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Wisconsin Avenue Park
Sunday, August 9, 2026
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Show day weather:
(Will be added the morning of August 9) |
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 Wisconsin Avenue 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 Wisconsin Avenue Park
Arrival Lead Time
2026 marks only our 2nd summer at Wisconsin Avenue Park so historic attendance data is not available. It did boast high attendance last summer so if that's a portent, we'd suggest arriving 30 minutes before the first performance.
Although this may shift from year to year, guests at other popular locations have shown up as much as 1 hour before performances. Happily there are a few amusements that you might enjoy before and after show times. See the entertainment schedule below for details.
2026 marks only our 2nd summer at Wisconsin Avenue Park so historic attendance data is not available. It did boast high attendance last summer so if that's a portent, we'd suggest arriving 30 minutes before the first performance.
Although this may shift from year to year, guests at other popular locations have shown up as much as 1 hour before performances. Happily there are a few amusements that you might enjoy before and after show times. See the entertainment schedule below for details.
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Driving Directions
Wisconsin Avenue Park 10300 W Wisconsin Ave Wauwatosa, WI 53226 The signs near the parking lot entrance display both the signature brown Milwaukee County Park and The Ability Center logos. TAC is in a multi-phase project to create a fully accessible park named the Moss Universal Park. Rest assured, though. You found the right place for Shakespeare in the Park. |
Performance location within the park
Set in a beautiful, shady grove northwest and down the hill from the community center. Map Link
This map shows you performance locations, restrooms, where to park, helpful hints and more. The Shakespeare in the Park at Wisconsin Avenue Park Google map The full Shakespeare in the Park 2026 map |
Getting around at Wisconsin Avenue Park
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Drop-off
Both for general use and ♿ mobility access, the best drop-off location is at the north end of the parking lot, between the community center and playground. Facing the community center, look for the sidewalk entering the park on your left. Parking The access road from Wisconsin Avenue leads directly to the park's medium-sized parking lot. Park anywhere in the lot. Accessibility ♿ Wisconsin Avenue Park is one of the least accessible Shakespeare in the Park locations due to the steep hillside, the distance from parking to the performance area, and the lack of paved access to the seating area. |
Walking
Facing the community center, follow the sidewalk on your left into the park toward the playground. Continue past the playground and look down the hillside to your right. The Shakespeare in the Park performance area will be visible below. Note: The performance area is on the west side of the community center, and the baseball diamond is east of the building. If you find yourself at the diamond, simply return to the parking lot and cross to the other side of the park. Pathways The route from the parking lot into the park follows a paved, level sidewalk. However, the performance area itself is located down a hillside and requires crossing grass. |
Enjoy the Park
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Sun and Shade*
The performance area at Wisconsin Avenue Park is fairly shady; however, not entirely, depending on the time of day. 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 Wisconsin Avenue Park, it's located uphill of the performance space. You will encounter it before you reach the stage.
Seating Surface Audience seating is on grass on a slight incline. The hillside you traversed to get to the stage has largely leveled out there. Restrooms ♿ An accessible, portable restroom is available up the hill, on the sidewalk near the playground. It requires a climb back up the hill from the performance space so give yourself extra time. |
Picnic Tables.
There are no picnic tables near the performance space at the base of the hill at Wisconsin Avenue Park however there are some at the top. 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 Wisconsin Avenue Park. As a matter of fact, dogs seem to enjoy Shakespeare and SitP cast and crew definitely love dogs. *----- 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 Wisconsin Avenue Park is a combination of shade with a little sun. In years past at other parks, we attempted to find a happy medium - 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 Wisconsin Avenue 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 Wisconsin Avenue Park
While headlines celebrate this land’s future transformation into George F. Moss Universal Park, America’s first fully inclusive, accessible park, Wisconsin Avenue Park celebrates its own history.
While headlines celebrate this land’s future transformation into George F. Moss Universal Park, America’s first fully inclusive, accessible park, Wisconsin Avenue Park celebrates its own history.
- A Historic 1930s Greenspace: The land was originally acquired by Milwaukee County in the 1930s as part of a massive, Great Depression-era push to expand the award-winning Milwaukee County Parks system.
- The 1960s Neighborhood Hub: The park’s original standalone pavilion and clubhouse were built in the 1960s. For over half a century, it served as a traditional gathering spot for local block parties, family reunions, and neighborhood meetings.
- A Hidden Birdwatching Sanctuary: Local birders and naturalists have long utilized the park’s dense 18-acre footprint. Its isolated woodlot and natural ponds make it a critical migratory rest stop for local Wisconsin songbirds right in the middle of a major metropolitan corridor.
- The "YMCA Miracle League" Legacy: Long before the complete "Universal Park" concept was born, the park's old baseball diamonds served as a beloved grassroots home for adaptive local sports, specifically hosting youth leagues for children with physical limitations.
- A Green Oasis: The park wasn’t placed here by accident. When it was founded, it sat on the edge of the county lines. Over the decades, the city grew around it, transforming the park into a critical, peaceful "green lung" directly bordering the busy Milwaukee Regional Medical Center and the Milwaukee County Zoo.
Join Us Again
Did you have a good time? Only one show day remains to come again and bring new friends. Wisconsin Avenue Park is the tenth stop on our 2026 tour with only one more chance to join us. 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 one show day remains to come again and bring new friends. Wisconsin Avenue Park is the tenth stop on our 2026 tour with only one more chance to join us. 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.