University’s charms draw families

An article in the August issue of FamilyFun magazine ranks Madison as one of America’s top eight “Small Cities With Big Surprises: Urban Gems That Welcome Families With Regional Charm,” and cites the university as one of the reasons for the city’s selection.

“Bugs, boats, bones and burgers … these are just a few of the things families adore about Madison,” say co-authors Diane Bair and Pamela Wright, noting that the proximity of the city’s lakes and its Big Ten university add to the long list of things to see and do here.

Among the university’s family-friendly destinations as touted in the article:

— The Babcock Dairy Plant, with its “awesome ice cream, made right before your eyes.”

— The Entomology Museum (officially known as the Insect Research Collection), the home of giant hissing cockroaches

— The Geology Museum, a “fabulous freebie” featuring a faux limestone cave, a mastodon skeleton and a six-foot rotating globe.

Under the category of the city’s best souvenir, the authors recommend “Anything ‘Bucky Badger,’ UW–Madison’s famous mascot.”

Families will have a great opportunity to enjoy these campus attributes and lots of other fun things at UW-Madison’s Open House Aug. 18-20, says Noel Radomski, director of visitor services. And most activities are free. A limited number of ice cream cups and T-shirts will be given away, too.

The event begins on Friday evening, continues all day Saturday, and concludes Sunday with a free youth soccer clinic and scrimmages, followed by Football Family Fun Day at Camp Randall, complete with Bucky Badger, free posters and an opportunity to get autographs from coaches and players.

Saturday will offer hands-on activities for kids, such as making books and slime and extracting DNA from wheat germ. There will be storytelling, train rides, and visits to the School of Veterinary Medicine, the milking parlor and the Creepy Crawly Zoo, to name a few activities.

“For families, this is not only an exceptional opportunity to see and hear a myriad of fun activities; the tour opportunities all have an educational component,” Radomski says. “They are designed to cultivate the exploration, curiosity and continuous learning by children and adults.”