List of tallest buildings in Madison facts for kids

Madison skyline looking north from Lake Monona

Welcome to Madison, Wisconsin! This page will tell you all about the tallest buildings in this cool city. You might notice that Madison doesn't have super-tall skyscrapers like some really big cities. That's because there's a special rule! Buildings on the Madison Isthmus (the narrow strip of land where downtown Madison is) can't be taller than the base of the pillars around the dome of the Wisconsin State Capitol. This rule helps make sure everyone can always see the beautiful Capitol building. The Wisconsin State Capitol is actually the tallest building in Madison!

How Tall Buildings Started in Madison

The story of tall buildings in Madison began a long time ago. The first building that people called a "skyscraper" was the Churchill Building, finished in 1915. Just two years later, in 1917, the amazing Wisconsin State Capitol was completed. It was the third Capitol building in Madison, as the one before it burned down in 1904.

Because of the special height rule, most buildings in Madison are usually not much taller than 160 feet (about 49 meters). There was once a plan for a super-tall building called the Archipelago Village Tower. It was supposed to be 27 stories and 570 feet (174 meters) tall! But because of the city's height rules, it's very unlikely that it will ever be built.

Madison's Tallest Buildings

Here's a list of some of the tallest buildings in Madison. We've included buildings that are generally over 115 feet (35 meters) tall. The height is given in both feet and meters.

Rank	Name	Image	Height ft / m	Floors	Year	Note
1	Wisconsin State Capitol		284 / 86	6	1917	This is the tallest building in Madison! It's also the tallest building in Wisconsin outside of Milwaukee.
2	Van Hise Hall		243 / 74	19	1967	This is the tallest building on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. It's also one of the tallest educational buildings in the world! It might be taken down in 2025.
3	UW Engineering Research Building		184 / 56	14	1968	A tall building used for engineering research at the university.
4	UW Atmospheric Oceanic & Space Sciences Building		180 / 55	15	1966	This building is used for studying weather and space. It has special equipment like satellite dishes on top!
5	State Office Building		177 / 54	13	1939	This is the tallest office building in downtown Madison.
6	151 East Wilson		172 / 52	14	2018	A modern building in Madison.
7	University Square Office Building		164 / 50	12	2008	This building has shops, apartments, and offices used by the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
8	Ovation 309		162 / 50	14	2015	Located near State Street, this building is a home for many people.
9	Edgewater Hotel		160 / 49	15	1945	This hotel was updated in 2014, and its new tower is 160 feet tall.
10	The Constellation Apartments		158 / 48	14	2014	This apartment building is in the growing Capitol East District.
11	The Galaxie		158 / 48	14	2016	Another tall building in the Capitol East District.
12	One Hundred Wisconsin Avenue		157.07 / 47.8	12	2004	This building is right by the Capitol Square. It has shops, offices, and fancy apartments. It uses special materials like granite and limestone.
13	Nolen Shore		149 / 45	12	2006	This building is named after John Nolen, who was a famous landscape architect for Madison a long time ago.
14	The Loraine		143 / 43	10	1925	This building used to be a hotel, but now it has apartments. It's also a historic place!
15	The Lux		143 / 43	12	2016	A tall building completed in 2016.
16	Belmont Hotel/YWCA		140 / 42	11	1924	This building's height actually helped create Madison's current height restriction rules!
17	Metropolitan Place 2		135 / 41	13	2007	A tall building in Madison.
18	Hovde Building		134 / 41	10	1928	An older, tall building in the city.
19	Churchill Building		134 / 41	9	1915	This was Madison's very first "skyscraper"! It was the tallest building in Wisconsin outside of Milwaukee when it was built.
20	City View		134 / 41	12	2014	This building offers great views of the city.
21	309 West Washington		133 / 41	11	2008	A tall building on West Washington Street.
22	The Lyric		132 / 41	11	2017	Another building in the quickly growing Capitol East District.
23	Hyatt Place Madison Downtown		126 / 38	11	2010	A hotel located in downtown Madison.
24	Tenney Plaza (aka The Tenney Building)		125 / 38	10	1929	This is a 10-story building with a cool "art deco" style. It was Madison's first building made with a steel frame.
25	Weston Place		122/37	12	2005	A tall apartment building on Madison's west side.
26	Capitol Centre Apartments building I & 2		119 / 36	16	1982	A tall apartment building in downtown Madison.
27	Oakwood Village tower		118 / 36	15	1975	This is a senior living center on the west side of Madison. It's one of the few tall buildings on this list that isn't in the downtown or university areas.