The Chazen Museum of Art on the University of Wisconsin campus holds a surprisingly strong collection for a university museum — over 24,000 objects spanning ancient Greek pottery, Old Master paintings, Japanese prints, and contemporary American work. It is the second-largest art museum in Wisconsin, after the Milwaukee Art Museum, and admission is free.
The collection's highlights include a significant holding of prints and drawings, a good selection of twentieth-century paintings, and rotating exhibitions that tend to be more adventurous than the permanent collection suggests. The building itself is a large, light-filled space that rewards a slower visit.
The Chazen is at 750 University Avenue, close to the Memorial Union Terrace and easily combined with a walk along the lake. It is open Tuesday through Sunday.