It's often said that there's no such thing as a free lunch. Well, that may be true, but there are plenty of free things to do here in Madison, both before and after lunch. From parks to museums to movies, financially strapped college students have a bevy of free activities to choose from, making those necessary expenses like textbooks and house parties more affordable.
The Terrace, which overlooks Lake Mendota, has long been a popular hangout for UW-Madison students. Throughout the summer, throngs of students crowd the tables and distinctive yellow, orange and green chairs, basking in the sun or just sitting and talking.
Picnic tables dot the lakeshore in front of the Terrace, making it a perfect setting for an outdoor lunch or an early-evening dinner. Wednesday through Saturday nights offer a plethora of free music, and you can also catch movies at dusk Monday nights.
\It's a beautiful location in the summer,"" said Marc Kennedy, marketing specialist for the union. ""It's just the nice ambience of watching sailboats and just hanging out. It's an all-ages atmosphere.""
If you're willing to spend a dollar or two, the union sells several varieties of UW-Madison's own Babcock ice cream, which is often the perfect complement to a sunny afternoon.
""After a hard day, it's fun to go there and just relax,"" UW-Madison senior Peter Lee-Thompson said.
Lions and tigers and bears in Madison? Oh my! Since 1911, the Henry Vilas Zoo, 702 S. Randall Ave., has allowed UW-Madison students and Madison community members alike to come enjoy the splendor of nature.
With exhibits featuring lions, Siberian tigers, camels, giraffes and many other creatures, animal lovers can find something for all tastes at this picturesque park on the northern shores of Lake Wingra. Open year-round, the zoo also offers educational programs for kids of all ages. Vilas Park, which houses the zoo, has a scenic beach and lots of picnic areas, providing the opportunity for a day of fun in the sun.
If sitting around on the Terrace isn't active enough for you, take a stroll down Lakeshore Path, which starts at Memorial Union and winds around the southern shore of Lake Mendota.
Along the way you can find several picnic areas that offer impressive views of the lake. Lakeshore Path is also a nice place to watch a sunset with that special someone. The path doubles as a bike and running path, so if you want to get some exercise, grab your bike helmet and get started.
The Wisconsin Union Directorate sponsors free films on the Terrace throughout the summer every Monday night at dusk. In case of rain, films are shown inside Memorial Union at der Rathskeller. Highlights of this summer's series are ""Batman"" June 24 and ""Citizen Kane"" July 29.
However, the fun doesn't stop when the weather gets cold. WUD continues its film series all year round, offering free movies at Memorial Union and midnight movies'which Kennedy classifies as ""cult classics""'at Union South every Saturday night.
""We're doing our best to expand our late-night options during the academic year,"" Kennedy said.
An easy escape from the urban grind is only a few miles away for Madison students, thanks to the UW-Madison Arboretum, which offers a variety of outdoor opportunities on its 1,260-acre grounds nestled just southwest of the central campus area between Lake Wingra and the Beltline Highway.
Featuring prairies, marshes, forests, gardens and a rare oak savanna, the Arboretum is the perfect place to get away for an afternoon of hiking, biking or jogging on the more than 20 miles of trails that traverse the grounds.
The Arboretum also offers numerous special events, classes and tours.
Information on these can be found at .
Best of all, entrance to this unique spot is free. Hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and a visitor center is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.
Up and running between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. every Saturday from the last week in April until the first week of November, the Dane County Farmers' Market offers city residents and visitors a chance to have Wisconsin's freshest home-grown products brought practically to their doorsteps, as hundreds of area farmers peddle their wares around the Capitol Square.
Whether it's seasonal vegetables, fruits and herbs or fresh meat and authentic Wisconsin cheese curds, the Farmers' Market offers scores of healthy treats to supplement the traditional college diet of late-night pizza and Pop Tarts.
It was the first capitol building ever built on an isthmus. It cost $7.25 million to build between 1906 and 1917. Its dome rises more than 200 feet into the air.
These facts and more are all part of the curriculum found in the free Wisconsin State Capitol tour, offered daily throughout the year.
Tours begin at the Capitol Information Desk on the hour between 9 and 11 a.m. and between 1 and 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Sunday tours kick off each hour between 1 and 4 p.m.
Although tour reservations are often not necessary, arrangements can be made by calling 266-0382.
Madison is not all beer parties and football games. The city also offers a wide array of cultural activities, many of which are free of charge. One such activity is the Elvehjem Museum of Art, located next to the Humanities Building and across the street from Vilas Communications Hall.
The Elvehjem (pronounced ""L-V-M"") opened in 1970 and houses two floors of permanent exhibits as well as the Kohler Art Library and UW-Madison's art history department. The permanent collection boasts ancient to modern works, but the most impressive pieces are located on the fourth floor, which is filled with 20th-century works from Europe and the United States.
The Elvehjem is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Elvehjem is not the only free place to experience fine works of art in Madison.
The Madison Art Center, a part of the Madison Civic Center, 211 State St., is a free public gallery located just a few blocks from the UW-Madison campus.
This 27,000-square foot museum's permanent collection focuses on modern and contemporary works, while floating exhibits constantly revolve through the Art Center's rotating galleries.
Beginning June 23 and lasting through Sept. 1, the Art Center will feature an exhibit of works by contemporary painter Jane Hammond, based on the poetry of John Ashbery.
The Art Center is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The Madison Art Center also organizes the annual Art Fair on the Square, a popular event featuring more than 500 artists held June 13 and 14 around the Capitol Square.
Another good spot to take that special someone, the Allen Centennial Gardens, located adjacent to the Lakeshore dorms, offers nature lovers a serene garden in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of college life. Visitors can stroll through the park and admire the wide variety of flowers, shrubs and trees or simply sit on one of the park's many benches and enjoy the scenery.
""It's like one of those hidden gems in Madison,"" said UW-Madison junior Michael Eckhardt, who recommended first stopping off at the nearby Babcock Dairy Store for a cold summer treat.
The Allen Centennial Gardens are open from dawn until dusk every day.
An offshoot at the western end of Lakeshore Path, Picnic Point is a thin outcropping of land that juts out into Lake Mendota.
Like the Lakeshore Path, it offers both a walking and a bike trail, as well as a scenic rest areas where you can, as the name indicates, picnic. There is also ample opportunity to sit out on the beach and catch some rays while watching sailboats cruise leisurely across the lake.
