Below you’ll find information about typical activities during on-campus Grandparents University sessions.

Sessions: I, II, III

Enjoy a guided walking tour of Allen Centennial Garden, a university horticultural garden set on two-and-a-half-acres surrounding the former Agricultural Dean’s Residence.

Participants will stroll through the entire garden while learning about its history, plant highlights, and the stories behind the landscapes that support teaching, research, and outreach at UW–Madison.

Physical Activity Level: Medium

Note: This outdoor walking tour visits the full garden and includes approximately 45–60 minutes of walking or standing with limited bench seating available at select stops. Paths are primarily paved or well-leveled gravel, though participants may encounter some uneven surfaces. Public restrooms are not available within the garden, but nearby campus buildings are open to the public.

Sessions: I, II, III

Take a guided hike along Picnic Point and journey through 12,000 years of natural and human history. Participants will walk the crushed gravel path from the stone entryway to the tip of Picnic Point and back, exploring stories of glaciers, early peoples, wildlife, ancient canoes, effigy burial mounds, and ongoing ecological restoration along the way.

Physical Activity Level: High

Note: This experience involves a 1.75-mile outdoor hike. Closed-toe walking shoes are strongly recommended. Participants should dress for the weather, bring water, and consider insect repellent.

Sessions: I, II, III

Tour Babcock Dairy’s observation deck and learn how ice cream and cheese are made at UW–Madison. Following the tour, participants will enjoy an ice cream and cheese tasting in the Babcock Dairy Store.

Physical Activity Level: Medium

Session: II

Explore the Bakke (BAH-kee) Recreation and Wellbeing Center during a guided facility tour highlighting spaces that support fitness and wellbeing. Participants may see multipurpose courts, movement and restorative studios, an indoor jogging track, a 25-yard recreational pool, an ice rink, a climbing and bouldering wall, sports simulators, a nutrition-focused teaching kitchen, and other distinctive spaces within this campus facility.

Physical Activity Level: High

Sessions: II, III

Explore the Botany Garden and Greenhouse during a guided tour highlighting unique plant collections and their role in teaching and research at UW–Madison. Participants will view living collections featuring more than 2,300 plant taxa from 220 plant families, offering an up-close look at the diversity of plant life from habitats around the world.

Physical Activity Level: High

Note: Greenhouse conditions may be extremely hot and humid (100°F+), particularly during sunny weather. Participants are encouraged to dress appropriately and bring water. Weather conditions will determine the amount of time spent in the outdoor gardens versus the greenhouses. Closed-toe shoes are recommended.

Sessions: I, II, III

Madison wouldn’t be Madison without its beautiful lakes. In this activity, you’ll have an opportunity to explore some of the 132 billion gallons of water in Lake Mendota. The Bucky Boat offers a chance to learn about our lakes and the surrounding area. While waiting to ride the boat, explore Alumni Park and One Alumni Place on a guided tour prior to the boat ride.

Physical Activity Level: Medium to High

Note: Boat rides are weather permitting. Participants will be required to sign a waiver during registration. Children under age 13 and nonswimmers must wear a life jacket during the boat ride. Closed‑toe shoes and a light jacket are recommended as conditions on the water may be cooler.

Sessions: I, II, III

Explore some of the most iconic areas of campus from the comfort of a seat. On this guided bus tour, participants will learn about campus history and landmarks while viewing sites from the bus, with opportunities to take photos through the windows as the tour continues.

Physical Activity Level: Low

Sessions: I, II, III

Discover UW–Madison on a guided campus walking tour that showcases the university’s history, traditions, academic strengths, and vibrant student life. This tour offers an engaging way to explore campus landmarks while learning what makes UW–Madison unique.

Physical Activity Level: High

Note: This experience involves walking outdoors. Participants should dress for the weather and closed-toe walking shoes are recommended.

Sessions: I, II, III

Tour the Dairy Cattle Center and have an udder-ly great time while learning how this campus facility supports teaching and research in animal and dairy sciences. Participants will visit the barn, learn about daily care and research practices, and meet some of the 84 milking cows that call the center home.

Physical Activity Level: Medium

Sessions: I, II

Enjoy a guided tour of the D. C. Smith Greenhouse, visiting select growing bays and the conservatory within this 10,000-square-foot facility. The experience includes a hands-on planting activity and highlights how the greenhouse supports teaching and research.

Physical Activity Level: Medium

Note: Greenhouse conditions may be extremely hot and humid (100°F+), particularly during sunny weather. Participants are encouraged to dress appropriately and bring water. Weather conditions will determine the amount of time spent in the greenhouse. Closed-toe shoes are recommended.

Sessions: I, II, III

Take a guided tour of the Hamel Music Center and explore the spaces that support music-making on campus. Participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at performance and rehearsal areas while learning how the largely soundproof, 63,300-square-foot building is designed to enhance acoustics and musical performance.

Physical Activity Level: Medium

Sessions: I, II, III

Explore the L. R. Ingersoll Wonders of Physics Museum during a guided tour followed by time to freely explore its interactive, hands-on exhibits. Participants will engage with demonstrations designed by faculty and staff to make physics concepts accessible and fun, with an optional short window visit to the Madison Symmetric Torus Plasma Laboratory for those interested.

Physical Activity Level: Medium

Note: Exploration of the museum involves extended time standing and walking. A limited number of chairs are available inside the museum, with additional seating located just outside.

Sessions: I, II

Take a guided tour of Memorial Union, a historic campus destination overlooking Lake Mendota. Participants will explore select indoor spaces and learn about the building’s history, distinctive architecture, and long-standing role as a hub for community, connection, and campus life.

Physical Activity Level: Medium

Session: III

Take part in a mock trial led by UW Law School and get a behind-the-scenes look at the courtroom process. Participants will serve in roles such as jury member, prosecution and defense counsel, and assistant to the judge, learning how a trial unfolds from multiple perspectives.

Physical Activity Level: Low

Sessions: I, II, III

Take a guided tour of the new Morgridge Hall, a 343,000-square-foot facility at the heart of UW–Madison’s technology corridor. Participants will explore select areas of the building and learn how computer science, data science, statistics, and information studies come together under one roof — bringing technology and humanity together to support research, learning, and innovation.

Physical Activity Level: Medium

Session: II

Check out the state-of-the-art recreational facility that is home to 30,000 square feet of fitness space, including eight courts, five studios, a 50-meter pool and diving well, and more.

Physical Activity Level: High

Sessions: I, III

Take a guided tour of the UW–Madison Archives and discover how the university’s history is preserved and shared. Participants will explore select materials from collections that include more than 36,000 linear feet of paper records, 2.5 million photographs, and thousands of audio and audiovisual items. The experience includes a hands-on art project using images from the archives.

Physical Activity Level: Low

Note: Some archive spaces are temperature-controlled and may feel cool (approximately 65°F). A light jacket is recommended.

Sessions: I, II

Traipse through historic Vilas Hall and University Theatre during a guided tour of behind-the-scenes spaces. Participants will visit dressing rooms, costume shops, construction areas, and stages, and enjoy a short interactive game along the way while exploring this eclectic building filled with twists, turns, and surprises.

Physical Activity Level: Medium

Sessions: I, II, III

With its reconstructed dinosaurs, huge mastodon skeleton, colorful mineral samples, six-foot-diameter rotating globe, and walk-through model of a Wisconsin limestone cave, the Geology Museum has long been a favorite of both kids and adults.

Physical Activity Level: Medium

Note: A limited number of stools are available throughout the tour for participants to use.

Session: III

Take a guided tour of the UW Police Department. Participants will gain insight into campus safety and the work of the department while learning about various UWPD units, such as the Bike Unit, Drone Unit, Motorcycle Unit, Mounted Unit (horses), Therapy Dog Program, and other initiatives that support police operations on campus.

Physical Activity Level: Medium

Note: This experience includes stairs, and working police dogs may be present in the facility.

Sessions: I, II, III

Step inside the historic Washburn Observatory, one of the most significant astronomical observatories west of the Appalachians at the time of its construction in 1877. Participants will visit the iconic telescope dome and learn about the observatory’s role in astronomical research. Weather permitting, the group may also have the opportunity to take part in some solar observation.

Physical Activity Level: Medium

Note: Access to the observatory’s telescope dome requires climbing a flight of stairs. Because of the historic nature of the building, elevator access or alternative accommodations to the upper level are not available.

Session: II

Visit the Wisconsin Energy Institute for a guided tour of research spaces where scientists and engineers study clean and renewable energy. Participants will also enjoy a hands-on activity, such as a wind energy design challenge, that brings energy concepts to life in an interactive and approachable way.

Physical Activity Level: Medium

Note: Participants must wear closed-toe shoes for this field trip.

Sessions: II, III

Participate in a guided visit to the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, where participants will observe marmoset monkeys and learn about the center’s research and educational mission. The experience includes completing an ethogram, an observational activity focused on primate behavior.

Physical Activity Level: Low

Note: This field trip experience lasts approximately 30–45 minutes. Participants should expect standing-room only, and public restrooms are not available at this location.

Sessions: I, II, III

Explore the Wisconsin Union Theater during a guided, behind-the-scenes tour of its performance spaces. Participants will see stages and backstage areas and learn about the history of the theater and how performances are brought to life on campus.

Physical Activity Level: Medium

Note: This experience includes multiple short flights of stairs (approximately four to eight steps each), and some areas of the theater are accessible only by stairs.