More information on historic buildings or district questions may be found in the Department of Planning & Community & Economic Development Planning Division.

Wisconsin has the highest concentration of burial mounds in the United States and the Madison area has one of the highest concentrations of burial mounds remaining. Most mounds were lost to 19th-century agricultural practices and city development. The mound builders were farmers who also engaged in hunting and gathering. They lived in small villages and migrated from one to another based on the seasonal availability of natural resources. The mounds often, but not always, have burials associated with them, but their exact purpose is not entirely understood. Mounds tend to have been built in places with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. The mounds are considered sacred by modern Native Americans and should be treated with respect.

A Burial Mounds Policy was created with assistance from the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Ho-Chunk Nation, and approved by the Board of Park Commissioners in October 2019, the policy provides guidelines and procedures for managing burial mounds located in Madison Parks. Burial mound locations are also included in the policy. 

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• Breese Stevens Field

  Location: 917 E. Mifflin Street
  Built: 1925
  
  Description: This athletic facility was built on a block sold to the City of Madison in 1923 by the widow of former Madison Mayor Breese J. Stevens. The City hired local architects Claude and Starck to design a stadium for the new field in 1925. The stone walls were constructed in 1934 by the federal Civil Works Administration, the same year lighting towers were erected. During its early years the field was used for most outdoor high school athletic events and for minor league baseball. In 1982 a rehabilitation project converted it to a soccer facility.
  
  Designated a City of Madison Landmark on October 16, 1995.
  
  Historic Structure Report (PDF)
  
  More Information: Landmark Nomination
  

Warner Park offers a specialized field lined for soccer with lighting and bleacher seating. This field is uniquely managed to provide a better playing surface. Higher quality mowing at a lower height to promote better underfoot conditions and using a specialized turf species and irrigation, as well as fertilizer, aerification, weed prevention and watering to promote a denser turf canopy.

Multipurpose fields, used often for soccer are open fields with no game-specific design or amenity. These are available throughout the city on a first-come, first-served basis or reserved for a lesser fee than a specialized field. See Multipurpose Field for more information. 

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• Breese Stevens

  Bleachers: Yes
  Lighted: Yes
  Setup: Adult
  Type: Game
  
  Notes: This venue may be reserved by contacting Big Top Events, (608) 509-3367 or email.