Specialty Tour
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Just a few miles from downtown Madison, along the quiet shore of Lake Monona, sits one of Wisconsin's most remarkable neighborhoods, that many people have never visited.
Frost Woods was just added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2026, and we're celebrating with a walking tour that pulls back the curtain on a neighborhood that has been quietly extraordinary for nearly a century.
Some of what you’ll discover…
Architecture that made history.
Frost Woods is home to the very first International Style house in Wisconsin, a bold, flat-roofed, geometric gem built in 1931 that shocked the neighbors and made the front page of the newspaper. You'll see eight more houses by the same visionary firm, Beatty & Strang, whose founders trained in the studios of Europe and brought the modernist revolution home to a lakeshore neighborhood in Monona. One of these houses was featured in Architectural Record and is shown to architecture students to this day as a prototype of its era.
A tour inside two historic homes.
This isn't just a sidewalk tour. You'll step inside the Tompkins House, the first home in Monona individually listed on the National Register, and get a rare look at its original cabinetry, vented attic, and vintage PA system. The tour ends at Bungalowen, a beloved 1911 lakeside cottage with a history as rambling as its floorplan, where snacks and the first floor await your exploration.
Deep roots in the land.
Long before any house was built here, the Ho-Chunk people shaped this landscape. Frost Woods is home to five effigy mounds, sacred earthworks built between AD 750 and 1200, and the neighborhood's story is inseparable from their history. We'll take time to honor that history as part of our tour.
Ticket open soon!
August 1 - Ticket open to Madison Trust members only
Members, you will receive an email on August 1 with an access code to purchase tickets. You will need your member ID when buying tickets. You must be a current Madison Trust member.
August 5 - Tickets open to the general public
We encourage getting tickets early as we limit the number of guests in each tour group for a better experience.
Tour Details
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Date: Sunday, September 20
Tour Times: Tours will begin at 8:30 a.m. and run every 30 minutes with the last tour starting at 1:30 p.m.
Meeting location address and map will be sent in your confirmation email and all email reminders.
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Madison Trust Members $20
General Public $30
Your ticket to the Frost Woods Tour does more than get you through the door. It directly supports the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation's work advocating for Madison's historic places. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on community support to keep this work alive. Thank you for being part of it.
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Weather: We will be there rain or shine! See cancellations below for exceptions.
Cancellations by the Madison Trust: For the safety of our guests, a tour may be cancelled for extreme weather or lightening. We will do our best to alert guests in advance by email. Purchased tickets will be refunded.
What to wear: Comfortable walking shoes; the tour covers several blocks (slight hills) of a beautiful tree-canopied neighborhood along Lake Monona.
Bathrooms: Restroom facilities are available at the start and end of the tour.
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If you find you are unable to attend the tour and would like a refund, please fill out our Request Form.
Refund requests will be accepted until September 15 at 11:59pm.
Fees are nonrefundable.
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The tour will end a Bungalowen where you will be able to tour the first floor of the cottage while enjoying refreshments.
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We are often asked if viewing interiors are included on the tour and we are thrilled to say YES this year! We have two interior visits for guests to enjoy.
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Street parking is available in the neighborhood.