The University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Memorial Union Terrace will be opening early this year to take advantage of some warm weather this week.
The Wisconsin Union team, which manages the Terrace as well as the nearby building Memorial Union and some other campus entertainment, learning and dining destinations, will return more than 2,000 chairs and 400 tables to the Memorial Union Terrace over the next couple of days to get ready for the grand opening on Wednesday, April 12.
The weather forecast for Madison this week will be in the 70s every day including a high of 77 on Wednesday, the opening day for the Terrace.
The return of the Terrace chairs signals the start of a time widely known as Terrace season during which the Union team invites patrons to dine, socialize, relax and attend events at the outdoor dining and entertainment hub in addition to enjoying its year-round indoor spaces and services, the Wisconsin Union said in a press release Monday.
“A summer in Madison isn’t complete without a visit to the Memorial Union Terrace, and we have a summer of programming planned to help people make the most of every week of warmer weather,” Wisconsin Union Deputy Director Susan Dibbell said in a statement.
The Terrace, which first opened for a full season in 1929, now welcomes around 800,000 visitors during a typical Terrace season, according to the Wisconsin Union. The space and its chairs changed throughout the years, including the expansion of space for chairs and tables, the addition of dining options, and the evolution of Terrace chairs from rustic hickory to Wisconsin-made metal chairs with a trademarked sunburst design.
