We are a community of about 30 people (both students and workers) and five cats (neither students nor workers) who share a large yellow castle on the shore of Lake Mendota. Since our founding in 1973, Lothlorien Co-op has striven to provide a welcoming and supportive atmosphere for people of all ages, sexes, races, and sexual orientations. Many of our housemembers are politically active in queer rights, labor rights, and environmental and feminist movements, and our home is an open resource to activist groups like Food Not Bombs, Stop the War, Radical Cheerleaders, and the Madison Art Collective. We often host benefit concerts, fiestas, coffeehouses, and other events providing the city of Madison with good times. Based in egalitarian ideals, house decisions are made through modified consensus at weekly house meetings.

The house features a huge living room and library with hardwood floors, four fireplaces distributed throughout the house, multiple decks, and one grand and one upright piano. Our backyard has terraced gardens, a lakeshore fire pit, a dock, and two canoes. All but one of our 31 bedrooms are singles. We have a great location within walking distance of the Capitol, UW-Madison and MATC campuses, and bus lines. Additional fun fact: Loth has one of the largest solar hot water systems in Madison.

We cook vegetarian meals with a vegan option nightly. Nearly all food at Loth is organic and most produce is also locally grown.