YOUR PARKS NEED YOU

WHAT WOULD MILWAUKEE COUNTY LOOK LIKE WITHOUT ITS PARKS?

Milwaukee County without its public parks, beaches, golf courses and trails seems unthinkable right? They're what makes Milwaukee, Milwaukee. But, without urgent action, our parks and trails face an uncertain future.

Parks are deemed ‘non-essential’ by the Wisconsin State legislature, so they’re often bottom of the list when it comes to funding support, and the shrinking funding Milwaukee County receives from the state is putting our parks in peril.

Unless something changes, by 2027 Milwaukee County will not have any local dollars for local priorities, including parks.

Milwaukee County Parks are amazing spaces & we know that when we ensure our parks thrive, we thrive too.  So we've created this site to share resources on how you can help.

Make A Difference

VOLUNTEER

Get Involved
LEARN MORE

DONATE

Milwaukee Parks foundation
LEARN MORE

SUPPORT

FIND A friends group
learn more

Love Your Parks News

Love Your Downtown Parks

Visit Cathedral Square Park and Pere Marquette Park to find the painted hearts - all perfectly socially distanced, for a fun way to Love Your Parks. We teamed up with Downtown Milwaukee BID 21 to create the hearts for Downtown Employee Appreciation Week.
Slide 2 of 6.

Do You Know?

From 1300 to 240 Full-Time Staff

In the 80's County Parks were cared for by 1300 full-time staff, but decades of budget cuts have led to a vast reduction in staff.

Only $1.50 a Month From Taxes

County residents contribute around $1.50 per month to Parks through taxes (which equals about $0.32 per year for every park).

Open Space Champions

Our 240 hard-working full-time staff manage around 15,000 acres of land – that’s the equivalent of maintaining 31 Lambeau Fields each.

Parks in peril.

Milwaukee County Parks system funding has been broken for years. In 1985 the park's operating budget was around $40m, and 35 years later it hasn't grown.

If the budget had just kept up with inflation it would be around $90m today. We need to build back better and find innovative, creative ways to fund our parks in the future.

What Do Parks Mean To You?

"They mean serenity. The world is still busy outside, but the county parks offer a refuge to breathe and reconnect with nature and yourself." - Brittany

The Latest