How to get to American Family Field
One benefit of traveling to the smallest market in MLB is the ease and speed of traveling around the city; traffic is usually light, destinations are never very far away. The same is true for getting to the game. Despite American Family Field being located in the middle of an immense parking lot, there are still multiple convenient ways to get to the stadium.
A Milwaukee specialty: Bar Shuttles!
While American Family Field is only a few minutes from downtown, it’s surrounded by parking lots and doesn’t have a hotel within easy walking distance – barring the Fairfield Inn & Suites we mentioned in the Lodging chapter, which we’d still consider more doable than easy. From the look of it, you’d think that transportation to the game would be difficult and limited to driving. But the fine people of Milwaukee came up with a clever solution: bar shuttles!
The shuttles can be a bit confusing because they change from year to year: some bars stop running them, while others start. And also because the available sources of information don’t fully explain each shuttle—when they run, how much they cost, etc. We have reviewed the two main lists of 2026 bar shuttles (as published by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and OnMilwaukee.com) and verified the details of each one, first online and then by phone. So, as of April 2026, this list has been confirmed as accurate.
TSI TIP: Before you make your plans around a specific bar shuttle, it wouldn’t hurt to double-check their website, social media page, or just call them to make sure that nothing has changed. You can find contact info for each location on the map.
As you’ll see, there are only a handful of shuttles that run from downtown. That’s more than enough to serve your purpose, but for a weekend series, it will be a good idea to get on an earlier shuttle so you don’t have to wait for them to make multiple return trips. Show up, grab your (typically) mandatory one item (and you can take drinks on the shuttle with you), and get over to the ballpark.
Here’s the general info you need to navigate the shuttle scene:
–Shuttles generally begin transporting people 1-2 hours before the game starts until approximately the 2nd-3rd inning.
–They usually pick up from the ballpark beginning in the 6th or 7th inning and continue until approximately an hour after the game ends, or until there aren’t any more people waiting.
–Note where you were dropped off — that will be the same place you are picked up after the game.
–These shuttles come in all shapes and sizes, depending on the bar. Some bars only have one, while others have several, and they can be anything from small passenger vans to short buses to full-sized school buses. We would tell you which bars have which (and how many), but on any given day there’s no guarantee that a bar will run all of its shuttles — it just depends on the game/day/time/demand.
–The busier the bar, the longer the line will be to return on the shuttle following the game. A larger bar like Kelly’s has multiple shuttles, but also a ton of people waiting for them, and it could take 30-45 minutes before you get on a shuttle. But J&B’s Blue Ribbon Bar next door to Kelly’s doesn’t run as many shuttles, but also isn’t as busy. The bottom line: you may need a little patience when it comes to catching a return shuttle, especially during games with higher attendance.
–If you decide that you don’t want to wait for a return shuttle, you can walk to/from Kelly’s, J&B’s, and Dugout 54, which are all right next door to each other on the opposite side of Mitchell Park. The walk is about 20 minutes from the ballpark, but we will offer one safety note. The first 2/3 of the walk from the bars is on a sidewalk along the park, out in the open, with full visibility. But the last 1/3 of the walk, closer to the stadium, is unlit and a little wooded. At night, if someone is walking alone, we think this could be a safety issue. Having said that, if you are walking in the hour before a game or the 30 minutes after a game, you’ll likely be surrounded by 100 other people walking back from the stadium with you. But we would suggest that walking alone at night after games is something you should be careful doing.
–If you do head back to those bars, you can easily catch a rideshare once you’re ready to head back to your hotel. By the time you walk to the bars and grab a drink, the post-game traffic will have died down and a rideshare will cost less than $20.
–Many, but not all, shuttles require tickets to return from American Family Field to the bar. This is done so the bar does not strand its customers at American Family Field, and also to make sure priority is being given to those customers who spent money at their bar before the game.
TSI Bonus tip for bar shuttles: Some bars provide shuttles to more than just Brewers games. Some also provide transit to concerts at American Family Field, some to Milwaukee Bucks games, and better yet, if you happen to come late in baseball season, we know that several offer coach buses with a tailgate package for Lambeau Field.
Ridesharing
In 2025, the Brewers moved their rideshare lot to the front half of the Molitor lot. To get to the stadium after being dropped off, you can simply follow other fans underneath the curling walkway/overpass and follow the sidewalk right up to the stadium. After the game, it’s easiest to return here by exiting through the Home Plate or Clock Tower Gate and heading north on the same sidewalk.
TSI TIP: in April/early May and late September/October, this area can be pretty cold and windy, depending on the weather, and it does take at least five minutes to walk to the stadium. So if you’re wondering if you should bring an extra layer, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
A note on accessibility: If you need assistance, there is an Aurora Healthcare Courtesy Shuttle that shuttles fans from the ridesharing area to the nearest entrance to the stadium. After the game, head to the Robin Yount Statue on Home Plate Plaza or the Center Field Plaza by the Associated Bank Power Alley, and you’ll be able to grab a courtesy shuttle back to the ridesharing area. It’s worth noting that it is a free service and tipping is not permitted.
Taxis
Taxis, if available, pick up patrons after the game near Helfaer Field, just behind the bar shuttles. But there’s no guarantee that there will be any taxis at the taxi stand, which is probably why Uber and Lyft exist in the first place. So we would suggest sticking with rideshares, especially since they depart from a dedicated parking lot.
The only exception might be if surge pricing makes ridesharing unusually expensive, so check your app first to make sure that it’s an appropriate option. But still … if there are no taxis, then Uber/Lyft would be your only option, even if they’re expensive. In this case, you could try to get on a bar shuttle, even if you did not take one to the game. It’s possible that the driver might allow you to ride if you ask (especially for a nice tip).
Walking
If you’re heading to the game from a bar on Bluemound Road or 4th Base on National Ave, you can also take a 20-minute walk to the ballpark and take in the pregame atmosphere among the tailgaters in the parking lots. It’s a festive atmosphere with welcoming people and has been a part of Milwaukee since the Braves arrived in the 1950s.
Walk from Bluemound Bars
Walk from National Ave
The walk from Bluemound
The walk from Bluemound, which starts at the corner of Bluemound and General Mitchell Blvd, will take you through Mitchell Boulevard Park, along a paved path to the outer lots, and then down the sidewalk through the parking lot and up to the gates – you can’t really get lost, as there are signs guiding you along the way and the stadium is nearly always in sight.
As we mentioned above, the walk is nice and safe, but the last 1/3 of the distance to the ballpark is wooded and not as visible. We consider it to be safe during the day, but at night we would suggest not walking alone. Having said that, a lot of people take this walk after the game, so you should be amongst plenty of other fans.
The walk from 4th Base / National Ave
The walk from 4th Base will take you through the wooded Veteran Affairs Campus and into the parking lot. It can be a great way to enjoy summer weather in Wisconsin and add to your experience, as the park is beautiful, green, well-kept, and there are plenty of signs to get you to the stadium.
Note: The walk back after a night game is much better for getting back to Bluemound. We’d suggest sticking to N. General Mitchell Blvd, as it will be heavily trafficked by foot and vehicle after the game.
Conversely, the walk back through the VA Campus can be dark in spots, despite having lampposts to light most of the way, and won’t have as many patrons. There are rarely ever incidents here, so it’s doable, but we wouldn’t necessarily suggest it for the sake of comfort and safety.
Parking at American Family Field
Parking at American Family Field is split into three choices – General, Preferred, or Preferred Gold – and you can see on the Brewers Parking Map where they are located. Realistically, the only difference is the amount of walking you’ll do. Gold Preferred will save you a few minutes, but for the price, we don’t really find it to be that worth it unless you can’t or don’t enjoy walking. The difference between Preferred and General is only a couple of minutes at most, and neither are more/less convenient to the highway when you’re coming and going.
A few other general notes:
The price for parking is higher on Saturdays, Sundays, and when the Cubs are in town – but only by a few dollars.
If you’re coming from the highway, almost all the traffic (barring those parking in the Molitor lot, who tend to drive in from Bluemound Rd) funnels through the same way, off of Brewers Blvd and onto Frederick Miller Way, and there is plenty of signage for Preferred vs General and people directing traffic who can point you the right way, so it’s hard to get lost.
TSI TIP: The overwhelming majority of fans drive to the stadium. If traffic on I-94 is particularly bad, less crowded shortcuts are Frederick Miller Way/Canal Street when coming from the east of the ballpark, or W. Wisconsin Ave or W. Wells St (after 70th St) coming from the west side. You can use these same shortcuts when leaving the park as well.
Avoiding traffic West of the stadium
Avoiding traffic East of the stadium
Note on Accessibility: For fans who may have a difficult time walking, American Family Field offers shuttles to take fans from the lots to the stadium gates. The ones that are the easiest to find are behind home plate at Helfaer Field and right outside each end of the bus parking in the American Family Field Lot (see the Brewers Parking map). If you do need a shuttle, it might be better to pay for preferred parking, as the shuttle stations are closest to those lots.
American Family Field’s new (and amazing) parking system
In 2025, the Brewers rolled out a new, faster method for bringing gameday traffic into the stadium. Instead of having your parking pass scanned by an attendant at the entrance, you simply … drive in. There are no attendants scanning parking passes any longer. The entire parking system is now automated and is tracked through your license plate (as you would find at many private unattended lots).
If you’ve purchased parking in advance, you’ll drive into your lot, park, and then “activate” the pass on the app. Then you just walk away and head for the stadium.
If you haven’t paid for parking in advance, you’ll still drive right through, but once you park, you’ll need to scan the nearest parking QR code in the parking lot with your phone, or walk to a parking kiosk in the lot and pay for parking (the locations of these are also on the Brewers Parking map). You just need to enter your license plate number, activate the pass, and walk away. If you need help, there are attendants roaming the lot who can provide assistance.
So far, it’s done a fantastic job of speeding up the process of getting cars into the parking lots without having to wait in line for passes to be purchased or scanned.
TSI TIP: definitely pay in advance for your parking pass, because it will save you money.
Day of Week General Lots Preferred Lots Bus/RV Lot Lot opening times
Monday - Friday $14 advance, $17 gameday $19 advance, $27 gameday $55 advance, $75 gameday Afternoon games: 3 hours, Evening games: 2.5 hours
Saturday, Sunday, & Cubs games $16 advance, $22 gameday $21 advance, $42 gameday $70 advance, $100 gameday 3 hours
Opening Day $16 advance, $22 gameday $21 advance, $42 gameday $100 advance or gameday 3 hours
Getting around Milwaukee
The biggest advantage of a city the size of Milwaukee is that nothing is far away. A short taxi or rideshare can transport you efficiently and quickly between your destinations. It is the best way to travel between destinations that are not walkable. We do not recommend the bus due to the inconvenience and safety issues, especially if you are unfamiliar with the neighborhoods as you may need to transfer buses in areas with higher crime rates.
Best option for downtown: The Hop
If you’re staying downtown, especially on the east side of the river, there’s one ultra convenient and FREE option you should consider – The Hop, Milwaukee’s light rail – as it’s a safe, easy, reliable, and well-used mode of transportation for locals and visitors alike. Because of its relatively short route, it arrives every 15 minutes during peak hours and every 20 during off-peak and Sundays, and almost always has space.
The Hop’s route stretches from the Intermodal Station on the west side of the river to the Public Market on the east before turning north and passing many of the hotels charted in the Lodging chapter. It ultimately ends near Lake Michigan just a short walk from Lake/Veterans Park, before returning on a similar route back to its starting point, providing fast, easy access to most of the attractions on the east side of downtown.
TSI TIP: When riding The Hop, know that nearly every stop has a separate station for southbound and northbound routes. Some are just across/down the street, while others are a block away, so get the free The Hop app – which operates in real-time – or check the map of station locations before you jump on, so you don’t end up going in the wrong direction.
TSI TIP: It’s also worth noting that the hop has two lines. The M Line stretches the full length of the route from the Intermodal Station (southwest) to near Veterans Park (northeast), while the L Line completes a smaller loop downtown before looping out towards the lake/festival grounds. They use the same stations, so make sure you’re hopping on the right line. Worst case, you can simply hop off and then back on the right line.
We will say this: depending on where you’re staying and where you’re trying to go, The Hop may not be that helpful. It’s clean, safe, and efficient … but in many cases, just not very convenient. So if your transit app doesn’t seem to be suggesting The Hop to you for any given destination, it’s not broken — it’s just telling you that The Hop won’t help you.
Bottom Line
Traveling between destinations in Milwaukee is usually quick and efficient. If your destination is not walkable, ridesharing is plentiful and an easy, inexpensive way to travel – as is The Hop for those staying in most areas of downtown – while bar shuttles provide a unique, fun, and highly recommended gameday travel experience. Ultimately, you will be able to spend more time enjoying your trip than traveling between destinations.