City: Madison, WI

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (608) 261-4000

Address: 1 John Nolen Dr.

Description: One of Wisconsin architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs that did not come to fruition in his lifetime was a community center to be built lakeside in Madison. From 1938 Wright tried to sell the city on his idea and his last design was submitted in 1959, the same year he died. But the concept didn’t die with him, and in true Madison fashion furious debate and negotiation went on for years after his death before the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center became a reality in 1997. Wright’s design received some tampering—absent is the intended public marina, for example—but the attractive building sits on the shore of Lake Monona adding a key element to the city skyline, and its rooftop terrace connects to the end of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard via a short pedestrian mall with a fountain and a short two-block walk to the Capitol. The views of the lake on one side and the Capitol on the other are gorgeous, and the center hosts a variety of events throughout the year from outdoor concerts on the terrace to indoor farmers’ markets in the fall. A gift shop, open daily, sells a variety of Wright-designed gifts. Guided tours of the building, which include some background of the colorful Mr. Wright, are offered at 1 p.m. daily for around $3 per person. A community open house offers a free tour every Aug. The site is wheelchair accessible. Watch for Tunes at Monona Terrace and Dane County Dances in the summer. The center has its own parking ramp accessible from John Nolen Drive which passes underneath the structure. Monona Terrace has its own Facebook page communicating information about upcoming events. Food is available at the seasonal rooftop outlet Lake Vista Café during lunch and happy hour daily except Mon, or on the fourth level at GrandView Café which serves appetizers, soups, salads, and sandwiches from Mon through Sat. Monona Terrace offers a variety of seasonal community event series. Tunes at Monona Terrace is a free Wed-night concert series in the spring and fall featuring local and regional acts covering everything from polka and salsa to jazz and rock for a dancing good time in a family-friendly environment. In pleasant weather this is held outside, otherwise it’s indoors with a wooden dance floor. Refreshments, including beer and wine, are served. Concerts on the Rooftop are also free and take place on Thurs evenings in June and July. Lake Vista Café serves food and drinks. No alcohol can be carried in, but all other outside food and drink is allowed making for a nice picnic opportunity. The event moves indoors during inclement weather. Dane Dances (www.danedances.org) takes over in Aug with a series of Fri evening concerts. Outside vendors serve a variety of ethnic fare and Lake Vista Café is also on hand serving from its menu and providing a full bar. The paved lakeside multi-use Capitol City Trail passes along the Monona Terrace and is a popular fishing spot for local anglers.