American Family Field Overview
If you don’t know anything more about Milwaukee than beer, cheese, brats, and Laverne and Shirley, you’re about to be pleasantly surprised. Lovingly known as “the birthplace of beer goggles,” Mill-e-wah-que, aka The Good Land – and American Family Field – have a ton to offer. Even Alice Cooper says so.
Sure, some of them are stereotypical, as we do have an entire castle outside of town dedicated to cheese. And we do like to polka (and you can join us in the 7th inning when we Roll Out the Barrel). And we tailgate for nearly everything. And, as Lloyd Christmas might say, the beer flows like wine here, and the beer is GOOD. Ever heard of Spotted Cow? You will.
But we also host Summerfest, one of the biggest music festivals in the country. We have bar shuttles that take you to the park for free (with a drink in hand). We had and now celebrate one of the most storied announcers in baseball history (rest in peace, Bob, everyone will miss you). And most importantly, we know how to have fun, which is a necessity when you only get five months per year of nice weather. And despite being one of baseball’s smallest markets, we have a passionate fanbase that consistently ranks in the top half of attendance and rarely fails to field a competitive team.
So grab a beer and a sausage, polka with some new friends, and find out why That 70s Show’s intro so enthusiastically exclaims “Hello Wisconsin!”
Our five-part guide to American Family Field will help you plan the perfect trip to experience baseball in Cream City. The guide includes:
- Travel: How to get to Milwaukee
- Lodging: Where to stay to visit American Family Field
- Local Transit: How to get to the ballpark
- Seating: Where to sit, including our premium and seating reviews, and ticketing tips
- Gameday: What to do before/during/after the game
We hope you enjoy our American Family Field Insider guide. Please be sure to sign up for our free newsletter to keep informed about events, schedules, onsales, ticket deals, and everything else you need to know to plan the best fan experiences.
Why you should visit American Family Field
Buses and Brews
You can bring your beers/drinks on the bar shuttles and enjoy them on the way to the stadium.
Guaranteed Play
The roof is usually open, but if it is closed for bad weather, you’re still guaranteed to see the game.
Tap into Favorites
Like in the rest of Wisconsin, expect a great beer selection and high quality cheese curds.
Mascot Race
Sample and/or root for your favorite racing sausage: Brat, Chorizo, Italian, Hot Dog, or Polish.
Dance Wisconsin-style
Cheers and polka with 40,000 people in the 7th inning while you Roll Out the Barrel.
How many games should you see at American Family Field?
We recommend seeing a minimum of two games at American Family Field. This will allow you to take in all of the unique experiences at the ballpark, both pregame and inside the stadium. American Family Field has diverse seating options, including seating in the standard bowl, X-Golf and Casamigos, the club level, or one of their all-inclusive areas. Plus, there’s a great kids area, tons of food and drink options, the Selig Experience, and more. Two days is enough time to get it all in.
When should you go to American Family Field?
The short answer is anytime. With the retractable roof, you can be assured that inclement weather will not get in the way of your baseball fun. That said, there are better times than others to travel to Milwaukee and enjoy the ballpark.
Wisconsin weather can be unpredictable in April and May, increasing the chance the roof will be closed. From June to early September, you are more likely to find the roof and the huge bay of windows in the outfield open. The Brewers attempt to leave the roof open at or above 60 degrees. That said, 60 degrees in April can bring a distinct chill with a cold breeze from Lake Michigan, and the roof will most likely be closed, whereas 60 degrees in September can bring relief from the summer humidity, and the roof will usually be open. Games during the week are much more relaxed while weekend games can have more of a party feel to them. American Family Field will feel most charged up with a weekend series against division rivals St. Louis or Chicago.
To maximize your experience, you can pair your trip with other events that are happening in the area. Milwaukee is home to Summerfest, one of the largest music festivals in the world, which takes place over three weekends from late June to early July. In most years at least one of those weekends will overlap with a Brewers homestand. The same holds true for the Wisconsin State Fair, which is 11 days in early August and takes place just a few miles to the west of American Family Field, as well as Harley Davidson’s Homecoming Festival, usually held between mid-July and early September, which features festivities throughout the city.
Where is American Family Field located?
American Family Field is located on the west side of the city and the center of Milwaukee County. It is south of interstate 94 at Highway 145. The park is a 10-15 minute ride from downtown and the lakefront to the east, and a 10-15 minute ride from the Milwaukee County Zoo to the west. Mitchell International Airport is only 15 minutes southeast of the ballpark. The ballpark is surrounded by huge parking lots, so if you’re traveling by car, there is plenty of parking.
And those parking lots are home to one of the best tailgating cultures in MLB (and probably most other sports, as well). If you’re visiting from out of town, that may not apply to you, but fear not — we also have some great pregame bars on Bluemound Road that are a 20-minute walk or five-minute free bar shuttle from the ballpark. know that there are plenty of ways to access the ballpark without a car despite the large moat of a parking lot, including ridesharing and bar shuttles.
As for lodging, there isn’t much around the ballpark, but the bar shuttles make it easy to stay downtown and get to the stadium without renting a car. And rideshares work really well here, too.
About your American Family Field Insiders
Hey, I’m Jonathan. Born and raised in Wisconsin, I’ve been a Brewers fan my whole life. Living in Milwaukee the last 10 years, I’ve been spoiled by the most successful period in team history and relish being only minutes from the ballpark – my second home. Sure, it’s a bit industrial and there’s little fancy about it, but when the roof and windows are open on a sunny summer day, there’s simply no other place I’d rather be.
It’s played host to some of my fondest memories, like watching Woody take Kershaw deep in Game 1 of the 2018 NLCS or watching Lo Cain pull back a game-tying home run on Opening Day. I’ve partied in the 400 Level, eaten myself into a coma in the suites, and taken it all in behind home plate – and never failed to tailgate.
Milwaukee and the Brewers will always be underrated, but I hope to help you discover and appreciate this place as much as I do.
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We hope you enjoy this insider look at American Family Field.