We will have a spouses program at YAPC::NA 2012. We don’t know all the details yet, but we do know that you should bring your wife or husband to YAPC 2012. After all, YAPC is nothing if not a social experience. While you’re doing tech stuff your significant other can be involved in the spouses program, and when it comes time to do the social events your significant other can charm us all.

The spouses program will have the same cost as the conference itself, $100. That fee will pay for transportation, and admissions fees for whatever we do with the spouses program.

Sarah Bownds, a professional event planner, will be creating and running the spouses program. She’s currently planning the details for it. Some of the possibilities are a museum crawl, a winery/brewery tour, shopping, etc.

For now, just convince your spouse that they should join you at YAPC 2012.

A number of people have expressed interest in a family or kids program similar to our Spouses Program. Unfortunately, after consulting with an attorney, this cannot happen due to liability issues. Likewise, for both logistics and legal reasons we really cannot have children at any YAPC sponsored activities. Therefore, we cannot have a family/kids program at YAPC.

However, we realize that some of you still would like to make a vacation out of your trip to Madison. So while we cannot directly support a family program, we can provide you with copious amounts of information about the family-friendly things you can do in and around Madison before, during, and after YAPC.  So we’ve decided to add a family fun page to the web site that we’re building with links to tourist information, activities like The Madison Children’s Museum and the Vilas Zoo, and more. 

Below are possible options under consideration for the spouse's program

Capital Brewery is another of the great local breweries in Madison. Its beer is served nearly everywhere in Madison, but you can also go straight to the bar attached to the brewery. While there you can take a tour of the brewery (schedule it in advance, they sell out always). Or you can just kick back and experience some of their experimental beers while chatting up your friends.

The Old Sugar Distillery is makes various types of Spirits and Liqueurs. A tour shows you how they make Freshwater Rum and some other things. They also offer a tasting as part of the tour.

Yahara Bay is a local distiller that makes vodka, rum, gin, and other spirits. They give free tours of their facilities and tasting of their products.

The Chazen Museum of Art is only two blocks from the YAPC conference facilities. The Chazen is home to the second-largest collection of art in Wisconsin: more than 20,000 works include paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, photographs, and decorative arts. The permanent collection covers diverse historical periods, cultures, and geographic locations, from ancient Greece, Western Europe, and the Soviet Empire, to Moghul India, eighteenth-century Japan, and modern Africa. The collection continues to grow thanks to artwork donations and purchases. Perhaps best of all, it’s free!

MMoCA serves the art life of the community by creating opportunities for direct experience with works of art, by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas about art, and by offering programs to enhance the appreciation and understanding of art. In addition, all of its exhibits and admissions are free! It is located about 7 blocks from the YAPC facilities.

The Wisconsin Historical Museum is located on Madison’s Capitol Square and is full of wonderful information about the state’s rich history. Explore Wisconsin’s distinctive heritage and a variety of other American history topics through artifacts, photographs, full-scale dioramas, audio-visual presentations, and interactive multimedia programs. It is about 8 blocks from the YAPC 2012 facilities. And at only $4 (suggested donation) per person, it’s well worth a look.

The Wisconsin Veterans Museum encourages people of all age groups and backgrounds to visit our award winning facility. We serve the public in four unique areas. The museum offers instructive exhibits that highlight important events in Wisconsin military history from the Civil War to the present. The museum has received national recognition for its displays. Secondly, the museum develops educational programs often focusing on specific themes such as World War II or Korea. Thirdly, the museum also operates a Research Center where books, photographic materials, oral histories, and archival collections can be accessed. In addition, the Research Center provides online reference assistance. Finally, the museum cares for and safeguards a large collection of artifacts associated with Wisconsin's military history. It is located about 8 blocks from the YAPC facilities. And admission is completely free!

If you are looking for something cool to do before or after YAPC, check out House on the Rock.

There are three sides to this amazing destination — The Attraction, The Inn and The Resort — all offering their own trio of sights, sounds and sensations.

• Visionary architecture, eclectic collections and incredible stories await you at the House on the Rock Attraction, Alex Jordan's imaginary, awe-inspiring man-made retreat.
• Swimming pools, relaxing rooms and family fun await your stay at The Inn, a perfect complement to a day touring at The Attraction.
• Legendary golf, exceptional cuisine, luxurious suites and spa await your stay at The Resort, an amazing destination featuring 27-holes of championship golf, two-room suites and scenic vistas.

It would make an exceptional vacation getaway before or after YAPC.

For more than 70 years, visitors have discovered why Cave of the Mounds is one of the best one day trips in the midwest! Guided tours on paved, lighted walkways lead visitors past an unforgettable array of crystal formations. The constant temperature in the cave makes touring comfortable all year round. The park grounds are nestled in the rolling hills of beautiful Southwest Wisconsin’s driftless area. Wander our Prairie and Oak Savanna nature trails. Be dazzled in the Butterfly Gardens.

State Street is one of the famous merchant districts in Madison. It is a street that runs from the Capitol to the University and is closed to vehicles. It has hundreds of little shops and restaurants. You’ll find unique boutiques that sell everything from fine art and clothing to high-end bicycles and hand-made leather goods. The restaurants feature cuisine from every corner of the world, whether you want an amazing American cheeseburger, the freshest Japanese sushi, some fantastic Nepalese tarkari, the tastiest East African injera, some mouth-watering Afghani lamb kabobs, and more. 

As part of the spouses program we may either do a guided tour of State Street, or just have a free-for-all shopping trip here.

As part of our spouses program, we may schedule a craft party at the Anthology. Anthology is an amazing little shop that carries finished goods as well as supplies for crafting projects from scrap booking and needlework to jewelry making and wood carving. It’s a great stop on your vacation in Madison, and may be a great activity for our spouses program.

If you like doing unusual things when you visit a new place, one of the things you should definitely check out while you're in Madison for YAPC::NA 2012 is the National Mustard Museum.

On the bottom floor they have an archive of the history of mustard. You'll be amazed by all the things you didn't know about mustard. In addition, they even have jars of actual mustard dating back to over 100 years.

On the top floor they have the most amazing selection of mustards for purchase you have ever seen, literally hundreds of types of mustards. And best of all, you can sample any mustard in the store whether you intend to buy or not.

You will have to take a bus, a cab, or drive though, because the National Mustard Museum is about 6 miles from the YAPC facilities. It's worth the effort.