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| What Madison's Talking About |
|  | A Colorado man died during this weekend’s IRONMAN Wisconsin competition. (Rob Thomas / City Cast Madison) |
| 🏊 Athlete Dies While Swimming IRONMAN: A 51-year-old man from Colorado died Saturday during the IRONMAN 70.3 in Madison. Fire department officials said the unidentified man was pulled from the water after suffering a medical emergency and was taken to the hospital, where he later died. [🔒NYT] | | ⛔ City May Declare Social Justice Center a Nuisance: City attorneys plan to go to court to have the Social Justice Center on Madison’s east side declared a public nuisance. The Williamson Street facility provides social services for unhoused residents and others, but city officials say it has become a haven for “nuisance activities” such as camping, illegal drug use and fighting. | - 🎧 Dig deeper: Brenda Konkel, executive director of Madison Street Medicine which is based at the center, was on the City Cast Madison podcast to talk about the challenges facing Madison’s unhoused population. [🔒WSJ, 🎧City Cast Madison]
| | 🏫 Report: UW-Madison Frat Was Suspended For Hazing: The Phi Beta Sigma fraternity chapter at UW-Madison was suspended for three months in 2025 after an investigation found it was hazing new recruits, according to findings released by the university. The investigation found that recruits were forced to do strenuous workouts, stand next to a hot stove, and perform a "humiliating" skit as part of their initiation. [🔒WSJ] | | 🚨 Forum Will Address Corey Ruiz Shooting: Local social justice and police-reform groups will hold a public forum Sept. 17 at the Goodman Community Center to talk about police accountability in the wake of the fatal police shooting of Corey Ruiz. Topics will range from the aftermath of the shooting to broader issues of police oversight, racial disparities, and recommended changes to the Madison Police Department. [🔒WSJ] | | 🗳️ Madison Steps Up Voter Registration Drives: Today is National Voter Registration Day, and Madison is celebrating with a week of voter registration drives all around town. Voters should bring proof of address if they want to register in person, or they can register online through MyVote if they have a valid driver’s license or Wisconsin ID. [City of Madison] | | 🎭 Overture Center Rolls Out the Pink Carpet: To replace the iconic pink carpet in the Overture Center’s Rotunda area, the arts center turned to an unlikely source – fishing nets. The new bright pink carpet in the space is made from recycled nylon netting, making it sustainable as well as eye-catching. [🔒WSJ] | | 🥣 Wisconsin’s First CAVA Opening at Hilldale: The Mediterranean fast-casual chain CAVA will open its first location in Wisconsin at Hilldale later this fall. CAVA is known for its grain bowls, salads and pitas, and for the fact that you can fit $50,000 in cash in its to-go bags. [Hilldale, Reuters] |
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| | | It’s Wish You Were Here season: THE best time to invite loved ones to experience all the fall feels in Madison. | Host a friends and family getaway by October 30 and you’ll be on your way to winning one of six prize giveaways. Here’s how: | 💌 Live in Madison? Invite someone in! | 🧳 Start planning with free postcards, hosting tips + itinerary ideas | 📍 Visit featured places and tag us on socials for a chance to win | Get started. |
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| The House on the Rock is Even Weirder Than You Think |
|  | The Infinity Room at The House on the Rock is an architectural marvel. (Rob Thomas / City Cast Madison) |
| Ever since I moved to Madison over a quarter-century ago, I heard legends and lore about The House on the Rock out in Iowa County near Spring Green. I heard that it was huge, eccentric, and that it was fascinating and disturbing in equal measure. I heard that I would not be able to get the sound of circus music out of my head for days afterwards. | | While the City Cast Madison team went to The House of the Rock back in 2023, finally it was my turn to go for the first time. This is my best effort to describe what I saw there. It’s hilarious, it’s disturbing, it’s unforgettable. But the one thing that everybody told me is true. You have to see it to believe it. | | What and Where Is The House on the Rock? | House on the Rock is a sprawling estate built on Deer Shelter Rock, located about an hour west of Madison on Highway 23. Basically, head to American Players Theatre, but then keep going on Highway 23 another six miles until you see the giant flowerpots flanking the entrance. | | The breathtaking natural beauty of the location is balanced by the sheer eccentricity of what’s inside the house, which is dozens of rooms and passages crammed with all kinds of oddities. | | | Who Built This Place? | Alex Jordan was a Madison man who developed a fascination with both construction and electronic gadgets. On a family trip to Deer Shelter Rock as a child, he imagined building his dream house on the site. He started building House on the Rock in the 1940s, and reportedly started charging curious onlookers 50 cents to visit, thinking it would drive them away. Instead, House on the Rock grew to become one of Wisconsin’s strangest and most popular tourist attractions. | | |
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| | | | Meet Lazy Dog! As you can see, he’s a very active 8-month-old CAT who loves to play and soak up attention. This curious and friendly guy could play for hours, whether he’s batting around toys on his own or playing with his people. When he finally gets a little tuckered out, Lazy Dog is happy to curl up on your lap or lay near your feet just to stay close. He loves pets and attention so much that he can get a little overexcited and give enthusiastic love nips. | | Because of this nipping habit, he’s looking for a home with teens and older who can read his body language and give him plenty of appropriate outlets for his energy. Lazy Dog also wants to find a home with no other animals because he wants to keep his humans and space all to himself. | | |
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