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. 

• Tenney Park - Basketball Court

  Surface: Asphalt
  Lighted: No
  Number of Courts: 1 full
  

• Tenney Park - Basketball Court

  Surface: Asphalt
  Lighted: No
  Number of Courts: 1 half
  

Olbrich Park Beach Event Closure Alert (July 28-29)
Due to a permitted event, the Olbrich Park beach area will be closed:

• Wednesday, July 28 - 11am to 3pm
• Thursday, July 29 - 6am to 11am
   

Sunrise or sunset? Take in some of the best views in town at one of the many beaches!

Water quality testing is performed Memorial Day through Labor Day by Public Health Madison & Dane County. If the water quality is not suitable for swimming, a scheduled lifeguard will not be on duty. Restrooms at beach locations are open only when a lifeguard is on duty. See schedule below.

See RESTROOMS to view all open locations. 

• Tenney Beach

  Public Health Water Testing:

  Open

  Address: 1330 Sherman Ave.
  Restroom: Yes
  Drinking Water: Yes
  Parking: Parking Lot
  Amenities: Picnic Tables, Playground, Volleyball
  
  Swim Ropes: Yes
  Lifeguard: No
  
  Beach Details

Olin Boat Launch Closure Alert (July 28-29, 2021)
Due to a permitted event, the Olin Park boat launch will be closed:

• Wednesday, July 28 - 6am to 3pm
• Thursday, July 29 - 6am to 1pm

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 permit ONLINE or by calling during regular office hours. Onsite kiosks are 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. 

• LAKE MONONA: Law, Olbrich, Olin 
• LAKE MENDOTA: Marshall, Spring Harbor, Tenney, Warner

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. 

• Tenney Park - Boat Launch

  Lake Access Permit Required: Yes
  
  Notes: 1601 Sherman Ave.

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!

• Madison School & Community Recreation

  Telephone: (608) 204-4581
  More Information: Madison School & Community Recreation
  Notes: Available: pontoons

Watercraft Storage Spaces 

• 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.  

• 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.

• Brittingham Park: Brittingham Boats 608-250-2555
• Olbrich Park: Rutabaga Paddlesports 608-513-1308
• Wingra Park: Wingra Boats 608-233-5332

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! 

• Tenney Park - Frozen Lagoon

  Location: 402 N. Thornton Ave.
  
  Closed
  
  More Information: Skating at Tenney Park
  

• Tenney Park - Hockey Rink

  Location: 1330 Sherman Ave
  
  Closed
  
  More Information: Skating at Tenney Park
  

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!

• Tenney Park - Open Field Games

Garner Park offers Madison's only dedicated pickleball courts, plus we have a number of tennis courts lined for pickleball throughout the city. Rules of the game, adopted by the USA Pickleball Association may be found here. 

Pickleball courts may be reserved ONLINE.

• Tenney Park - Pickleball Court

  Surface: Asphalt
  Lighted: Yes
  Number of Courts: 2
  
  Notes: Tennis/Pickleball Court

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. 

Madison Parks offers all-inclusive playgrounds in Brittingham Park and Elver Park. The Elver Park playground opened in July 2019. READ MORE. 
 

• Tenney Park - Playground

• Tenney Park - Playground

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.

Seasonal restrooms are generally open mid-April through mid-October, from approximately 10am to 8pm daily. 

• Tenney Park at John Wall Family Pavilion

  OPEN

2021 SHELTER RESERVATIONS

• The Shelter Reservations Guide provides details on seating capacities, and amenities such as outlets, fireplaces, and picnic tables.

Shelter 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)

Note: 

• Picnic shelters may now be reserved online or by calling or are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• 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. There are a handful of parks that are alcohol-free. In order to have alcohol in these parks, you must have a reservation and an alcohol permit, which can be obtained when placing your reservation.
• 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 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.
• 2022 reservations begin at 8:00am on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 

• Tenney Park at John Wall Family Pavilion

  Address:
  Capacity: Seats 120 people inside/60 outside patio
  Restrooms: In shelter
  Water: Available in shelter
  Parking: Parking lot
  Alcohol-Free Park: Yes – alcohol permit is required.
  
  Shelter Details

Dos and Don'ts

• DO: Sunrise to 30 minutes prior to sunset
• DO: Temporary only and may never be left unattended or overnight
• DO: Only on trees greater than 1' in diameter and 4.5'
• DO: Tree protect is used at connection points
• DON'T: Never tether on Oak, Hickory or Birch trees
• DON'T: Never in any conservation park 

Proper Tree Protection

Prohibited Trees

When in Doubt, Don't 

Park Rangers have the authority to remove or order the removal of any slackline or hammock which they deem as harmful to the tree or as a danger to the safety of park users. 

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?

• Tenney Park - Soccer NW

  Bleachers: No
  Lighted: No
  Setup: Adult
  Type: Game
  

• Tenney Park - Soccer SE

  Bleachers: No
  Lighted: No
  Setup: Adult
  Type: Game
  

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

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
 

• Tenney Park - Tennis Court

  Surface: Asphalt
  Lighted: Yes
  Number of Courts: 2
  
  Notes: Tennis/Pickleball 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.
 

• Tenney Park - Volleyball Court

  Location: By beach
  Surface: Sand
  Lighted: No
  Number of Courts: 1