Trainfest 2024 will not be held anymore in the Wisconsin State Park but now in the Baird center in the center of Milwaukee.
Is there a parking garage at the Baird center?
Do someone know why they changed the location?
According to the website they added more space. The rates for hotels in that area are insane. I'll be staying less than 15 minutes from the show by the airport for less than half the cost per night for a room downtown.
The Baird Center lists nearby parking and shows a ramp to the convention center which I think is for deliveries.
Neal
I believe this is only a few blocks from Fiserv Forum, where the Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette Golden Eagles play, so there should be a few parking structures in the vicinity. I would always park on the street for Trainfest and walk the few blocks to the State Fair Grounds. Now it looks like I'll be doing the same, but having to bite the bullet and pay for parking now.
Scott
There is a large parking structure to the south that was built to serve The Grand Avenue Mall, which spread east/west over a few blocks, but is no longer a true mall in the original sense. That seems to be where most folks I talk to intend to park to attend Trainfest in its new location. There may be some free (no meter) parking further south, which would be a long walk and I am not sure what the time limit is on that parking on a Saturday and/or Sunday. If it is a mere 2 hours, you'd be losing 15 to 20 minutes for the walk one way -- so free, but impractical given the purpose of the trip!
I suspect as Trainfest approaches that there will be more postings on parking/transit alternatives. The Hop (streetcar) line does not get too close to the Baird Center
Dave Nelson
I also noticed that the dates got pushed back a week or two, and now is the same weekend as the opening of deer hunting season. I wonder if that will affect attendance. For some, that first Saturday is a holiday.
I plan on attending the Trainfest this fall. This will be my first time attending as I am from out of town, but the new downtown location will work fine for us (wife and myself) as there are many hotels nearby. We would probably stay over for two nights, and do a few other things while in town.
We may even take the Amtrak into town and avoid worrying about parking altogether. It would be a roughly 4 hour drive for us otherwise, and between gas and winter-time driving in Wisconsin, the train tickets will probably be just as cost effective as driving ($88 round trip for both of us). Plus you can’t beat the attending a train show via coming into town on a train experience.