WHAT WOULD MILWAUKEE COUNTY LOOK LIKE WITHOUT ITS PARKS?

Milwaukee County without its public parks, beaches, golf courses and trails seems unthinkable right? They're what makes Milwaukee, Milwaukee. But, without urgent action, our parks and trails face an uncertain future.

Parks are deemed ‘non-essential’ by the Wisconsin State legislature, so they’re often bottom of the list when it comes to funding support, and the shrinking funding Milwaukee County receives from the state is putting our parks in peril.

Unless something changes, by 2027 Milwaukee County will not have any local dollars for local priorities, including parks.

Milwaukee County Parks are amazing spaces & we know that when we ensure our parks thrive, we thrive too. So we've created this site to share resources on how you can help.

Love Your Parks News

Love Your Parks Ice Cream

Visit any Purple Door Ice Cream location to purchase a scoop or pint of the delicious 'MKE Trail Mix' ice cream. The limited-edition flavor is a Malted vanilla ice cream with a plentiful mix of chocolate-covered pretzels, golden raisins and peanuts hand-twirled in. 20% of sales will go to the Milwaukee Parks Foundation

Love Your Downtown Parks

Visit Cathedral Square Park and Pere Marquette Park to find the painted hearts - all perfectly socially distanced, for a fun way to Love Your Parks. We teamed up with Downtown Milwaukee BID 21 to create the hearts for Downtown Employee Appreciation Week.

Love Your Parks Coffee Raised over $3,000

Milwaukee County Parks teamed up with Stone Creek Coffee for a special edition parks coffee in August. $2 from the sale of every half-pound of the limited-edition roast was donated to the Milwaukee Parks Foundation - a total of $3,413!

Become a Brew Hero

BREW HERO is a micro volunteering program - sign up and help do mini-trash cleanups in our Parks on your own schedule. Share photos of your work to earn rewards from our Brew Hero Partners. You, a little time multiplied by lots of people all summer long = BIG IMPACT

Get Involved

Buy ParkLife Honey Lager

Milwaukee County Parks teamed up with Sprecher Brewing Co & Beer Capital for a special edition parks brew! The refreshing honey lager, in limited edition can designs, are available at local stores & Milwaukee County golf courses and beer gardens. A portion of all proceeds will go to the Milwaukee Parks Foundation. Design #2, featuring Washington Park, is available soon.

Where to Find It

Explore Your Parks

Add our new Parks Explorer app to your phone & start exploring every acre of your back yard! Submit photos, share parks issues and earn digital badges for the parks you visit.

Get the App

Do You Know?

From 1300 to 240 Full-Time Staff

In the 80's County Parks were cared for by 1300 full-time staff, but decades of budget cuts have led to a vast reduction in staff.

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Only $1.50 a Month From Taxes

County residents contribute around $1.50 per month to Parks through taxes (which equals about $0.32 per year for every park).

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Open Space Champions

Our 240 hard-working full-time staff manage around 15,000 acres of land – that’s the equivalent of maintaining 31 Lambeau Fields each.

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What Do Parks Mean To You?

"They mean serenity. The world is still busy outside, but the county parks offer a refuge to breathe and reconnect with nature and yourself." - Brittany

"I grew up going to Wilson Park. I got married and we moved and Juneau Park, Lake Park, and Veterans Park became my places to go with friends and to run. County parks are amazing and I want my son to enjoy them as he grows up." - Jenny T

"Milwaukee county parks offer a place to "get away" from city life and enjoy a little bit of nature. We've enjoyed the parks for 25 years and visitors can't believe the easy access we have to our beautiful lakefront. We need to keep it beautiful for everyone to enjoy." - Janelle

"Milwaukee County Parks is one of my favorite aspects of this city. The green space in Milwaukee is a beautiful community asset. As someone who does not have a yard, I really enjoy being able to walk to a park nearby to throw a Frisbee, go for a walk, or grab a beer!" - Caitlin

"The Park system is one of the Crown Jewels of Milwaukee!!! I do my part by supporting the golf courses regularly! ;-))" - Bob

"For myself, Milwaukee County parks are destinations for fun and the trails the journey. The parks are where I get to make tails wag, throw some discs around, enjoy the lake, and recharge with a beer. The Oak Leaf Trail is often how I get there." - Derek

"Milwaukee County Parks are a place to enjoy, ride my bike, take my dogs for a walk, visit a beer garden. I incorporate parks every day in some way. My dogs and I enjoy walking the parks to get fresh air and exercise, see the wildlife, and more. I also enjoy riding my bikes in and through the park by myself and with friends." - Tammy

"I mostly use the parks for exercise by riding mountain bikes when the trails are dry. I also build the trails as another form of exercise. The trails are my happy place to get away without having to travel far." - Thomas

YOUR PARKS NEED YOU

WHAT WOULD MILWAUKEE COUNTY LOOK LIKE WITHOUT ITS PARKS?

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Spring COVID update

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2020 Survey Results

Milwaukee Record Chats About Park Finances

What's In Store for 2021?