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Olbrich Park

Address: | 3527 Atwood Ave. |
Hours: | 4:00am - 10:00pm |
Park Type: | Community |
Acres: | 90.01 |
Restroom: | Yes |
Drinking Water: | Yes |
Shoreline On: | Lake Monona & Starkweather Creek |
Park Details
Whether you are looking for a day of leisure, a picnic with your family, or just a great place to revitalize, Olbrich Park is the place to be. Located on Madison's East side along the shore of Lake Monona and adjacent to Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Olbrich Park is one of Madison's largest lakefront parks.
The Olbrich Park Master Plan was approved in 2009.
Alternate addresses:
3301 - 3401 Atwood Ave.: west lakefront and south boat launch
3402 Atwood Ave.: softball fields and north boat launch (canoe/kayak)
201 Garrison St. : ice rinks
502 Walter St.: softball fields
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.
Park Highlights
The Biergarten at Olbrich Park and Rutabaga Paddlesports rentals are open seasonally.Click here for a history of the public process for the Biergarten.
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-
Olbrich Park - Basketball Court
Location: By softball fields
Surface: Asphalt
Lighted: No
Number of Courts: 1 full
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Olbrich Park - Basketball Court
Location: By tennis courts
Surface: Asphalt
Lighted: No
Number of Courts: 2 full
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Olbrich Park - Basketball Court
Location: Garrison Street
Surface: Asphalt
Lighted: No
Number of Courts:
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B-cycle Station
Madison B-cycle is an urban bike sharing program that allows you to rent bikes. The bikes have adjustable seats for people of all sizes, as well as a basket for easy carrying. To join or learn more visit B-cycle. View all Madison Parks B-cycle Stations -
Beach
Sunrise or sunset? We have some of the best views in town!
View all Beaches
Take in the spectacular lake views at one of these beaches.
Water quality testing is performed Memorial Day through Labor Day by Public Health Madison & Dane County.-
Olbrich Beach
Public Health Water Testing:Address: 3527 Atwood AvenueClosed
Restroom: Yes
Drinking Water: Yes
Parking: Parking Lot
Amenities: Boat Ramp, Canoe/Kayak Rental, Concessions, Picnic Tables, Volleyball
Swim Ropes: Yes
Lifeguard: No
Beach Details -
Boat Launch
Piers Installed (updated 03/31/2021)
- Marshall Park (Lake Mendota)
- Olbrich Park (Lake Monona)
- Olin Park (Lake Monona)
- Tenney Park (Lake Mendota)
ACCESS THE LAKES!
Surrounded by more than 15,000 acres of lakes, accessing the water is easy in Madison and surrounding communities with your Lake Access Permit. A daily or annual permit is required year-round at designated sites to launch a motorboat, sailboat, iceboat, canoe, kayak, or ATV (see locations below). Piers are available spring through fall. Installation and removal are dependent on the weather and lake conditions.
LAKE ACCESS PERMIT (Ordinance 8.215):
• A daily or annual permit is required year-round to launch a motorboat, sailboat, iceboat, canoe, kayak, or ATV.
• Purchase ONLINE or by calling during regular office hours. Onsite kiosks not available.
• The permit is valid for the issue year through March 31 of the following year.
• The permit should be displayed on the inside driver's side windshield.DESIGNATED CITY OF MADISON LAUNCH LOCATIONS BY LAKE
LAKE MONONA: Law, Olbrich, Olin
LAKE MENDOTA: Marshall, Spring Harbor, Tenney, WarnerLAUNCH AREA PARKING RULES AND TIPS (Ordinance 8.16):
- Long stalls are for parking vehicles with trailers only.
- Regular-size stalls are for parking vehicles with no trailer only.
- Parking on the grass is prohibited.
- When the launch parking lot is full, you must find an alternative launch site
- Violators are subject to a citation.
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Olbrich Park - Boat Launch
Lake Access Permit Required: Yes
Notes: 3401 Atwood Ave.
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Botanical Gardens
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Canoe & Kayak Launch Site
Madison Parks offers various locations to launch a canoe or kayak and is allowed at all of Madison Parks motorboat launch sites. Additionally, the parks listed below have a specially designated area for launch.
If you are looking to store your kayak or canoe in a park, please visit the storage webpage.
James Madison Park pier update (as of 03/23/2021): The pier at James Madison Parks sustained significant damage during the flood of 2018 and was removed as a result. Due to FEMA regulations and approvals, the replacement of this pier is delayed. Unfortunately, we still do not have a timeline for its replacement. View all Canoe & Kayak Launch Sites -
Canoe & Kayak Rental
Interested in getting out on one of Madison's lakes but you don't have your own watercraft? No problem! We have partners at locations throughout the city offering these great lake amenities!
View all Canoe & Kayak Rental-
Rutabaga Rentals at Olbrich Park
Telephone: 608-513-1308
More Information: Rutabaga Rentals at Olbrich Park
Notes: Available: single and tandem kayaks, stand up paddleboards, fishing kayak
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Canoe & Kayak Storage
Watercraft Storage Spaces
Explore Madison's beautiful lakes, rivers, and creeks by paddle and store your canoe, kayak or paddleboard on the shores of your favorite park. All storage racks are outdoors and uncovered. The annual storage period begins each year on April 1 and ends on March 31 of the following year.
How to Reserve:- You may be placed on our waitlist at no charge by call (608) 266-4711 or EMAIL.
- Current users will be able to renew their watercraft storage beginning in late winter/early spring each year and must renew by April 1.
- As spaces become available, those on the waitlist will be contacted after April 1 and given the opportunity to reserve a space.
$110 Madison Resident
$200 Non-Resident
Watercraft storage rules include:- Watercraft must not exceed 80 pounds, 18' length, 42" width or 24" height.
- Storage is for permitted watercraft only. No personal property.
- Only one watercraft is allowed in each space.
- Watercraft must be secured to the boat storage rack. The owner accepts all liability for theft or damage to their property.
- Parks Staff reserves the right to cut any lock and remove any watercraft, under any condition it deems necessary for the function of the boat storage program.
- See agreement for complete rules.
Additional storage may be available at the following:- Brittingham Park: Brittingham Boats 608-250-2555
- Olbrich Park: Rutabaga Paddlesports 608-513-1308
- Wingra Park: Wingra Boats 608-233-5332
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Fishing
Wisconsin residents aged 16 years old or older need a fishing license to fish in any waters of the state. Nonresidents aged 16 years old or older need a nonresident fishing license to fish in Wisconsin waters with hook and line. Visit the Wisconsin DNR website for more information.View all FishingEvery year, the first consecutive Saturday and Sunday in June and the third Saturday and Sunday in January, are designated as Free Fishing Weekends throughout the state of Wisconsin. Residents and nonresidents of all ages can fish without a fishing license (and trout stamps) over these two days. Visit WI DNR -
Ice Skating
19 designated rinks and lagoons at 13 locations throughout the park system.
- FREE-TO-USE: All designated rinks and lagoons are free to use. No reservation required!
- SKATE RENTALS AVAILABLE (first-come, first-served): Elver, Tenney and Vilas
- No rentals on Mondays and Tuesdays.
- CHECK THE STATUS: Is the rink open? See the status below.
- DO NOT skate, walk, or otherwise go on a rink or lagoon until it is declared open. Doing so is not safe and slows the opening process by damaging the ice.
- While ice is never 100% safe, staff monitors the ice depth to be at least 5" to safely support humans and grooming equipment.
- LEARN MORE about winter recreation in Madison Parks:
- Read Your Guide to Ice Skating in Madison Parks
- Subscribe to Winter Recreation News
WHAT'S DIFFERENT THIS YEAR
Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, park users will see a number of adjustments this season.- Wear a mask.
- Restrooms open, with limited capacity.
- Warming shelters are closed to the public. No personal items may be left inside.
- Skate rentals available with modified hours. See each location for equipment, rates, and hours.
- No hot chocolate or concessions.
- Limited outdoor seating provided.
A big thank you to our many volunteers and the ADOPT ICE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM!
View all Ice Skating
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Olbrich Park - Hockey Rink
Location: 201 Garrison St
Closed
More Information: Skating at Olbrich Park
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Olbrich Park - Ice Rink
Location: 201 Garrison St.
Closed
More Information: Skating at Olbrich Park
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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-
Olbrich Park - Open Field Games
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Parking Lot
Parking lots are available in these parks for the programs or events in these parks. Parking lots are available from 4:00 am to 10:00 pm. Overnight parking is not allowed. Parking regulations specific to that park are posted at the entrance of the park. View all Parking Lots -
Picnic Shelter
Smaller picnic shelters may be reserved for exclusive or on a first-come, first-served basis, if not previously reserved.
RESERVE: ONLINE (search "small picnic shelter") or by calling (608) 266-4711
2021 FEE- $35/day, including tax
- Amplified Sound Permit: $60/reservation (6 hours maximum). Please ask when reserving
- Temporary Structure Permits: $110/day, including tax
- Alcohol Permit (select parks only): $55/reservation. It is required in select parks. Please ask when reserving.
- 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. A handful are alcohol-free and would require a permit to bring alcohol. You must have a reservation and an alcohol permit, which can be obtained when placing a reservation.
- All picnic shelters are open year-round, however, if the picnic shelter has restrooms, these are open seasonally (closed winter/cold months).
- Firearms or weapons are not permitted at any of the shelters. Violators may be considered trespassers and may be subject to forfeiture or arrest.
- **IMPORTANT**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 continues throughout the year. Please see Park Projects for park improvement that may impact a nearby shelter.
CHANGES & CANCELLATIONS OF PICNIC SHELTER RESERVATIONS:
- Cancellation requests must be submitted to the Parks Administration Office in writing to:
210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, #104, Madison, WI 53703 or by email. - There is no charge to change the date and/or location, if the request is received 28 days or more prior to event date.
- Full refunds are given, at no charge for cancellation requests received at least 28 days prior to the event date.
- Cancellations and changes received 27 to 11 days prior to the event date (counting notice date and event date) will incur a $10 administrative fee.
- No cancellations or changes will be accepted 10 days or fewer before the event date (counting notice date and event date).
View all Picnic Shelters-
Olbrich Park Picnic Shelter
Location: Walter Street
Restrooms: Yes
Lighted: No
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Playground
According to the Trust for Public Land Madison ranks #1 in the nation for the number of playgrounds per capita - 7 playgrounds for every 10,000 people. That's a lot of options! In 2020, our overall ParkScore Ranking was #12 in the nation.
View all Playgrounds
Madison Parks offers all-inclusive playgrounds in Brittingham Park and Elver Park. The Elver Park playground opened in July 2019. READ MORE.
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Olbrich Park - Playground
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Olbrich Park - Playground
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Olbrich Park - Playground
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Restroom
Public restrooms are located throughout the park system and in many locations with a reservable shelter. Year-round restrooms are open at Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park - North, Warner Boat Launch, and Owen Conservation Park.
View all Restrooms
Seasonal restrooms are generally open mid-April through mid-October, from approximately 10am to 8pm daily.-
Olbrich Park Beach
OPEN
Notes: Restrooms are open when Olbrich Biergarten is open. See www.olbrichbiergarten.com -
Olbrich Park Canoe Launch
OPEN -
Olbrich Park Lakeland Ave
CLOSED -
Olbrich Park Walter St.
Location: near Walter St
OPEN
Notes: Shelter is reservable. www.cityofmadison.com/parks/picnicshelter
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Scenic Overlook
Many of the Madison Parks are located in ideal locations for sight seeing. Enjoy the view! View all Scenic Overlooks -
Slacklining and Hammocking
Slacklining is a balance sport that uses nylon webbing, typically 1"-2" wide, suspended horizontally between two anchor points. Slacklining and hammocking, under policy, are allowed at specific times and on specific park trees. In December 2017, the Board of Park Commissioners approved a policy and guidelines for slacklining and hammocking on park trees. The policy provides information on when, where, and how. Please review the following documents before tethering on any park trees. View all Slacklining and Hammocking
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Sledding
Madison Parks offers many hills perfect for winter sledding. The locations listed below are few suggestions for ideal sledding with a good snow base. With the exception of Elver Park, sledding hills are not maintained by park staff.
The Elver Park sledding hill is one of the most popular and is lit for nighttime sledding during the open season.
Hiestand Park -
Olbrich Park - Sledding
Warming House: No
Concessions: No
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Soccer Field
Many of the soccer 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 266-4711. Find out more about Athletic Field Reservations.
FIELDS, OPEN OR CLOSED?
The best and ONLY way to know if your field is open for play is to call the Rainout Line (608)267-8787. Weekdays the line will be updated by 2:00pm, weekends and holidays the line will be updated by 9:00am. The line will be updated if fields are questionable, if no update by times listed, fields are open for play.
View all Soccer Fields-
Olbrich Park - Soccer Central
Bleachers: No
Lighted: No
Setup: Adult
Type: Game
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Olbrich Park - Soccer East
Bleachers: No
Lighted: No
Setup: Adult
Type: Game
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Olbrich Park - Soccer West
Bleachers: No
Lighted: No
Setup: Youth
Type: Game
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Softball Field
Many of the softball diamonds are programmed with youth and adult league play. If you are looking to join a league contact Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR). If you would like to reserve a field or facility, please call the Athletic Scheduler at 266-4711. Find out more about Athletic Field Reservations.
FIELDS, OPEN OR CLOSED?
The best and ONLY way to know if your field is open for play is to call the Rainout Line (608)267-8787. Weekdays the line will be updated by 2:00pm, weekends and holidays the line will be updated by 9:00am. The line will be updated if fields are questionable, if no update by times listed, fields are open for play.
View all Softball Fields-
Olbrich Park Softball #1
Bleachers: Yes
Lighted: Yes
Setup: Adult
Type: Game
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Olbrich Park Softball #2
Bleachers: Yes
Lighted: Yes
Setup: Adult
Type: Game
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Olbrich Park Softball #3
Bleachers: Yes
Lighted: Yes
Setup: Adult
Type: Game
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Olbrich Park Softball #4
Bleachers: Yes
Lighted: Yes
Setup: Adult
Type: Game
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Tennis Court
Madison Parks has nearly 100 tennis courts. Most of the tennis courts are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. When courts are reserved, at least one must be left available for pick-up play. Please note that all tennis leagues and all tennis instructors must pay for a reservation, no matter the location. Go to: Athletic Field Reservations
View all Tennis Courts
Practice Wall Locations
Bordner, Brittingham, Elver, Olbrich, Tenney, Waunona and Westmorland
Shared Pickleball Courts
Elvehjem, Heritage Heights, Norman Clayton, Northland Manor, Tenney, and Walnut Grove
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Olbrich Park - Tennis Court
Surface: Asphalt
Lighted: No
Number of Courts: 2
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Ultimate Frisbee Field
Ultimate Frisbee fields are typically large open spaces. Organized groups may reserve these fields for their league play using our online reservation system Athletic Field Reservations
FIELDS, OPEN OR CLOSED?
The best and ONLY way to know if your field is open for play is to call the Rainout Line (608)267-8787. Weekdays the line will be updated by 2:00pm, weekends and holidays the line will be updated by 9:00am. The line will be updated if fields are questionable, if no update by times listed, fields are open for play. A notification will be sent to the email address used to reserve an athletic space when a space is closed due to weather.
View all Ultimate Frisbee Fields
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Olbrich Park - Ultimate Frisbee
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Volleyball Court
Most of the volleyball 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 Volleyball Courts
Warner Park -
Olbrich Park - Volleyball
Location: By beach
Surface: Sand
Lighted: No
Number of Courts: 4
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