Below we provide information about travel and lodging for the conference. If you have any questions or have specific needs regarding accommodation and transportation, please contact the local organizers directly via email.
Lodging
The main conference hotels are the Lowell Center (610 Langdon Street) and the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Madison (525 West Johnson Street). It is a short walk from both hotels to the campus, where the conference will be held (see below).
Conference Location and Parking
The main conference sessions are held at the Department of Physics, Chamberlin Hall (1150 University Avenue) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Please note that there is essentially no parking near Chamberlin Hall. Conference participants should leave vehicles at their hotels and walk to the conference location. The closest public parking facility is at 415 N Lake Street. Please note that parking is included at the conference hotels for hotel guests, but you have to pay if you park at the Lake Street parking ramp.
Meals
Meals are provided on Saturday and Sunday (through lunch). The main conference banquet is on Saturday night at the Discovery Building of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery (WID) (330 North Orchard Street).
Booking Travel:
When making travel plans, please keep in mind that the University of Wisconsin-Madison is in the Central Time Zone.
After notification of your acceptance to the conference, you should immediately plan your travel options. We encourage coordination among students from the same institution to minimize travel costs. Please note that it is expected that students obtain travel support from their home institutions. If this is not possible it is possible to obtain travel support. Please contact us via email with inquiries.
If you are receiving travel support, it is imperative that you work with us in Madison to make your arrangements to ensure a full reimbursement. Your travel costs must conform to the University of Wisconsin travel policies for full reimbursement; there are no exceptions. Please contact us with any questions.
GETTING TO MADISON
By Plane:
Dane County Regional Airport (airport code MSN) is located minutes from downtown Madison and is typically the best option for airline travel to Madison. MSN offers more than 95 daily arrivals and departures, with direct, non-stop service from the following locations: Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis, Newark, New York, Orlando, Salt Lake City, and Washington, DC.
Once you’re here, there are a variety of options for ground transportation to get you from Dane County Regional Airport to your final destination. Click here for details on taxi, rental car, courtesy van, and bus transportation options, including maps and phone numbers.
Other flight options include flying to Milwaukee (General Mitchell International Airport, airport code MKE), or to Chicago (Chicago O’Hare International Airport, airport code ORD, or the Chicago Midway International Airport, airport code MDW). Ground transportation from Milwaukee to Madison is about 90 minutes, and from Chicago to Madison is about 2.5-3 hours (see driving directions and/or bus information below).
By Car:
From Milwaukee (1½ hours): From the East via Interstate 94
As you approach the city, follow Highway 30 into Madison. Take the “State Capitol” exit off of Highway 30 and you will then be on East Washington Avenue, which leads directly to the Capitol Square.
From Dubuque (1¾ hour): From the Southwest via Highways 18 and 151
Take the appropriate exit to Highway 151 going north toward the State Capitol. In Madison, Highway 151 will become South Park Street. Follow Park Street to its conclusion to reach UW-Madison. Or, from Park, take a right onto Johnson Street to reach the State Street/Capitol Square area.
From Chicago (2½ hours): From the Southeast via Interstate 90
Take the Hwy 12/18 (Beltline) exit to Madison. If you are going to the Alliant Energy Center or Monona Terrace, exit at John Nolen Drive. If you are going to UW-Madison, exit at Park Street and follow north.
From Green Bay (2½ hours): From the Northeast via Highway 151
Follow Highway 151 toward the State Capitol. You will then be on East Washington Avenue, which leads directly to the Capitol Square.
From Minneapolis (4½ hours): From the North via Interstate 90/94
Take I-90/94 to the Highway 151 exit (Southwest) going toward the State Capitol. You will then be on East Washington Avenue, which leads directly to the Capitol Square.
By Bus:
Long distance intercity bus services providing scheduled service to Madison include Badger Coach, Greyhound, Jefferson Lines, Megabus and Van Galder bus lines. There are daily connections to Milwaukee and Chicago airports, and Amtrak in Chicago. Many buses stop at the Memorial Union on campus, which is just a block away from the Lowell Center.
