There’s so much to love about attending the Wisconsin State Fair, from Cream Puffs, to the Sky Glider, 4-H displays, and everything in between.
Not usually on that list: getting to the actual event.
It’s no secret that parking in and around the fairgrounds can be stressful at times. That’s why the fair has traditionally partnered with the Milwaukee County Transit Systems to offer multiple “Freeway Flyers” for patrons coming from outside the Milwaukee County area. But those fliers will be absent again this year; they have not been in place since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this year will be missing due to both budget concerns as well as a partnership not being reached between State Fair and MCTS.
Marketing Manager for MCTS Anna Schryver tells WTMJ a partnership was the reason the service was offered at Summerfest earlier this year. “They provided infrastructure, the web access, parking for the employees who were going to man the ship…but unfortunately, we don’t have a park & ride shuttle for State Fair this year.”
Schryver notes your best bus option to get to the fair from the west will be to utilize the new Bus Rapid Transit CONNECT1 bus to get from the Watertown Plank Road Park & Ride to the Glenview & Bluemound station, then transfer to Route 33, which will drop you off at 84th and Washington:
Additionally, the Route 18 bus will provide access to the fair both from downtown Milwaukee as well as west of I41:
Other options for travelers who want to avoid parking include rideshare options like Uber and Lyft. The drop-off and pick-up zone is just outside the US Cellular Main Gate on the north side of State Fair Park near SpinCity:
Bikers also have the option to utilize free parking at the following areas:
- US Cellular Main Entrance- located on Adler St. near I-94
- South Entrance A – located at Greenfield Ave. & S. 81st St.
Cyclists and pedestrians should note access to the Hank Aaron State Trail will be closed between 76th and 84th Streets due to safety concerns.
As for vehicle travelers, general parking is 15 dollars per car and 8 dollars per motorcycles; lots can be found at the following locations:
- Gate 1 – located at W. Greenfield Avenue and S. 79th Street | Opens at 6am daily
- Gate 7 – located on Kearney Street (I-94 Frontage Road) between S. 84th & S. 76th Streets | Opens at 9am daily
- Gate 9 – located at W. Pierce Street and S. 76th Street | Opens at 9am daily
As always, the fair reminds drivers that local authorities only allow right hand turns into State Fair Park along all bordering streets (S. 84th Street, W. Greenfield Avenue, W. Kearney Street, S. 76th Street).
