I arrived in Madison at night, well past sundown, and found my way to my accommodations in the dark. After a winning breakfast the following morning, I stepped outside and was immediately teased by everything this highly livable city has to offer, from its college-town vibe to its splendid setting between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. Of course, Wisconsin’s second-largest city (half the population size of Milwaukee), has its fair share of striking buildings as well. These are my favorites.

#1 Wisconsin State Capitol

Erected from 1906 to 1917, the Wisconsin State Capitol cost $7.25 million—money well spent, as I soon discovered. At just three feet shorter than the dome of the national capitol in Washington, D.C. (a concession made during construction), Wisconsin’s dome was vindicated by the fact that it is larger by volume. Measured as such, it’s one of the largest and most beautiful domes in the world; it’s also the only granite dome on a U.S. capitol. At the end of each of the four wings of the building, Corinthian columns support a pediment with a tympanum filled with bas-reliefs that represent the branch of government housed in that particular wing. More than 40 kinds of stone embellish the interior, originating from places as close as Wisconsin and Minnesota and as far away as Algeria, Greece, Italy, and Norway. Stained glass and wonderful wall and ceiling murals abound, including The Marriage of the Atlantic and Pacific that commemorates the opening of the Panama Canal. Precious marble inlay surrounds the rotunda, and the floor of the Governor’s Conference Room was laid with seven different woods and not a single nail. A 34’-diameter mural, Resources of Wisconsin, spans the apex of the interior dome. And below, in the pendentives, four brilliant mosaics of 400,000 pieces of colored glass, each about the size of a quarter, depict Liberty and the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the government—a striking splash of color in one of the most beautiful capitols in the United States, which also happens to be one of the greatest works by architect George Browne Post.

#2 Red Gym, University of Wisconsin

The sprawling campus of the University of Wisconsin (one of the most beautiful college campuses in the world) occupies more than 900 acres just a short walk from downtown Madison. Perhaps its most iconic building is the University of Wisconsin Armory and Gymnasium, usually referred to as the Red Gym. This massive, hulking beauty designed by local architects in the Romanesque Revival style began its life as a combination gymnasium and armory in 1894, when labor riots across the United States were spooking politicians, who made loud calls for local armories to control unruly mobs and for military training for male students. Madison was no exception, and when the building opened, it included military offices, an artillery drill room, a rifle range, and a drill hall wide enough to accommodate a four-column battalion. The gymnasium part included bowling alleys, a swimming pool, a baseball cage, rowing machines, a running track, and gymnastic apparatuses. Indeed, the form of its design vividly reflects the function of the armory more than a gym; it’s a seemingly impregnable, castellated, fortress-like behemoth with circular towers, bartizans, machicolations, and corbels that reminded me of Castel Nuovo in Naples, Italy (except for the red). For about 30 years, it was an integral part of the campus, hosting everything from Big Ten basketball games to speeches by the likes of William McKinley, Eugene Debs, and Upton Sinclair. But then, compulsory military training was suspended, and a new field house became the venue for basketball games. Plans to demolish the now underused building floated for decades, and a firebomb aimed at the building by anti-war protestors in 1970 almost accomplished that. But the building survived, and, after an $11.5 million restoration project was completed in 1998, the Red Gym (declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993 and one of the world’s most beautiful things that are red) now serves as the home of centers and offices for student services, a student art gallery, a public lounge, and media rooms.

#3 Bascom Hall, University of Wisconsin

Bascom Hall has been sitting at the top of Bascom Hill since it was constructed in 1859, although it looked much different back then. Built in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, the original hall—used entirely for instruction at the time—was smaller and was topped with a tall dome and a semi-circular colonnade. The current Jeffersonian portico replaced the semi-circular portico in 1894, smaller domes were removed in 1898, and wings added in 1899, 1907, and 1926 greatly enlarged the building. The dome was lost to a catastrophic fire in 1916 and was never replaced. I hiked up the 850’-long Bascom Hill that rises 86’ to take a closer look. The warmth of the stone and quoin façade contrasts nicely with the gleaming white balustrade at the roofline and the white fluted Ionic columns supporting the pediment with dentils and a lozenge window that rests on the raised entryway with multiple arches. It’s truly the centerpiece of the campus, named after the 13-year president who introduced co-educational instruction at the university, way back in the last quarter of the 1800s.

#4 Mendota Lake House Inn

It was late in the evening when I checked into Mendota Lake House Inn in a lovely residential neighborhood on the shore of Lake Mendota, and I went directly to bed. A delicious breakfast awaited me the following morning: freshly squeezed orange juice, a filling omelet with cheese and green peppers, Canadian bacon, a date and chocolate chip muffin, and honeydew, kiwi, and strawberries. While I absorbed this tasty bounty, I also absorbed the interior of the five-bedroom B&B. The Prairie School–style structure was built in 1911 for lumber executive William H. Collins by local architectural firm Claude & Starck, which constructed nearly 200 buildings in Madison during its 32-year run. Many of them, including this B&B, are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The lakeside sitting room boasts remarkable views of the lake, and an inviting fireplace anchors the large living room, filled with comfortable furniture ideal for lounging and socializing. Beams along the ceiling drew my eye toward the stenciling running above the abundant windows. Oak, maple, and mahogany lend additional warmth, and the arts-and-crafts details imbue all the common areas with a homey ambience. Outside, I admired the inn’s leaded windows and overhanging eaves, the pumpkins and potted mums embellishing the staircase in celebration of autumn, the stone retaining wall, and the lush vegetation all around the property. It’s a wonderful place to stay and return to every evening, especially when you’re rewarded with dramatic sunsets, when the lake water shimmers with an iridescent glow right outside your door.

#5 Science Hall, University of Wisconsin

UW scores again with its historic Science Hall, completed in 1887 as one of the first buildings in the United States to be constructed almost exclusively with all masonry and metal materials. The H-shaped building, clad in dark red brick, sits on a foundation of a grayish rhyolite. Its Richardson Romanesque style gives it a dignified boldness, although not as powerful as other buildings in that style. The central tower is complemented by less aggressive corner towers at the ends of the two wings. The steeply pitched roof, dormer windows, round arches, protruding and recessed brick, and the 16 corbeled chimneys give the whole structure a castle-like appearance. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993, Science Hall was originally the home for many of the science departments, including the Department of Anatomy of the medical school. That legacy introduced me to my favorite aspect of the building—it’s haunted. The department had a morgue in the basement, underground tunnels, and a constant supply of cadavers that were transported by hearse and winched up to the attic. Allegedly, a few of them aren’t resting in peace.

Five Runners-Up

• William T. Leitch House (1858)
• Royal Thai Pavilion, Olbrich Botanical Gardens (2001)
• Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center (1997)
• Agricultural Dean’s House, University of Wisconsin (1896)
• University Club, University of Wisconsin (1906)

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