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Kern Park
Saturday, August 8, 2026
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Show day weather:
(Will be added the morning of August 8) |
Navigation (This page, not your car. We'll get to that...)
Using this page
You’ve Planned Your Visit. Now Let’s Get You Here.
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This page is designed to work as your Shakespeare in the Park guide to Kern Park.
Use it on show day for things like....
We recommend bookmarking this page before heading to the park |
Companions = This Page + The Main SitP 2026 Page Work Together
The main SitP 2026 page contains a great deal of detailed information and is where you'll do your planning. This page focuses specifically on this location and might reference the more detailed info on the main page. |
Please register
We highly recommend that you register to receive the fastest updates. The person who typically maintains this website is at the park and wifi can be spotty. The person who sends updates to people who register is sitting at a desk with an excellent internet connection. You decide. No pressure. ----- Details are on the Main SitP page - Navigate to "Gather Your Party" ------ |
Getting to Kern Park
Arrival Lead Time
This will be only the second Shakespeare in the Park season at Kern Park, so there's limited historical attendance data to guide arrival recommendations. It was very well attended in 2025 however so an arrival lead time of 30 minutes before the show is a good idea.
At other parks, although this may shift from year to year, guests have typically arrived 30-45 minutes before performances. Happily there are a few amusements to enjoy before and after show times. See the entertainment schedule below for details.
This will be only the second Shakespeare in the Park season at Kern Park, so there's limited historical attendance data to guide arrival recommendations. It was very well attended in 2025 however so an arrival lead time of 30 minutes before the show is a good idea.
At other parks, although this may shift from year to year, guests have typically arrived 30-45 minutes before performances. Happily there are a few amusements to enjoy before and after show times. See the entertainment schedule below for details.
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Driving Directions and Parking
Kern Park 3614 N Humboldt Blvd Milwaukee, WI 53212 Use the address to find this gem of a park in the Riverwest neighborhood. It's bordered by two residential streets and busy Humboldt Blvd. Keefe Avenue The street to the south of Kern Park is E Keefe Avenue, a very short drive to the perpendicular N Dousman St, a residential street and your best first chance for parking. Be prepared to cruise the nearby residential area for a spot. E Keefe Ave is also on the west side of Humboldt Blvd and may offer more parking options. Slinger Circle E Slinger Circle is just that. A circle. Actually, it's a rectangle. Entrance to Slinger Circle is one very short block north of Kern park. It's a one-way street navigated to your right until you reach the park again. On E Slinger, there is pull-in parking for Kern Park. |
Performance location within the park
Kern Park performances are near the center of the park south of the community center and north of the playground. Map Link
This map shows you performance locations, restrooms, where to park, helpful hints and more. Shakespeare in the Park at Park Kern Google map The full Shakespeare in the Park 2026 map |
Getting around at Kern Park
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Drop-off
Both for general use and ♿ mobility access, the best drop-off is at the corner of E Keefe Ave and N Dousman St. There's no parking on this corner so please pull to the side and use flashers. Parking Parking is detailed within the driving directions section since it's so closely tied to your navigation choices. Street parking is largely dependent on resident parking so be prepared to cruise a bit to find your spot. This gem of a park is worth the effort. Realistically, any legal street parking within a block or two of Kern Park will provide a short walk to the performance area. |
Walking
Best suggestion is to walk straight into the park from wherever you park. From the south residential area, the SitP performance space is just north of the playground, which is fairly close to the street. From the north, it's just past the community center building. You can't see SitP until you get past the building so just keep walking. Pathways ♿ There is paved sidewalk from the recommended drop-off at the corner of Keefe and Dousman. It's flat and goes to the performance location. |
Enjoy the Park
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Sun and Shade*
The performance area at Kern Park is a combination of sun and lots of dappled shade. Did you bring a chair* Just a reminder even though it's probably too late since you're already here. Check-In / Info Tent* At Kern Park, it's located between near the performance area toward the back of the audience seating area.
Seating Surface Audience seating is on grass. and is flat. Restrooms ♿ An accessible, portable restroom is available and located close to the event. This is a unit rented by Optimist Theatre and in use only for Shakespeare in the Park. |
Picnic Tables.
There are no picnic tables near the performance space at Kern Park If you bring your own folding table, please set up outside of the audience seating area.
Concessions Light snacks will be available for a suggested donation starting at 1:00 PM Pets*
Well-behaved pets and service animals are welcome at Kern Park As a matter of fact, dogs seem to enjoy Shakespeare and SitP cast and crew definitely love dogs. Kern Park holds the distinction of the most dog friendly park, by informal poll, of anywhere we've ever performed. *----- Details are on the Main SitP page -----
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Enjoying Shakespeare in the Park
It's all led up to this
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Daily Schedule
1:00 PM ... Games and activities open Available all afternoon, including....
1:40 PM ... All About Richard III The low-down, the gossip, the history, and oh, the drama. 2:00 PM ... Richard III (Puppet Edition) Approximately 55 minutes. About 3:30 PM ... Reset the stage reconfiguration and shift to follow the shade.
4:15 PM ... All About The Merry Wives of Windsor Our version, and what we’ve gotten ourselves into. 4:30 PM ... Early Music Now Approximately 25 minutes. 5:00 PM ... The Merry Wives of Windsor: Falstaff’s Tale With live musical accompaniment by Early Music Now. Approximately 40 minutes. |
Sun, Stages, Shade, Shift*
The Seating and Stage Configurations and the Stage Location Will Change Between Shows Sun... The audience seating area at Kern Park is a combination of sun and shade. Last year, we attempted to find a happy medium of seeking shade for both the 2:00 and 5:00 performances. That was less than successful. Stages... Richard III at 2:00 uses an intimate thrust-style stage where the audience sits on 3 sides of the action. After the show, the stage crew will reconfigure the stage by turning the thrust into more traditional proscenium set-up. Shade... Because we have to reconfigure the stage and seating area after the 2:00 show, we're going to shift to follow the shade. At Kern Park, that might mean it will end up behind you. Let's find out together. Shift... Just relax while we make the shift. Please re-join the fun after we're done. 
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Program & Show Info
- Explore the digital program and show details anytime:
Fun-Facts About Kern Park
- Nestled in the Riverwest neighborhood, historic Kern Park is a lush urban oasis that spans the bustling Humboldt Boulevard and the serene Milwaukee River Greenway. Officially opened to the public in 1917, the park has a rich, sometimes scandalous, and storied history.
Discover a few fun facts about this Milwaukee staple: - Once a "Lovers' Lane": The riverside path along the Milwaukee River was a famous moonlit escape for couples in the 1920s and '30s. It was so popular (and presumably so uninhibited) that the Milwaukee Park Board allocated $1,000 for public lights in 1931 strictly from a "moral standpoint".
- Tuberculosis Hospital Origins: Before it became a recreational space, the site was the grounds of a grand Victorian home owned by a wealthy family. During Milwaukee's severe 19th-century tuberculosis epidemic, the property temporarily served as a tuberculosis hospital.
- River to City Transition: Within just a few minutes, you can walk from the urban sidewalks of Humboldt Boulevard straight into the dense, natural embrace of the Milwaukee River Greenway.
- A Dedicated Arboretum & Bird Sanctuary: Kern Park is officially designated as both an arboretum and a bird sanctuary, featuring a diverse collection of trees and offering a crucial habitat for migratory and resident bird species.
Join Us Again
Did you have a good time? Only two more show days to come again and bring new friends. Kern Park is the ninth stop on our 2026 tour with one more chance to join us in Milwaukee before our final performance in Hartford, WI. The grid near the top of the main SitP 2026 page shows the whole season.
Thank you for coming to Milwaukee's free Shakespeare in the Park, an annual summer tradition since 2010.
Did you have a good time? Only two more show days to come again and bring new friends. Kern Park is the ninth stop on our 2026 tour with one more chance to join us in Milwaukee before our final performance in Hartford, WI. The grid near the top of the main SitP 2026 page shows the whole season.
Thank you for coming to Milwaukee's free Shakespeare in the Park, an annual summer tradition since 2010.