Personalized Star Map of Madison
43.0731°N, 89.4012°W
Capital of Wisconsin set on an isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona, Madison blends the academic energy of UW-Madison, the white dome of its Capitol, and a deep attachment to the living arts and nature. From its weekly farmers' market to Olbrich Botanical Gardens, the city breathes to the rhythm of well-defined northern seasons. Gift a Madison star map — a present as clear and cultured as the isthmus city.
Famous Landmarks
Wisconsin State Capitol
43.0731°N, 89.4012°W
The Wisconsin State Capitol, completed in 1917 in Beaux-Arts style, is the only US state capitol built on an isthmus and the only one with a granite dome — topped by Daniel Chester French's gilded "Wisconsin" statue. At 285 feet tall, it dominates Madison's skyline and a local ordinance forbids neighboring buildings from rising above it.
Lake Mendota
43.0731°N, 89.4012°W
Lake Mendota, the largest of Madison's four lakes at 15 square miles, borders the northern shore of the isthmus and the University of Wisconsin campus. Studied since 1875, it is one of the most scientifically scrutinized lakes in the world. Its shores welcome sailboats and swimmers in summer, skaters and ice fishers in winter, and host the iconic Memorial Union Terrace.
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
43.0731°N, 89.4012°W
Olbrich Botanical Gardens, created in 1952 and spread across 16 acres beside Lake Monona, offer sixteen outdoor themed gardens including a rose garden, a Japanese gravel garden, and the dazzling Thai Pavilion — a traditional pavilion gifted by Thailand in 2002, rare outside Asia. The Bolz Tropical Conservatory provides a year-round warm refuge during Wisconsin winters.
Why gift a star map of Madison?
Gifting a star map of Madison means immortalizing a moment in Wisconsin's capital, between frozen lakes, white dome and university campus. Whether it was a proposal on the Memorial Union Terrace, an anniversary at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, or a winter evening ice fishing, this map captures the exact stars of your moment. A present as rigorous and luminous as Midwestern winters.
The sky of Madison
At 43.1° north latitude, Madison offers long, clear winter nights when Orion climbs very high and Polaris stands 43° above the horizon. UW Space Place, the public outreach branch of the University of Wisconsin astronomy department, hosts lectures and observations. An hour and a half south at Williams Bay, the historic Yerkes Observatory, founded in 1897, houses the world's largest refracting telescope with its 40-inch lens — reopened to the public in 2020.