Beach Season

Beach swimming season is typically Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. This is when Parks staff clean and maintain designated beaches and sites with restrooms are open approximately 11am to 7pm, daily. See RESTROOMS to view locations. Swimming ropes are provided at a number of the beaches and indicated on this page. No lifeguards are on duty. 

Lake Water Quality Testing

Public Health Madison & Dane County performs lake water quality testing starting around Memorial Day and continuing through around Labor Day. Water quality test results are automatically posted on this page with "OK" or "CLOSED." If CLOSED, the beach area and park remain open but the water is closed for swimming. If OK, the water quality is approved for swimming, however, it does not mean a lifeguard is on duty. 

Accessiblity 

Thanks to funding provided by the Madison Parks Foundation, accessible beach mats are available at Bernie's and Vilas beaches. 

Rules

The following rules apply to designated beaches and beach areas.

• No dogs are allowed on the sand or in the roped swim area.
• Only US Coast Guard-approved lifejackets are allowed.
• Alcohol is allowed at certain beaches; see Park Rules for further details.
• Children under 5 years of age must be actively supervised (watching your child at all times and providing immediate assistance) by a caregiver 16 years of age or over.
• Toys are allowed, but the use of toys may be restricted for the safety of patrons.
• The City of Madison is not responsible for lost or stolen articles. 
• Boats are not allowed in the swimming area. The swim area is defined by the outer buoys.
• Fishing is not allowed in the swimming area.

View all Beaches

• Olin Beach

  Public Health Water Testing:

  Closed

  Address: 1156 Olin-Turville Ct.
  Restroom: Yes
  Drinking Water: Yes
  Parking: Parking Lot
  Amenities: Boat Ramp, Picnic Tables
  
  Swim Ropes: No
  Lifeguard: No
  
  Olin Beach Details

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Launch 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. 

View all Boat Launches

• Olin Park - Boat Launch

  Location: 1156 Olin-Turville Ct.
  Lake Access Permit Required: Yes
  
  Notes: Access Lake Monona. Four piers.

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 15 of the following year.
 
How to Reserve:

• You may be placed on our waitlist at no charge by calling (608) 266-4711 or EMAIL. Please include your name, phone number, email address, and any order of preferences on storage location.
• Current users can renew their watercraft storage yearly in late winter/early spring and no later than March 15.
• As spaces become available, those on the waitlist will be contacted after April 1 and offered the opportunity to reserve a space.  

2025 Fees
 

City of Madison Resident - Annual, single watercraft	$135
City of Madison Resident - Annual, 2 watercraft, same space (100# max)	$200
Non-resident - Annual, single watercraft	$260
Non-resident - Annual, 2 watercraft, same space (100# max)	$380

(fees include tax)

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Watercraft storage rules include:

• Watercraft must not exceed 100 pounds, 18' length, 42" width or 24" height.
• Storage is for permitted watercraft only. No personal property or other watercraft may be kept on racks for any length of time.
• 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.
• View 2025 Agreement and Rules.  

Additional storage may be available at the following:

• Brittingham & Wingra Parks: Madison Boats
• Olbrich Park: Rutabaga Paddlesports

View all Canoe & Kayak Storage

Madison Parks offers seasonal and year-round fishing piers. Year-round locations include Brittingham Park (near shelter), Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park, South (School Road), Olbrich Park (Starkweather Creek), and Spring Harbor Park. 

An accessible pier is located in Vilas Park, on Lake Wingra and at Warner Park, on the Warner Park lagoon.  

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 Fishing

More information on historic buildings or district questions may be found in the Department of Planning & Community & Economic Development Planning Division.

Wisconsin has the highest concentration of burial mounds in the United States and the Madison area has one of the highest concentrations of burial mounds remaining. Most mounds were lost to 19th-century agricultural practices and city development. The mound builders were farmers who also engaged in hunting and gathering. They lived in small villages and migrated from one to another based on the seasonal availability of natural resources. The mounds often, but not always, have burials associated with them, but their exact purpose is not entirely understood. Mounds tend to have been built in places with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. The mounds are considered sacred by modern Native Americans and should be treated with respect.

A Burial Mounds Policy was created with assistance from the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Ho-Chunk Nation, and approved by the Board of Park Commissioners in October 2019, the policy provides guidelines and procedures for managing burial mounds located in Madison Parks. Burial mound locations are also included in the policy. 

View all Historical Features

• Monona Lake Assembly Normal Hall

  Location: 1156 Olin-Turville Court
  Built: 1884
  
  Description: This pavilion was built as a 450-seat lecture hall for the Monona Lake Assembly. Established to provide instruction for Sunday school teachers, it soon became a popular summer camp for tourists from throughout the Midwest. As many as 15,000 came each year for religious instruction, entertainment, recreation, and lectures by such notables as William McKinley and "Fighting Bob" La Follette. The Normal Hall is one of the last buildings remaining from Madison's heyday as a resort community.
  
  Designated  a City of Madison Landmark on March 21, 1988.
  
  More Information: Landmark Nomination
  

Open or Multipurpose Fields are reservable athletic fields with no game-specific design or limitations. Often used for soccer, ultimate, lacrosse or football, yet open to your imagination. Multipurpose Fields are located throughout the city and may be used on a first-come, first-served basis if not already reserved. RESERVE ONLINE

SPECIALIZED FIELDS
Specialized fields include soccer, cricket, ball diamonds - baseball or softball and both fenced and non-fenced, may be viewed on the individual pages. See the sidebar on the Athletics webpage. 

View all Multipurpose Fields

• Olin Park - Multipurpose Field

• Olin Park - Multipurpose Field

Parking lots in parks are available for park programs or events during regular park hours: 4:00 am to 10:00 pm. 

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.

Law Park: metered parking stalls
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

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 accessible playgrounds in Brittingham, Elver, Rennebohm and Warner parks.  An accessible playground is anticipated in Reindahl Park in the near future.

NATURE PLAYGROUNDS
A nature playground uses natural materials such as logs, rocks, plants, and the surrounding land to create a play environment that encourages children to explore and connect with nature. Nature play elements can combined with traditional playground equipment like slides, swings and climbers. Check out Brittingham Park and Olbrich Park to get you started, other parks include Paunack, Garner, Tenney, Westmorland and Wingra. 
 

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PLAYGROUND REPLACEMENTS: HOW AND WHEN
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. 

View all Playgrounds

• Olin Park - Playground

Restroom Updates

• Seasonal restrooms are expected to reopen on Saturday, April 26. Open hours are approximately 10am to 8pm.   
  • This city-wide process takes weeks to complete and staff may discover unexpected issues that may delay the opening of a specific location. This webpage will be updated.
  • The opening is timed for when the overnight temps are traditionally and consistently above freezing, to allow the water to be turned back on safely, and we have additional staff to clean the restrooms. 
  • This does not include beach restrooms. 
• Bubblers and drinking fountains: Our goal is to have bubblers and water fountains turned on by the Memorial weekend. This is a city-wide process that takes weeks to complete.

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Madison Parks offers seasonal and year-round restrooms throughout the park system. Indoor restrooms are open daily, approximately 10am to 8pm. 

Open Year-Round 

• Brittingham Park (2) at beach house and boat house+
• Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park - North*
• Door Creek Park+
• Elver Park enclosed shelter*
• Owen Conservation Park*
• Warner Park boat launch* 

*Indoor
+ADA Accessible Portable

NOTE: Portable toilets not identified on this page are most likely arranged by a user group, such as an athletic organization and may not be accessible. All portable restrooms identified on the page are arranged by Madison Parks and are ADA accessible. 
 

View all Restrooms

• Olin Park

  Location: 1156 Olin-Turville Ct.
  
  OPEN
  
  Notes: In separate building near reservable pavilion.

Many of the Madison Parks are located in ideal locations for sight seeing.  Enjoy the view! View all Scenic Overlooks

Shelter and Pavilion News

• 2025 reservations opened Friday, November 1.
• Reservations may be made online, by phone or in person at Parks Lakeside Offices.
• See 2025 Special Event Reservations for unavailable dates and locations.
• Olin Park Pavilion CLOSED 2026 - City Engineering will conduct essential repairs and maintenance to this historic building in 2026. We anticipate the pavilion closed for the year. A clearer timeline will be available by November 2025.

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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. 

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Important Notes: 

• Any required permits, such as amplified sound, or alcohol are required at the time of processing.    
• All reservations are subject to our standard cancelation policy. 
• Opening day to reserve a park shelter for the following year begins on the first business day in November. 
• 2025 reservations opening day is Friday, November 1, 2024.
  • IMPORTANT: Canceling a reservation made on opening day will result in a 50% refund and must be submitted at least 11 or more days before the event date. No refunds are given if the request is submitted 10 days or fewer before the event. 
• 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 park amenities. 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.

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Open Schedule Exceptions 

• Open year-round:
  • Gates of Heaven
  • Highland Manor Park
• Open mid-April through mid-November:
  • John Wall Family Pavilion in Tenney Park
  • Elver Park (enclosed shelter) 
  • Warner Park
  • Olin Park (through October)

View all Large Shelters

• Olin Park Pavilion

  Address: 1156 Olin-Turville Court
  Capacity: See Seating.
  Restrooms: In separate building
  Water: Available in shelter
  Parking: Parking lot
  
  
  Shelter Details: Olin Park Pavilion