American Family Children's Hospital

Offering your child the most advanced medical care directed by University of Wisconsin pediatricians – all in a state-of-the-art, family-friendly facility with lots of cozy amenities.
  • 1675 Highland Ave. / Madison, WI 53792
  • (608) 263-7337
    • Open 24/7
    • Monday24 Hours
    • Tuesday24 Hours
    • Wednesday24 Hours
    • Thursday24 Hours
    • Friday24 Hours
    • Saturday24 Hours
    • Sunday24 Hours
    • Open 24/7
    • Monday24 Hours
    • Tuesday24 Hours
    • Wednesday24 Hours
    • Thursday24 Hours
    • Friday24 Hours
    • Saturday24 Hours
    • Sunday24 Hours
    • Monday-Thursday8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
    • Friday8 a.m.-4 p.m.
    • Monday8:00am-4:30pm
    • Tuesday8:00am-4:30pm
    • Wednesday8:00am-4:30pm
    • Thursday8:00am-4:30pm
    • Friday8:00am-4:00pm
    • SaturdayClosed
    • SundayClosed
    • Monday-Friday9:00am-5:30pm
    • Monday9:00am-5:30pm
    • Tuesday9:00am-5:30pm
    • Wednesday9:00am-5:30pm
    • Thursday9:00am-5:30pm
    • Friday9:00am-5:30pm
    • SaturdayClosed
    • SundayClosed

Overview

A perfect place for healing

Welcome to American Family Children’s Hospital, where your child will be treated as if they’re one of our very own kids. We offer the most advanced medical care directed by University of Wisconsin pediatricians and pediatric surgeons – all in a state-of-the-art, family-friendly facility with cozy amenities. We want you to go home with a heathier child and positive memories about your experience.

Visitor guidelines

For information about number of visitors allowed and other details, please see our Patient and Visitor Guidelines.

Facility highlights

A children’s hospital with lots of creature comforts

Families get the best of both worlds at American Family Children’s Hospital. Your child is our primary focus, but we also keep a close eye on moms, dads, brothers, sisters and grandparents. Our roots on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison go back to 1920. That’s a full century of experts bringing the latest research advances in pediatric medicine to your child’s bedside. Many of these discoveries occurred on this very campus, including trailblazing treatments for children with cancer, cystic fibrosis and asthma.

Highlights include:

Treating your child like our own
A physician listening to a child's lungs and heart with a stethoscope

Many of our patient families are pleasantly surprised by the warm, family-friendly feel of our children’s hospital. Parents often say, “They answer every question no matter how many times I ask,” or “They really listen and involve parents in the decisions.”

For more information about your stay or visit, please consult our Patient and Family Visitor Guide.

Bringing a child to the hospital can be scary. Once you arrive, however, it won’t be long before you know that your child is in the right place. Here, it’s not only about extraordinary care you’d expect from a leading children’s hospital, but the personal touches that make our family part of your family.

Many families tell us that they never felt treated like a number. We take great pride in that compliment.

For more information about your stay or visit, please consult our Patient and Family Visitor Guide.

Child Life Specialists are specially trained to make your child’s time in the hospital less scary and a lot more fun than she or he might imagine. Families often remember the name of the Child Life Specialist who found just the perfect video game, craft, art project or movie that put an unforgettable smile on their child’s face. We have 18 Child Life Specialists on staff, and they are ready to make your child’s stay special.

For more information about your stay or visit, please consult our Patient and Family Visitor Guide.

Amenities

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Parking

Please use the American Family Children’s Hospital parking ramp at 1675 Highland Ave., Madison WI 53792. For clinic appointments, bring your parking ticket inside for validation. If staying overnight, you’ll receive up to two free parking passes.

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Plenty of Room

Our spacious, colorful rooms are big enough to accommodate families, many of whom “move in” with us while their child is hospitalized. A sofa-sleeper in each room allows a parent or caregiver to spend the night alongside their child.

A hand with a heart
Salon care

Our Positive Image Center allows children to ease anxiety during their stay. Salon services include haircuts and styles, temporary hair coloring, hair sparkles and feathers, wig fitting and application, nail painting and make-up application.

Featured services

Remarkable pediatric specialty care

Dr. Katryn Furuya holding a toddler who is her liver transplant patient
From the New York Times

Our nearly 60 years of transplant experience and our new pediatric heart transplant program are highlighted in this New York Times Paid Post.

Kingston's journey was unbelievable and unpredictable but after two years as an inpatient at American Family Children's Hospital, and through the remarkable care of the pediatric transplant team and his incredible nurses, he has a new kidney and was finally able to go home.
A toddler, lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to heart monitoring equipment
A nationally acclaimed pediatric heart program

If your child has a heart problem, you’ll want expert care from a hospital with an outstanding track record. Our program also is recognized for its superior surgical outcomes and shorter hospital stays for kids who have open heart surgery.

A pediatric cancer patient happily showing off a bandage
Pioneers in the fight against childhood cancer

For more than 50 years, the UW Health Kids cancer care team has been at the forefront of developing newer, more effective treatments that save more lives. Thanks to innovative methods that harness the body’s immune system to fight cancer, more children than ever are being cured, with fewer side effects. If your child or someone you know receives a cancer diagnosis, the UW Health Kids cancer team is your clear choice.

A group of neonatal intensive care unit nurses wearing superhero costumes
Saving the lives of sick babies

Most babies, thankfully, are born without complications. If, however, your baby’s life hangs in the balance because of a complex medical condition, American Family Children’s Hospital is one of just two places in Wisconsin with a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) that is licensed to care for the very sickest babies. UW Health Kids experts in neonatology, pediatric surgery and every pediatric specialty imaginable are here for you and your baby.

Emergency care

Emergency Room Information

The UW Health Emergency Department entrance is located between the main entrance to American Family Children’s Hospital (1675 Highland Ave) and University Hospital (600 Highland Ave). Adult and pediatric patients share the same Emergency Department entrance. To ensure you receive the best possible care in a timely manner, please do not use the main hospital entrances.

When you arrive near the hospital campus, there are signs along Highland Avenue and University Bay Drive directing you to the UW Health Emergency Department entrance and parking area.

Unique for our region, our Emergency Department includes a team of doctors with extra training in caring for children. We are also a Level I trauma center, which is the highest level possible. While we’re caring for your child, you will meet our popular Child Life staff, who seem to know exactly how to put a smile on a kid of any age in a scary situation.

Parking and transportation

General Parking Information (non-emergency)

We are located at 1675 Highland Ave., Madison WI 53792, just a bit north of the intersection of Campus Drive and University Bay Drive.

Just here for the day?

Park in the American Family Children’s Hospital parking ramp. Bring your parking ticket with you inside the hospital to have it validated for free parking.

Staying overnight?

Up to two primary visitors (usually parents or guardian) may receive free parking passes with in-and-out privileges. Details will be provided when you arrive.

Hours of operation

  • Open 24/7
  • Monday24 Hours
  • Tuesday24 Hours
  • Wednesday24 Hours
  • Thursday24 Hours
  • Friday24 Hours
  • Saturday24 Hours
  • Sunday24 Hours
  • Open 24/7
  • Monday24 Hours
  • Tuesday24 Hours
  • Wednesday24 Hours
  • Thursday24 Hours
  • Friday24 Hours
  • Saturday24 Hours
  • Sunday24 Hours
  • Monday-Thursday8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
  • Friday8 a.m.-4 p.m.
  • Monday8:00am-4:30pm
  • Tuesday8:00am-4:30pm
  • Wednesday8:00am-4:30pm
  • Thursday8:00am-4:30pm
  • Friday8:00am-4:00pm
  • SaturdayClosed
  • SundayClosed
  • Monday-Friday9:00am-5:30pm
  • Monday9:00am-5:30pm
  • Tuesday9:00am-5:30pm
  • Wednesday9:00am-5:30pm
  • Thursday9:00am-5:30pm
  • Friday9:00am-5:30pm
  • SaturdayClosed
  • SundayClosed

In detail

Additional resources for your stay or visit

A parent and patient walking throw a windowed hallway inside American Family Children's Hospital
American Family Children's HospitalPatient and family visitor guide
A closeup of a family's hands holding a ceramic heart
Your charitable gift makes a difference

Gifts to American Family Children’s Hospital help ease the financial and emotional burden of patients and their families by providing free meals, sibling care, medical supplies, financial grants, and gas cards; create a positive patient experience through the services of Child Life; fund innovative care programs and rapidly respond to new and emergent needs.

View all clinics available at American Family Children's Hospital

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