Top Free Things To Do In Wisconsin

Madison

Wisconsin State Capitol The only capitol built on an isthmus-between lakes Monona and Mendota in Madison-the 1917 building also has the only granite dome. Free tours highlight architecture and art-mosaics, stained glass and murals. tours.wisconsin.gov

Chazen Museum of Art The building is a work of art. Galleries display African, Asian and 21st-century international works. chazen.wisc.edu

Olbrich Botanical Gardens The 16 acres encompassing a Rose Garden showcase hardy shrub varieties in a space inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie style. olbrich.org

University of Wisconsin Arboretum These 1,200 acres feature prairie, savannah, marsh and deciduous forest, plus 20-plus miles of trails. arboretum.wisc.edu

Milwaukee

The Hop MKE The streetcar connects Milwaukee's central train and bus station to many of the city's attractions and hotels. Take advantage of free rides. thehopmke.com/

Harley-Davidson Factory Check the website for new experiences expected to be unveiled in 2022. harley-davidson.com

St. Joan of Arc Chapel This little Marquette University chapel has a big history. Originally constructed in France more than five centuries ago, the Gothic chapel was dismantled and moved to Long Island in the 1920s. It was later moved to Milwaukee, painstakingly reassembled and rededicated in 1966. marquette.edu

Thomas A. Greene Geological Museum Lapham Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee houses 75,000 fossils as well as minerals found by the namesake amateur geologist, who lived in Milwaukee in the late 1800s. uwm.edu

Free Frank Lloyd Wright sites

Wingspread, Racine (pictured) Completed in 1939 for then-SC Johnson leader H.F. Johnson Jr., Wingspread is the largest Prairie-style home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Visitors see features like a disappearing dining table and cantilevered balcony bedroom. As of September 2021, tours are by appointment only. scjohnson.com

SC Johnson Headquarters, Racine Tours touch on architectural highlights, such as the Great Workroom's lily pad-shape columns in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed 1939 SC Johnson Administration Building, as well as Wright's 1950 SC Johnson Research Tower. scjohnson.com

Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, Madison Wright and the city struggled to agree on the building's function and 60 years passed between his design submission and the structure's completion (in 1997, 38 years after his death). Visit the Beyond the Drawing Board exhibit to learn more about his commitment to finishing this project. Guided tours also available for a nominal charge. mononaterrace.com

All about mustard

National Mustard Museum You don't have to be a mustard-lover (though it certainly helps) to appreciate the quirky yet classy homage to ketchup's counterpart. Located 7 miles west of Madison in Middleton, the museum features a variety of mustards on The Great Wall of Mustard, antique mustard pots, a few simple displays and a video explaining the condiment's history. mustardmuseum.com

Kitchen and bath inspiration

Kohler Design Center and Kohler Factory, Kohler Take a factory tour or explore the three-level design center. The 36,000-square-foot Design Center showcases upscale, cutting-edge kitchen and bath products. On the three-hour factory tour (reservations required), you'll see workers polish faucets and fire high-end toilets as you learn about the manufacturing process and Kohler history. kohler.com