Getting to American Family Field (and more)

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, and there are multiple options for getting around the city. 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! 

IMPORTANT NOTE: While we made this map of shuttles to be as helpful as possible, make sure to read TSI Tip #2 below, as shuttle services tend to change slightly year over year.

Many bars (and a few hotels) in the city have designated shuttles that transport fans to and from American Family Field. Whether you decide to have a full pregame meal or just a single beverage, any purchase at a shuttle bar will get you access to roundtrip transportation to the ballpark. And not only that, you can take your drink with you on the shuttle!

While mostly straightforward, there are some things to consider when choosing whether to take one, as well as which to select. 

–Shuttles generally begin transporting people 1-2 hours before the game starts until approximately the 2nd-3rd inning.

–They 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 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 are 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 wooded. At night, if someone was walking alone, we think this could be a safety issue. Now … if you’re surrounded by 100 other people walking back from the stadium, then there’s very little to worry about. 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.

–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 TIP: With the above said, you don’t necessarily have to grab the same shuttle you rode in with on the way out. Some shuttles don’t have any means of verifying this outside of those that issue tickets (and even then, it’s often a matter of priority). So if you want to check out a new bar or area after the game, you can try to hop on whichever shuttle takes you closest to your destination. Those which do use tickets or wristbands may still allow you to ride if you ask politely (though they may ask you to wait for ticketed customers to board first). Should they allow you to do this … be kind and tip the shuttle driver well. (You should tip them anyway, but it’s even more recommended in this scenario). Shuttles are a complimentary service and we feel the bars that provide this incredibly handy option deserve to be rewarded for their efforts. 

One final note on bar shuttles: Most, but not all, shuttle providers continue their seasonal services year after year. But occasionally a bar will discontinue its shuttle operations, and even the Brewers website is sometimes not up-to-date with who is actually running shuttles. So before you make plans to take a shuttle from a specific bar, it’s never a bad idea to call and confirm that they still have one. If you’re going to a location where there are multiple bars with shuttles, then you can always just show up and call an audible if a bar no longer runs theirs.

TSI Bonus tip for bar shuttles: Some bars provide shuttles to more than just Brewers games. Some also provide transit to events at American Family Field, some to Bucks games, and better yet, if you happen to come late in baseball season, we know of at least one (Jack’s American Pub) that also offers coach buses with a tailgate package for Lambeau Field.

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. As mentioned, it’s possible that the driver might still 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 National Ave

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 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.

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.