Weekend Getaway:
Madison’s Edgewater.
When Robert Dunn announced plans to renovate and expand The Edgewater in Madison’s Mansion Hill neighborhood near the Capitol and the UW-Madison campus, he promised it would be more than a hotel and include public spaces for non-guests to enjoy.
Dunn has delivered on that promise and then some. Since it reopened in 2014 — the same year it was declared a Historic Hotel of America — it has hosted scores of free public activities on its grand plaza, which doubles as an ice-skating rink in the winter.
These events include music and outdoor movies in the summer, tailgating parties in the fall for Badgers football games, a late September oyster fest, a Christmas tree-lighting and caroling in December and a Frozen Assets bash that celebrates Madison’s lakes in February.
“When we first set out to redevelop this property, the notion of The Edgewater being a cultural center for the community was a cornerstone of our strategy in creating a public plaza and pier, which has 40 slips that are free for boaters to use,” said Amy Supple, the resort’s chief operating officer.
The $100 million Dunn spent to redo The Edgewater, a Madison institution since 1948, also produced impressive results on the lodging side, resulting in a new tower that brought the room total to 202, while adding a spa and four new places to dine.
But it’s the community spaces that Supple says she’s most proud of.
“We wanted The Edgewater to be much more than a hotel,” she said. “The idea was to draw the community to the waterfront here and bring guests out to mix and mingle with locals. As we were going through the (permitting) process, one of the most powerful arguments for proceeding was that we’d be a hub for community activities.
“After all, having a vacant public plaza doesn’t do a lot for anybody if it’s not being used. That’s a really critical part of creating an asset for the downtown. And it’s why we do so much stuff that is free and open to the public. We want this to be Madison’s place, not just for hotel guests. It’s a tradition that The Edgewater has been trying to restore.”
The slips that The Edgewater provides are the only free docking on Lake Mendota, she noted. Boaters can pull up to the dock at the UW-Madison’s Memorial Union — which is a short distance away — but must then depart.
“So there’s no other free destination where you can tie up your boat on this lake,” she said.
“Bob Dunn said he wanted The Edgewater to be a complement to the Union, but this would be a Memorial Union for adults. In creating great downtowns, which Madison has, you need a variety of of destinations that appeal to different kinds of consumers.
“The Union is certainly an institution here in Madison and we are a good waterfront complement to it. But we appeal to a slightly older demographic and we are more geared to families and 30to 50-year-old-type people rather than mostly students.”
The Edgewater hosted a July 4 bash on its plaza and out in the lake that featured water skiing shows from the Mad-City Ski Team, bands, beer from local breweries, brats, burgers and a Kids Zone with balloon art and face painting.
Through Labor Day, it draws music lovers for First Thursdays with an eclectic mix of cover bands performing everything from soul and folk to Dustbowl Revival. In a partnership with the Door County Brewing Co., the plaza hosts Brewgrass Fridays with what Supple said are some of the nation’s best bluegrass bands.
Live & LocAle Saturdays is a free outdoor tribute on Saturday nights boasting all-Wisconsin bands such as Natty Nation and Steely Dane. At the same time, listeners can enjoy brews from MobCraft Beer, One Barrel Brewing Co., O’so Brewing Co., Potosi Brewing Co., Vintage Brewing Co., Wisconsin Brewing Co. and Door County Brewing.
Movie fans can enjoy outdoor films on Tuesday nights with Movies on the Water. Once dusk arrives, the evening starts with Facts and a Flick trivia questions related to the movie being shown, followed by the film. Movies range from familyfriendly favorites like “Finding Dory”and “Despicable Me” to classics like “Jaws” and “Casablanca.”
Skipper Bud’s Boat Rides are offered for free on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month on Lake Mendota. The pier also boasts pop-up pier parties, live music, customized boating excursions and boat rentals. For those with the munchies, The Boat House offers casual lakeside dining.
If you need a place to stay, The Edgewater has upscale rooms from $199 to $399 a night. The spa offers a variety of treatments, including some that use Wisconsin beers as a key ingredient, plus yoga classes on the plaza.
When hunger strikes, there’s the Statehouse, The Edgewater’s signature restaurant, as well as Augie’s Tavern, named for former owner Augie Faulkner, and The Cafe, which serves coffee and lighter fare.
More information: See theedgewater.com or call (608) 535-8200.
Getting there: The Edgewater, 1001 Wisconsin Place, Madison, is about 80 miles west of Milwaukee via I-94.