Directions & Lodging

Getting to Madison, WI

By Air:

Fly into Dane County Regional Airport (MSN), just 15 minutes from downtown Madison. The airport offers direct flights from major hubs including Chicago, Minneapolis, Atlanta, and Dallas. Taxis, rideshares, and rental cars are available upon arrival.

Alternatively, you can fly into Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE), about a 90-minute drive from Madison, or Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), roughly a 2-hour drive (traffic dependent). Both airports offer a wider range of flight options and rental car services for an easy drive to Madison.

By Car:

Madison is easily accessible via major highways:

From Chicago (2.5–3 hours): Take I-90 W toward Rockford, then follow signs to Madison.

From Milwaukee (1.5 hours): Take I-94 W directly to Madison.

From Minneapolis (4 hours): Take I-94 E to I-90 E, then follow signs to Madison.

The conference venue will be the Pyle Center, a short walk to Lake Mendota.

The Pyle Center is at 702 Langdon St, Madison, WI 53706. If you are driving, you can find parking information at this link.

Local Lodging Options

If you receive travel support, the standard award will be local lodging (which will be paid directly by the UW-Madison Department of Astronomy) in a hotel walkable to the Pyle Center. If you are applying for travel support, do not book a hotel for now – if you receive travel support, we will book it directly for you.

Hotels where we have room blocks include:

The Graduate Madison. We have a block of 10 double occupancy rooms available for participants receiving travel support. There are a further 10 rooms available at a reduced rate for participants booking their own travel (which you can book at this link). This hotel is closest to the conference venue.
Wisconsin Union Hotel. The most popular hotel for visitors to the UW-Madison Department of Astronomy, this hotel is located in the Student Union. We have 5 double occupancy rooms available for participants receiving travel support.
Hampton Inn & Suites Madison Downtown. This hotel is only a 11 minute walk from the conference venue. We have 10 double occupancy rooms reserved for participants receiving travel support.

If you are booking your own lodging, the above hotels are good options. Other good hotels nearby include:

Quality Inn Madison West Near University Area. This hotel is a significantly cheaper option near the freeway, but is a ~20 minute drive from the conference venue.