Drawing of fries, root beer and a burger.
Everybody has a hit parade of summer traditions, from favorite picnic spots to can’t-miss fests and fairs. These summer destinations and activities entertain and educate — and won’t break the bank.
Natural high
The UW Arboretum is around 365 days a year, but summer is a great time to take advantage of the free Sunday nature hikes. There’s a free guided walk every Sunday from 1-2:30 p.m., leaving from the visitor’s center, each with a specific topic; these are geared to adults. In addition, every other Sunday, there’s a family-focused nature walk from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Both start June 4. And with a guide, you’re sure to spot something fascinating you’d have walked past on your own.
Holy cow!
Painted cow in a musuem.
Have you heard of the Hoard Historical Museum in Fort Atkinson? It’s named after William Dempster Hoard, Wisconsin’s 16th governor, as well as a newspaper publisher (the Jefferson County Union) and a forward-thinking dairy farmer known as “the father of modern dairying.” The free museum is home to exhibits on Native Americans in the area, the history of Fort Atkinson, and esteemed American poet Lorine Niedecker, who lived in Fort Atkinson. It’s also home to the National Dairy Shrine, with exhibits about the history of dairy in the state.
A free beach at the Dells
A day at a waterpark in Wisconsin Dells can cost $60, but Newport Park in Lake Delton, in view of the Lower Dells of the Wisconsin River at Dell Creek on County Highway A, is free. The park has a pleasant sandy beach, fishing pier, shelters and grills. You might even see a Wisconsin Duck speed by.
It’s also technically Highway 113 (not the closed part)
When you take the Merrimac Ferry, it’s a free boat ride across the Wisconsin River with beautiful views of the Baraboo Bluffs. Tradition dictates you get ice cream while waiting for the ferry: Merrimac Ferry Landing Concessions, on the north side, features Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream; The Merrimac Scoop, on the south side, goes with Cedar Crest, and also sells pizza. Of course once you get to the other side, there’s more fun, with Devil’s Lake State Park not far away if you’re northbound; southerly travelers can take advantage of Lodi-area sections of the Ice Age Trail, including Eastern Lodi Marsh, Fern Glen and Gibraltar Rock segments.
Burger and a root beer
If you’re hankering for nostalgic food fun, Mullins Short-Stop is a classic drive-in at 641 N. Ludington St. in Columbus (about 40 minutes north of Madison via Highway 151). The drive-in slots for cars are now occupied by picnic tables; order at the window. This is one of the few operating original drive-ins left within an easy drive of Madison.
Old-timers
Learn about local history with a tour of the Dean House, a 1856 Greek Revival farmhouse owned by Nathaniel Dean, a farmer, politician and businessman. Tours ($5) happen the second Sunday of every month at 2 and 3 p.m. Free Back Porch concerts happen Thursday nights in July at 7 p.m. The house is at 4718 Monona Drive.
Lazy river
The most popular stretch of the Sugar River for tubing is from Albany to Brodhead, about a 40-minute drive south of Madison. Put in at Bowman Park on South Water Street in Albany and float to Headgates Park in Brodhead. If you drop a bike at your destination you can take an easy pedal back to your car in Albany using the Sugar River State Trail, which parallels the river. If you already have a tube, this is free (excepting a state trail pass if you bike back, $5 daily/$25 year). Or hook up with S & B Tubing in Albany for inner tubes and a shuttle back to your car ($20/tube).
Frank for free
Elizabeth Maske
SIgn depicting the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail.
Touring a building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright can be pricey, but there are ways to see his works free of charge or for a nominal fee. Start with the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail, a driving tour of eight Wright sites across southern Wisconsin. The trail’s eastern edge, in Racine, features free tours of the S.C Johnson Administration Building and Research Tower, the only corporate headquarters designed by Wright still in use, as well as Wingspread, a Prairie-style home Wright designed for the company’s leader, H.F. Johnson Jr. The tours of the campus and the home are available in a number of different configurations; see reservations.scjohnson.com for details; reservations are required.
In Madison, tours of Monona Terrace (Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 1 p.m.) cost $5 ($3 for kids 5-17) and of course there are plenty of free events at Monona Terrace all summer long including Lakeside Kids (Tuesdays, June 13-27 and July 11-18, at 10 a.m.) and Dane Dances, every Friday in August (gates open at 4:30 p.m., music starts at 5:30 p.m. and goes until 9:30 p.m.)
Not on the driving trail, but less than an hour’s drive from Madison at Mirror Lake State Park, the Wright-designed Seth Peterson Cottage is open for tours the second Sunday of each month from 1-4 p.m. (last tour departs at 3:30 p.m.) for $5 for adults; kids 12 and under are free. n
