Olin Park

I’ve been going to this park for a very long time (let’s just say MANY years!) and it has evolved stunningly!
It used to be just a boat landing into the tributary along the north side of the park. It has grown and morphed into one Madison’s most used parks.
The Holiday Lights presentation each Christmas season draws tens of thousands of visitors and is a must for kids under 104 years old. For the last several years over Memorial Day, the Isthmus Food Cart Festival has been held here. A fundraising event that is limited to the tickets sold, it gives Madisonians a chance to try most of the food trucks that ply not only the Square and Madison’s streets but surrounding towns as well. There are other events held here as well but those are the two biggies.
With flag football leagues, Frisbee leagues, jogging, bike trails, fishing, swimming, a boat launch, and a picnic shelter, it really is an outdoor enthusiasts park, right in our back yard. Get out there and enjoy it!

The light show here was great! It was a perfect way to end the night. Free admission but the accept donations

Great Madison park off of John Nolen near the Alliant Energy Center. It’s easy to get to from downtown via the bike path and offers a great view of the lake, Monona Terrace, and the Capitol Building.
It plays host to rec sports like ultimate frisbee and flag football, seasonal events like a haunted house and a Christmas light display, annual events like the Great Taste of the Midwest, and world events like the Tug of War World Championships.
A personal favorite is the Holiday Fantasy in Lights Christmas display that runs mid-​November through December and Unilocal sponsors my favorite yearly display to boot — the sad puppy!

Drive through the park during the winder holiday season! Every year we bring Christmas Cookies and milk and drive through the light display in the park with our own holiday music on, it is now a family tradition! The Jaycees also host an annual haunted house here and it is pretty good for under $ 10! Watch out for the crazy chainsaw dude in the woods at the end!

A great place to start a bike ride or a run around Lake Monona. The park has a few fields to play your sport du jour as well as a great hill and walking path overlooking the lake. Convienently close to downtown and the beltline.

Great park open area, nice views of the lake and the city. For one day a year they host GTMW here and bring nearly 200 brewers to sample their crafts for an amazing time

Great park with scenic lookouts on the lake. You can see the capital skyline from some of the intentionally placed picnic tables and benches. The park could use a few more benches, in my opinion — but I suppose picnic tables suffice when the one or two benches overlooking the lake are occupied. The worst part of the park is when the geese are here, which is often. *Droppings* are EVERYWHERE. It’s a landline field getting anywhere grassy. Don’t walk unless its been recently mowed, so you can at least see the mines. If you’re not trying to sit and enjoy the views, trails link up to neighboring parks, etc., and its perfect for bike rides or runs.