Penn Park

Address: | 2101 Fisher St. |
Hours: | 4:00am - 10:00pm |
Park Type: | Neighborhood |
Acres: | 7.35 |
Restroom: | Yes |
Drinking Water: | Yes |
Park Details
On Madison's south side, Penn Park is home to the Southside Raiders Football Club and Southside Raiders Cheerleading Squad. Penn Park, located across the street from the Boys and Girls Club features a large playground and basketball courts.Alcohol is prohibited in this park. For more information, see the Madison General Ordinance 8.24. In order to have alcohol in this park, you must have an alcohol permit, which may be obtained through the Parks Administrative Office.
PARKING
- 3-hour parking at all times in the parking lot. MGO 8.18(2) and (5) and Section 1.08(3)(a)
- The parking lot at Penn Park is closed during the winter season.
Park Highlights
Gaga Ball Pit
Several years ago a park visitor suggested we install a gaga pit. Quite honestly this was the first we'd heard of the game. But with a little research and talented and resourceful staff, Madison installed Gaga Ball in Penn and Olbrich parks! It's a BYOB - bring your own ball and similar to dodgeball but with a little less force! Perfect for children. Give it a try and let us know what you think! Learn more about the game and rules.
At this Park
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Basketball Court
Madison Parks ranks #1 in the nation for the number of basketball hoops per resident, come check out the hoops in your neighborhood! Most of the basketball courts are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you are planning a new league or tournament see Athletic Field Reservations.
View all Basketball Courts-
Penn Park - Basketball Court
Surface: Asphalt
Lighted: No
Number of Courts: 2 full
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Football Field
Many of the football fields are programmed with youth and adult league play. If you would like to reserve a field or facility, please call the Athletic Scheduler at (608) 266-4711. Find out more about Athletic Field Reservations.
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Fields, open or closed?
If a field reservation is canceled, a notification is emailed to the user who made the field reservation. Notifications are sent by 2:00 pm Monday through Friday and by 9:00 am on weekends and holidays.-
Penn Park - Football
Bleachers: Yes
Lighted: No
Setup: Adult
Type: Game
Notes: This location has goal posts.
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Open Field
Madison Parks are a unique blend of active recreation and passive recreation spaces. Open Fields are just that - open, not pre-designed as a softball diamond, or football field. These open fields are available in these parks to spark your imagination, play a game of tag, or follow the leader - or anything you can think of! Enjoy your parks!
View all Open Fields-
Penn Park - Open Field Games
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Parking Lot
Parking Lot News
Several parking lots are getting their stripes repainted in 2023 and will be closed on the scheduled day. The dates below are tentative and may experience weather-related delays. The process typically begins at 8:00am a scheduled day and takes just a few hours from start to finish.- Monday, August 21: Gates of Heaven and James Madison Park
- Friday, August 25: Olbrich Biergarten and Rutabaga
- Monday, August 28: Wingra Park, followed by Brittingham Park (Madison Boats) and shelter
- Wednesday, August 30: Tenney Park
- Wednesday, Sept. 6: Vilas Park at Henry Vilas Zoo
Parking lots in parks are available for park programs or events during regular park hours: 4:00 am to 10:00 pm. Please observe the following.Parking Rules
- Driving or parking motorized vehicles is not allowed on the grass or near a shelter and is subject to a citation.
- Three-hour limit in all parks, as posted.
- No parking after hours: 10pm to 4am. Overnight parking is not allowed.
- Conservation park hours are 4am until one hour after sunset
- Follow all onsite parking regulation signs.
- Violators are subject to a fine.
The parking lot located on the eastern side of Law Park, commonly known as the Blair Lot, is a metered parking lot, enforced by City of Madison Parking Division between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
View all Parking Lots -
Playground
With more than 175 playgrounds throughout Madison, you are never too far from a playground. According to the Trust for Public Land, Madison ranks #1 in the nation for the number of playgrounds available. The traditional swings and slides are always an option, as are new play elements and fully accessible playgrounds.
PLAYGROUNDS FOR EVERYONE
Through the Madison Parks Foundation initiative, Madison Parks offers all-inclusive playgrounds in Brittingham, Elver and Warner parks. The Foundation has a goal of 5 fully accessible playgrounds.
PLAYGROUND REPLACEMENTS: HOW AND WHEN
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Madison Parks is responsible for maintaining more than 175 playgrounds and began a system-wide replacement initiative in 2013. With current staff and funding resources, replacements are scheduled to continue through 2033. Playgrounds are routinely inspected to assess the equipment's conditions and repair any safety concerns. Based on the age of the equipment and current conditions, each is given an audit score. The number of playgrounds replaced each year is based on budget allocations, staffing resources, and using the current playground audit score for prioritization.
REPLACEMENT PROCESS: NEIGHBORHOOD INPUT
At the start of the replacement process, notices are sent to the District Alder, neighborhood association representatives, and surrounding residential addresses. Information is also posted to the project website. Generally, two public meetings are held to review surfacing and equipment options and make final selections.
If you have questions about a specific playground or see something broken, please let us know.-
Penn Park - Playground
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Restroom
OPEN RESTROOMS
Listed on this page are restrooms open daily, approximately 10am to 8pm. All other restrooms are CLOSED.
SPRING THROUGH FALL- April - October
- Restrooms throughout the park system are open seasonally from mid/late April through early to late October. The systemwide process of opening/closing restrooms takes several weeks and depends on the weather and staffing.
- Daily 10am to 8pm
- Open restrooms are listed on the page and open daily approx. 10am to 8pm.
- Beach restrooms are also open daily, approx. 10am to 8pm from May 27 through September 4, 2023. *This date may be extended based on seasonal staff availability to maintain daily cleaning. See BEACHES for any season updates.*
Once winter recreation begins, in addition to the year-round locations, Vilas and portable restrooms are provided in select winter recreation locations, once the amenity is open for the winter season. Please check Winter Fun for the status of winter recreation at a specific park.
YEAR-ROUND- Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park - North
- Elver Park enclosed shelter
- Owen Conservation Park
- Tenney Park at the John Wall Family Pavilion
- Warner Park boat launch
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Penn Park
Location: 2101 Fisher St.
OPEN
Notes: In separate building near reservable pavilion.
- April - October
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Shelter - Reservable
Madison Parks offers larger shelters and pavilions perfect for a casual event, staff retreat or celebration. Most are available to reserve from mid-April through mid-October, with a few exceptions as noted below. The Shelter Reservations Guide provides details on seating capacities, and amenities such as outlets, fireplaces, and picnic tables. Reservations may be made online, in person or by phone. Please follow these helpful steps when making a reservation.
STEPS TO RESERVE A SHELTER- Review RESERVATION POLICIES and SHELTER PRICES.
- Review Parks Projects. As we are continually improving our park system, some projects may impact a nearby shelter.
- RESERVE one of three ways. Full payment, by credit card only, is due at the time of processing.
- ONLINE
- Calling (608)266-4711
- In-person at the Parks administration office
Important Notes:
- Full payment, by credit card only is due at the time of processing your reservation
- Any required permits, such as amplified sound, or alcohol are required at the time of processing.
- All reservations are subject to our standard cancellation policy.
- 2024 reservations open Tuesday, November 14, 2023.
- IMPORTANT: For reservations made on opening day (2nd Tuesday in November), cancellations made 11 or more days before the event date will receive a 50% refund.
- Dogs are prohibited inside a shelter or other City building.
- Picnic shelters may be reserved online or by calling -OR- if not reserved, are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Day of signage is posted at the shelter.
- Madison Parks does not guarantee absolute privacy to any group. Your reservation will reserve only the facility you are using, not the entire park or other facilities within the park. If you are interested in reserving the entire park, please visit Special Events.
- Alcohol is permitted in most Madison Parks. Glass is never allowed. There are a handful of alcohol-free parks. In these locations, if you would like to bring alcohol, you will need an alcohol permit, which may be obtained when placing your reservation. An alcohol permit, without a reservation, is not given.
- Public improvements and/or construction may be underway during the time of your reservation. The City of Madison Parks Division makes every attempt to schedule around events and shelter reservations whenever possible, however, this is not a guarantee. Please keep in mind improvements to parks and infrastructure continue throughout the year. Please visit Park Projects for a partial list of major capital improvement projects.
- Firearms or weapons are not permitted at any of the shelters. Violators may be considered trespassers and may be subject to forfeiture or arrest.
- The availability of Gates of Heaven may be checked online however, you will need to call to make your reservation.
- Reservations for the following year begin in November of the proceeding year.
Open Schedule Exceptions
- Open year-round:
- Open mid-April through mid-November:
- John Wall Family Pavilion in Tenney Park
- Elver Park (enclosed shelter)
- Warner Park
- Olin Park (through October)
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Penn Park
Address: 2101 Fisher St.
Capacity: 100
Restrooms: In shelter
Water: Available in shelter
Parking: Parking lot
Alcohol-Free Park: Yes – alcohol permit is required.
Shelter Details: Penn Park