A view of Monona Terrace from Lake Monona. The sky is clear and sunny and a reflection of the building at its larger arched windows can be seen in the lake water.

Photo by Monona Terrace

MONONA TERRACE

Frank Lloyd Wright design. Stunning views. Located right in the heart of downtown Madison.

The Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center is a meeting venue you can't find anywhere else. 

This spectacular 250,000 square-foot, multi-level facility features public promenades, meeting rooms with striking lake views and the attached Hilton Madison Monona Terrace. Gracing the rooftop is a 68,000 square-foot garden that may be reserved for events.

And the location? Just two blocks from the Wisconsin State Capitol. On the shores of Lake Monona. It doesn't get any better.

Want an invigorating space for your attendees to learn, network and recharge? Monona Terrace is the perfect place.

“The addition of the Embassy Suites downtown is a game changer. Monona Terrace is one of my favorite places to hold a meeting–the staff are extremely professional; the facility is top notch and the location, amazing.”

– Cindy Delaney, President & CEO, Delaney Event Management


Facility Features and Services

  • 37,200 square-foot exhibition hall
  • 14,000 square-foot ballroom
  • 310-seat multimedia lecture hall
  • 20 additional meeting rooms (28,000 square feet total)
  • Award-winning in-house caterer
  • In-house audio-visual team and equipment for virtual meetings
  • Business center
  • Lakeside bike/hike path
  • 600-space attached parking garage
  • Art/exhibit area and expansive areas for registration/information needs

View room capacities, diagrams, A/V capabilities and in-depth information by clicking the button below.


GETTING TO MONONA TERRACE

Getting to Monona Terrace and downtown hotels from the airport takes less than 15 minutes, making travel quick and convenient for your meeting attendees. Ground transportation from the airport is available, including taxis, ride share (Uber, Lyft, etc.), rental cars, courtesy vehicles from several downtown hotels and Madison Metro Bus.

Once you arrive downtown, you'll be pleased to find that the area is safe, clean and walkable with convenient access to 300+ restaurants and attractions. A BCycle e-bike rental station is located just outside the convention center at W. Wilson and MLK Jr. Blvd. for adventurers who are interested in exploring Madison's incredible system of trails.


SAFETY PROTOCOLS

Monona Terrace has taken many proactive steps to ensure that events will be held in the safest and most responsible manner, including achieving GBAC STAR™️facility accreditation The cleaning staff are GBAC-Trained Technicians and all staff have received training on safety protocols.


GREEN PRACTICES

Frank Lloyd Wright was a pioneer of organic architecture and Monona Terrace does its best to live up to his vision. Whether it's the use of green cleaning products, composting or more complex initiatives like LEED certification, Monona Terrace strives for sustainability.

LEED Certification

Monona Terrace is certified as a "Green Building" by the U.S. Green Building Council's prestigious Leadership and Environmental Energy Design for Existing Buildings (LEED–EB) program.

Renewable Energy 

One hundred percent of the electrical energy and non-electric carbon emissions at Monona Terrace are purchased renewable power. Monona Terrace uses 27% less energy on average than other convention centers in similar climatic areas. The facility uses LED lighting fixtures as well as high efficiency plumbing and water fixtures to reduce water waste.

Travel Green Wisconsin LogoTravel Green Wisconsin 

Monona Terrace is recognized as a Travel Green Wisconsin Member by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism for continuing to improve operations in order to reduce environmental impact.

Recycling & Composting

Revamped recycling practices have more than doubled the overall recycling rate for the building. Monona Terrace currently recycles more than 50% of its solid waste stream. A local food composting partnership turns food waste into nutrient-rich soil.

Green Purchasing 

The use of non-toxic green cleaning products has been implemented throughout the building. Monona Terrace partnered with the City of Madison, in following with the city's Natural Step initiative, to purchase environmentally-friendly cleaning products at a bulk pricing rate. This encouraged many city departments that were not green cleaning to begin using environmentally friendly products.

Monona Catering 

Monona Catering uses china dishes and cloth napkins for the majority of events and offers recycled products to guests when necessary. In addition, leftover foods are donated to local food pantries, many condiments are presented in bulk packaging and custom organic menus are available.

Leonardo Academy 

The Leonardo Academy is a Madison-based organization that focuses on a wide variety of sustainability issues. For clients that seek ways to reduce their footprint on the environment, Monona Terrace offers the Leonardo Academy's Cleaner and Greener Program as an option. This program has been offsetting emissions caused by events since 2001.

Rooftop Native Prairie Plantings

Thousands of native prairie plantings grace the rooftop to conserve water and attract critical pollinators.


Enhance the Attendee Experience

We offer several free trails your meeting attendees can use to explore our local culture and gain new experiences during their time in Madison:

  • Madison Like a Local: A digital travel itinerary designed to help meeting attendees explore the city’s best local offerings beyond the meeting agenda. All stops are walkable from Monona Terrace and downtown hotels.
  • Wright in Madison: This self-guided journey takes you through the places where famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright lived, learned and found his inspiration, revealing Madison's crucial influence on his legacy. 
  • Madison By Bike: Hop on an e-bike rental and pedal across four Madison bike trails, each with their own vibe, and stop along the way to redeem exclusive discounts and earn prizes.
  • Madison on Tap: A roadmap to 30+ breweries, cideries and distilleries in the Madison area, with discounts and prizes along the way.