# Weekend getaways from Madison with kids

Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/madison/weekend-getaways/

> The best trip within about five hours of Madison for each of the next 6 weekends, chosen for kids under 6. Every event links to the official page we checked it on.

Last checked: 2026-10-18.

## Weekend of Oct 23–25: Milwaukee (about 1 hr 15 min)

Boo at the Zoo runs all day Saturday this year, 9:30 to 9, so little ones can trick-or-treat in daylight.

- **Boo at the Zoo**, Fri Oct 23, Sat Oct 24, Fri 4:30–9 p.m.; Sat 9:30 a.m.–9 p.m., Milwaukee County Zoo. See the zoo's ticket page. New this year: daytime hours on Saturday. Official page: https://milwaukeezoo.org/visit/upcoming-events/boo-at-the-zoo/

## Weekend of Oct 30–Nov 1: Minneapolis–St. Paul (about 4 hr 30 min)

Last weekend for the Minnesota Zoo's Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular, 5,000 carved pumpkins on a wooded trail. Go Friday or Sunday, since Halloween night is adults only, and catch Howl-O-Ween there Saturday morning.

- **Twelve Kinds of Ice**, Fri Oct 30, Sat Oct 31, Sun Nov 1, Fridays at 7 p.m.; weekend shows at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. (2 and 5 p.m. on Oct. 25), Children's Theatre Company, Cargill Stage, Minneapolis. See CTC for tickets. A new one-hour musical about a girl and her dad building an ice rink, with ice that freezes right on stage. Best for ages 7 and up. Official page: https://childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/twelve-kinds-of-ice/
- **Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular**, Fri Oct 30, Sun Nov 1, Fri–Sat 5:30 p.m.–midnight; Sun 5:30–11 p.m.; timed entry, Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley. $23–$30 adults, $19–$26 kids; 2 and under free; parking $10 for non-members. A wooded trail of more than 5,000 carved, glowing pumpkins with a trivia game built into the carvings. Oct. 31 is an adults-only night, and tickets are online only and usually sell out. Official page: https://mnzoo.org/jols-2026/
- **Howl-O-Ween at the Zoo**, Sat Oct 31, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Central Plaza, Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley. See the zoo for daytime admission. Daytime Halloween with a costume dance party and animals getting pumpkin treats. Official page: https://mnzoo.org/special-events/

## Weekend of Nov 6–8: Milwaukee (about 1 hr 15 min)

Family Free Day: everyone gets into the Milwaukee County Zoo free on Saturday, Nov. 7. Parking and ride fees still apply.

- **Family Free Day**, Sat Nov 7, Zoo hours, Milwaukee County Zoo. Free admission; parking and attraction fees still apply. Everyone gets in free on the first Saturday in November. Official page: https://milwaukeezoo.org/visit/upcoming-events/

## Weekend of Nov 13–15: Milwaukee (about 1 hr 15 min)

Wild Kratts LIVE! plays the Miller High Life Theatre on Sunday at 1 and 5, and BrainExpo, a free hands-on brain science fair for all ages, runs 10 to 5 both days.

- **Wild Kratts LIVE! 2.0**, Sun Nov 15, 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., Miller High Life Theatre. See the Pabst Theater Group for tickets. Martin and Chris Kratt on stage with the rest of the team on screen, in an all-new creature-power adventure. Official page: https://www.pabsttheatergroup.com/events/detail/wild-kratts-2026
- **BrainExpo**, Sat Nov 14, Sun Nov 15, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., MCW Alumni Center. Free admission and parking; RSVP requested. A free hands-on neuroscience festival built for all ages, with real brain specimens and food trucks 11 a.m.–3 p.m. both days. Official page: https://www.brainexpo-mke.org/

## Weekend of Nov 20–22: Milwaukee (about 1 hr 15 min)

Wild Lights opens, plus the Holiday Folk Fair.

- **Wild Lights**, Fri Nov 20, Sat Nov 21, Sun Nov 22, 5:30–9 p.m. (gates close 8:15), Milwaukee County Zoo. $15 adults and kids 3–12 (early-bird online price through Nov. 8); 2 and under free; parking included. Closed Nov. 23–26 and Nov. 29–30. Sunday, Nov. 22 is a drive-thru night. Official page: https://milwaukeezoo.org/visit/upcoming-events/wild-lights/
- **Holiday Folk Fair International**, Fri Nov 20, Sat Nov 21, Sun Nov 22, Fri 2–9 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Exposition Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park, West Allis. $13 in advance for ages 8 and up. Food, music and dance from dozens of cultures under one roof. Official page: https://folkfair.org/festival-information/

Also within reach: Minneapolis–St. Paul (about 4 hr 30 min): Disney On Ice is at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul Thursday through Sunday, and the Children's Theatre Company's Grinch is playing in Minneapolis.

## Weekend of Nov 27–29: Milwaukee (about 1 hr 15 min)

Wild Lights is open Friday and Saturday, with parking included. It's closed Sunday.

- **Wild Lights**, Fri Nov 27, Sat Nov 28, 5:30–9 p.m. (gates close 8:15), Milwaukee County Zoo. $15 adults and kids 3–12 (early-bird online price through Nov. 8); 2 and under free; parking included. Closed Nov. 23–26 and Nov. 29–30. Sunday, Nov. 22 is a drive-thru night. Official page: https://milwaukeezoo.org/visit/upcoming-events/wild-lights/

Also within reach: Des Moines (about 4 hr 45 min): Disney On Ice is at Casey's Center over the holiday weekend.

## FAQ

**Where can we go for a weekend from Madison with little kids?**
Over the next 6 weekends our picks from Madison are Milwaukee, Minneapolis–St. Paul. Each one is chosen for what's on that weekend, with the dates, times and prices checked on the official pages.

**Which cities are within an easy drive of Madison?**
Milwaukee (about 1 hr 15 min), Minneapolis–St. Paul (about 4 hr 30 min), Des Moines (about 4 hr 45 min). Times are normal driving times without traffic.

**Why is the same city picked more than once?**
Sometimes one city really does have the most going on two weekends in a row, like a holiday lights opening followed by a show. We don't rotate cities just for variety.

**Are the times and prices current?**
They're what each official page showed on Oct 18, 2026. Tap through to the official page before you go.