake Mendota. Few large universities have a setting this attractive, or a city centre this close. This guide covers the essential sights and how to plan a visit.

The shape of the campus

The campus is long and thin, following the lake. A first visit usually concentrates on the eastern end:

• Library Mall and the foot of Bascom Hill: where State Street meets the campus, with the main library and several historic buildings.
• Bascom Hill: the steep green at the historic heart, with Bascom Hall at the top.
• The lakefront: the Memorial Union and its Terrace, then the Lakeshore Path heading west.
• The south side: Camp Randall Stadium, the engineering buildings and Union South, about fifteen minutes' walk from Bascom Hill.

Further west are the agricultural campus, the Lakeshore residence halls and the hospital.

Bascom Hill and Bascom Hall

Bascom Hill is the image most graduates carry with them: a long, steep lawn framed by the university's oldest buildings. North Hall, on the right as you climb, dates from 1851 and was the first building on campus. At the top stands Bascom Hall, completed in 1859, with its columned portico.

In front of it sits a bronze Abraham Lincoln, gazing down the hill towards the Capitol. Turn round where he sits and you get the classic view: the lawn, State Street and the white dome beyond. Near the entrance to Bascom Hall, look for the plaque quoting the university's 1894 defence of academic freedom, with its famous phrase about "sifting and winnowing" in the search for truth.

Science Hall and the Red Gym

Two striking Victorian buildings stand near the foot of the hill, on the way to the lake. Science Hall, a turreted red-brick building finished in 1887, was among the early buildings to use a metal structural frame. A few steps away, the Red Gym, built in the 1890s as an armory and gymnasium, looks like a brick castle, complete with towers and battlements. Today it houses student services.

The Memorial Union and the Terrace

The Memorial Union, opened in 1928, is the social centre of the university, and its lakeside Terrace is one of the best-loved spots at any American university. Tables and metal chairs with a sunburst pattern, painted green, yellow and orange, spread across a stone terrace down to the water. In the warmer months there is live music in the evenings, sailing boats come and go from the pier next door, and half of Madison seems to turn up for the sunset.

Inside, a vaulted beer hall in the German style serves as a café and meeting place. The Union also sells ice cream made in the university's own dairy plant, a nod to Wisconsin's best-known industry.

Camp Randall and Badger sport

Camp Randall Stadium takes its name from the Civil War training camp that once occupied the site, and a memorial arch nearby recalls the soldiers who passed through. The stadium has been home to Badger football since 1917. Game days turn the neighbourhood red and white, and late in every home game the entire crowd bounces to the song "Jump Around", a tradition that makes the upper stands sway. Basketball and ice hockey are played at an arena a short walk to the east.

Where students live

University residence halls fall into two neighbourhoods with distinct characters. The Lakeshore halls sit among trees beside Lake Mendota, quieter and further from town. The Southeast halls are larger buildings close to State Street and the sports arena. Most first-year students live in one or the other. After that, many move into flats and houses in the streets around campus.

Connecting much of this is the Lakeshore Path, an unpaved trail for walkers and cyclists along the water. It leads west to Picnic Point, a narrow wooded peninsula reaching about a mile into the lake, with views back to the campus and the Capitol.

State Street and Madison

State Street is a pedestrian-friendly street of bookshops, cafés, restaurants and bars that runs from Library Mall to Capitol Square. The walk takes about fifteen minutes. The Capitol is open to visitors, and on Saturday mornings from spring to autumn a large farmers' market traditionally rings the square.

Madison is also a state capital and a cycling city, with paths around both lakes. Winters are long and properly cold; the lakes freeze, and students skate and ski on them.

Arranging a visit

Like most universities, UW–Madison typically offers campus tours and admission presentations for prospective students, and the grounds, the Terrace and the lakeshore are open to walk on your own. Schedules vary through the year, so check the university's official visitor page for what is currently available.

Getting there and around

• By air: Madison has its own regional airport, a short drive north-east of the centre. Many visitors fly to Chicago or Milwaukee instead.
• By coach: regular coaches link Madison with Chicago, its main airport and Milwaukee, and several stop on or near the campus.
• By car: Madison is roughly two and a half hours from Chicago and an hour and a half from Milwaukee. Parking near Bascom Hill is tight; use the signposted visitor car parks.
• On foot: the eastern end of campus is compact but hilly. For the western end, use a city bus or hire a bike.

Areas families usually choose

• Downtown and Capitol Square: the widest choice of hotels, a pleasant walk along State Street from campus.
• On or beside campus: a small number of hotels, the most convenient for an early start.
• West side and the outskirts: larger hotels with parking, practical if you are driving.

Rooms fill up quickly on football weekends and around graduation.

Tips for a smoother day

• Start at the Capitol, walk State Street to Library Mall, climb Bascom Hill, then drop down to the Terrace for a break by the lake.
• Touring the Midwest? See our guides to Northwestern, the University of Chicago and Michigan.
• Check the university's visitor page again shortly before you travel, as arrangements change.

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Cover photo: Akira CA, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons