Mad (Madison) Bowl

Located on the University of Virginia grounds, Mad Bowl, or Madison Bowl, is located behind Madison Hall between Rugby Road and Madison Lane.

Madison Bowl is a field that is surrounded by fraternity and sorority houses. An architectural tour of the University writes that prior to the Rotunda fire, the field was used for athletics and featured tennis courts and a track. The field historically been a notable party location, although the purpose of the bowl has expanded to include tamer community events and intramural sporting competitions.

The Bowl was iniitally owned by the University YMCA chapter, until the University bought the field and Madison Hall in 1971. The fraternity and sorority houses were constructed in 1902.

One such notorious annually-occuring Mad Bowl tradition were the "Easters" celebrations. Easters was a week-long party akin to a street party which included both dances and athletic events. Although intially a formal ball for students in the late 19th century, the celebration had turned into racous parties by the 60s. Some attribute this change to the inheritance of Easters by local fraternity and sorority chapters. In the early 70s, Madison Bowl was transformed into "mud bowl" through rain and hoses, and Madison Bowl became home to what Playboy Magazine called "the best party in America." In 1976, the party was recorded to have 15,000 attendees. In consideration of both the mud that tracked through the University and a gas leak on Grady Avenue, the last official Easters occurred in 1982.

Despite the end of Easters, the University has held similar events in recent years, including Midsummers and Midwinters, greek life and sporting events, and other CIO events. The field does not have any stadium lights, so the field is primarily for daytime use.