MILWAUKEE — 25,000 people flocked to the Milwaukee County Zoo Saturday for their Family Free Day.
The occasion was so popular that the highways and roads surrounding the zoo were backed up for hours. Cars lined I-41 at Bluemound Road Saturday morning into the afternoon to attend.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office said they received reports of people parking their cars on exit ramps and walking. They eventually stepped in and closed off some of the ramps.
1/ TRAFFIC ALERT: There are big backups coming off of I-41/45 @ Bluemound Rd apparently related to people trying to attend the Milwaukee County Zoo’s free day. We’ve gotten reports of folks PARKING on exit ramps & walking. It should go w/out saying, but just don’t! It’s not smart
— Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office (@MilwCoSheriff) March 2, 2024
“It was all the way down there to all the way down there. Just jam-packed,” Adrienna Monroe pointed as she walked along Bluemound Road. “I had to park by Mayfair Road and walk all the way down here.”
She and hundreds of other families had the same idea. Some, like Brasia Jelmburg and her family, drove nearly three hours from Black River Falls.
“We heard there was a free day in Milwaukee. That’s really far but sounds fun, so we came,” Jelmburg smiled. “It was definitely packed.”
According to a finance committee meeting on Oct. 12, the zoo has roughly 4,000 parking spots in front of the zoo, a number much smaller than Saturday’s 25,000 visitors.
“We expected a big crowd today but not this big,” Chris Fifarek, the Zoo’s Accounting manager, joked. He credits the large number in part to the warm weather.
“It was just nice to get out, enjoy the day, be with the kids, and have our fun,” Monroe smiled.
All of the people didn’t stop families from enjoying the mild March weather and sunshine.
“This is important for the community and we want people to come out here who might not be able to come on a normal summer day,” Fifarek explained.
The backup of people is nothing new. For years, lines of cars have spilled out of the zoo’s entrance onto Bluemound Road and surrounding highways.
In January, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signed legislation to give the zoo $1.7 million to design and reconfigure the front entrance.
The Zoo Executive Director suggested in the finance committee meeting last October that people could pay for admission after parking.
As for the current traffic flow, the zoo’s Accounting Manager said they get help from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.
“The Sheriff takes care of freeways and we have a great security team out here that helps direct traffic,” Fifarek said.
The zoo has free days on the first Saturday of October through March. The next Family Free Day will be back again in October.
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