Attending the University of Wisconsin tends to come with a lot of assumptions about drinking culture. While alcohol-related activities influence campus life, Madison offers plenty of alcohol-free options for enjoyment.
If you’re looking for activities to do with friends or by yourself, here is a short list of alternative activities.
Host a presentation night
Presentation nights are a trend you’ve likely seen on social media, where groups of friends gather and bring slideshows that showcase any number of themes. From “day in the life” of friends with particularly unpredictable routines to assigning members of your group animals or characters that they embody to in-depth reviews and recaps of specific media, there are many ways this could go! Whatever happens, you’re sure to have fun.
Bowling at Union South
You may have heard Union South has a bowling alley in the basement, but have you ever gone and experienced it? For only $25.50 per lane, which includes up to six people per lane, you can bowl for an hour. They also offer pool and air hockey tables and the union has free board games if you’re done bowling but not ready to end the night just yet.
S’mores at Camp Trippalindee
On the topic of board games, did you know that the Graduate Hotel on State Street has a rooftop dining area that’s open to the public? Camp Trippalindee is a cozy area with great views of the lake and the rest of State Street. For $10 you can get a s’mores kit from the dining counter, which includes a tableside fire and roasting sticks that you can use inside where you’re sitting! They also have a wide variety of board games and puzzles if you’re just looking for somewhere to go sit and debrief the day.
Movie marathon
So many good movies come out every day on different streaming platforms, so why not schedule some time to get through as many of them as possible? Whether it’s a movie franchise or just a genre that you like, there’s no correct way to do a movie marathon. For movie snacks, head to the dollar store and get different kinds of candy to make candy salad or get some popcorn and chips!
If you’re not up for a movie marathon but still want to see a movie, check out the Wisconsin Union Directorate Film Committee. They host weekly movies at the Marquee at Union South and often have early screenings of upcoming blockbusters.
Escape room
Escape This, located right off Capitol Square, boasts five different escape room adventures. You need at least six people to participate, so this is a great opportunity to get a big group together for a great night. It’s $31.50 per person, and the price goes down slightly with each person you add up to twelve people. Each escape room is unique, so you’ll have fun whether or not you have previous escape room experience.
Visit the zoo
The Henry Vilas Zoo is only a short commute from campus and is free to enter. For its modest size, it hosts a variety of animals including a lion, orangutans, camels, bears and of course, a badger. This is the most weather-dependent activity as a lot of the animals are outside, so check the forecast before heading over!
Though this is just a small selection of the activities available to the greater Madison community, we hope it’s given you some ideas or inspiration for a fun alcohol-free outing!
