How to Get to Summerfest 2025 Using Public Transit

Fans of The Hold Steady at the Miller Stage at 2024 Summerfest. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

There are plenty of ways to get to Summerfest this year using public transit, even if you don’t live in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee provide a handful of public transportation services — as well as transportation infrastructure — bringing festival goers close to, if not directly in front of the gates, at Henry Maier Festival Park.

The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) will also once again operate the popular shuttles between freeway park-and-rides and the festival grounds.  However, due to a longstanding lack of funding at the state and local level, MCTS will not be able to provide the 10 or more shuttle stops it has in the past.

The 2025 festival takes place from June 19-21, June 26-28 and July 3-5.

Freeway Shuttles

MCTS will operate three shuttles this year from the Hales Corners (S. 108th St.), Brown Deer (851 W. Brown Deer Rd.) and College Avenue (1400 W. College Ave.) park-and-ride lots.

Each day of the festival, shuttles will depart every 15 minutes beginning at 11:30 a.m., running until 12:30 a.m. the next day.

Shuttle fares are now cashless. VISA, Mastercard, Discover, Google Pay and Apple Pay are accepted payment methods. Riders can also download the transit systems mobile app called Umo Mobility. Regular MCTS riders can also use their WisGo card.

Round-trip fares are $12 for passengers 12 and older. A $6 reduced fare is available for riders 11 years old and young, persons with disabilities and seniors 65 years and older.

Bus

MCTS also offers a handful of regularly scheduled bus routes that will bring riders within walking distance of the festival, including the Connect 1, which is the system’s nine-mile bus rapid transit line.

Connect 1 buses will run every 10 minutes on Saturdays during the festival, an increase on the normal frequency. Bus stations along the route have ticket vending machines, otherwise, riders can pay with the Umo app, Wisgo cards or VISA, Mastercard, Discover, Google Pay and Apple Pay. A 90-minute fare is $2 for riders ages 12 and up. For children 11 years and younger, seniors and persons with disabilities can purchase a fare for $1.

MCTS routes like the GreenLine, Route 15, Route 18 and Route 30 also make stops within walking distance of the festival grounds.

Streetcar

The City of Milwaukee’s streetcar, The Hop, has a station just across from the festival grounds in the base of The Couture apartment tower.

Streetcar stations can be found throughout Downtown and the Lower East Side. During peak hours a streetcar arrives every 15 minutes. Riders need to ride the L Line to get to the festival. The Historic Third Ward station on the M Line is also within walking distance, though further than The Couture station.

Train

Festival attendees traveling from Chicago, Racine or Kenosha can ride Amtrak’s Hiawatha Service line. The train service runs round trips daily, though the schedule may require an overnight stay in Milwaukee.

The Hiawatha stops at Chicago’s Union Station, Glenview, Illinois and Sturtevant in Racine County. Passengers arriving in Milwaukee at the Intermodal Station can ride The Hop to within walking distance of the festival.

Bike

Bublr Bikes runs a bike share service with more than 1oo stations across the city.

Milwaukee County Parks Oak Leaf Trail runs along the lakeshore and directly to the Summerfest grounds. And the Hank Aaron State Trail will bring riders within a few minutes of the festival.

Coming for your favorite tavern? Many bars also operate bar shuttles to the festival.