Check out the hoops in your neighborhood! According to the Trust for Public Land's ParkScore (2025), Madison scores 100 out of 100 points or 9.3 per 10,000 people, for the number of basketball hoops provided to its residents. 

Most of the basketball courts are available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are planning a new league or tournament

Reserve Online

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• Goodman Park - Basketball Court

  Surface: Asphalt
  Lighted: No
  Number of Courts: 2 full
  

Ice Skating in Madison Parks

We offer free ice skating in 14 parks, at 20 rinks and designated lagoons citywide. The season is scheduled for Saturday, December 20, through Sunday, February 15, and is subject to change or closure, depending on ice conditions. Opening an ice rink or lagoon for skating involves careful assessment. Always check the status online or call the Parks office before skating. Each rink and lagoon's status is listed and updated promptly. Rinks/lagoons will close if meltwater is visible to prevent extended closures from damaged ice. See Declaring a Rink or Lagoon as Open for more information. 

Skate Rentals & Concessions

Starting as early as Saturday, December 20, ice skate rentals and concessions are available when staffed inside the warming shelter at Door Creek, Elver, Tenney and Vilas. Hours are generally Wednesday - Sunday, when a location is listed as open. See the individual rink or lagoon for the status. 
 

Warming Pavilion Staffed Days and Hours

The season is scheduled for Saturday, December 20, through Sunday, February 15, and is subject to change or closure, depending on ice conditions.

Days of the Week	Hours
Wednesday - Friday	4:00pm - 8:00pm
Saturday	12:00pm - 8:00pm
Sunday	12:00pm - 8:00pm

Staffed hours are subject to change and dependent on the weather and ice conditions. If a rink is closed, we will not be staffed. 
 

Skate Rentals	Price per Hour
Adult	$6
Youth - age 15 & younger	$3
Each additional hour	$2
Hockey Stick (Elver, Tenney & Vilas)	$3

 

Loaner Skates 

Free-to-use ice skates are available at Olbrich, Rennebohm, Warner and Westmorland Parks. Borrow a pair of skates to use while at the rink. Limited quantities and sizes are available from inside the warming shelter. Please wipe down and return before leaving the park. 

Hockey Rinks

Madison Parks staff and volunteers maintain groomed hockey rinks with boards at Elver, Tenney, Westmorland, and Vilas. Hockey may be played on other rinks if no other skaters are present. However, general rinks are meant for general ice skating. 

Events & Group Outings 

Attend a winter event open to the community or reserve a Winter Recreation Outing for your group. All winter activities depend on the weather and conditions and are subject to change.

Restrooms 

Indoor and portable restrooms are provided at a number of parks. See Restrooms for open locations. 

Pets & Bikes

Bikes and pets, including well-behaved dogs, are never allowed on any ice rink or lagoon.  See Dogs in Parks for locations where allowed. 

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A big thank you to our many volunteers and the Adopt Ice Partnership Program!

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• Goodman Park - Ice Rink

  Location: 37 Van Deusen St.
  
  Open
  
  More Information: Skating at Goodman Park - Ice Rink
  

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

• Goodman 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.

Bus Parking

The City of Madison offers free, bus parking in the rear lot of Duane F. Bowman Park, 1775 Fish Hatchery Road, 53713. See Bus Parking Map for more information. This is the only designated City of Madison parking lot. All other locations, such as Olin Park, Turville Point Conservation Park, and Vilas Park Drive are prohibited and subject to a citation. 

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

2026 Reservations Open Monday, Nov. 3.

• Reservations can be made online or by phone starting at 8:00am on Monday, November 3.
• We will be fully staffed to answer phone reservations; however, for the best and fastest experience, we recommend making your reservation online.
• If you don't already have an account, we also recommend creating an account before Nov. 3. 
• 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. 

Reserve Online

 

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Picnic shelters, also called sun shelters, are smaller, open-air structures that provide a little shade and typically some seating. They do not protect from severe weather, such as lightning. A picnic shelter may be reserved or used on a first-come, first-served basis if not previously reserved. 

RULES & TIPS

• 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, as long as there is no glass. A handful of parks are alcohol-free and require a permit to bring alcohol. You must have a reservation to obtain an alcohol permit.
• All picnic shelters are open year-round, however, if the picnic shelter has restrooms, these are open seasonally and closed for the winter typically October - April.
• In the event of severe weather, picnic shelters are not lightning protection areas. Please seek an alternative location. 
• Firearms or weapons are not permitted at any of the shelters. Violators may be considered trespassers and may be subject to forfeiture or arrest.
• Park 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 see Park Projects for park improvement that may impact a nearby shelter.

View all Picnic Shelters

• Goodman Park Picnic Shelter

  Restrooms: No
  Lighted: No
  

With more than 175 playgrounds throughout Madison, you are never too far from a playground. According to the Trust for Public Land's ParkScore (2025), Madison scores 100 out of 100 points or 32.6 per 10,000 children, for the number of basketball hoops provided to its residents. 

Playground 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 condition 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 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. 

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• Goodman Park - Playground

Goodman Pool

Many of the softball diamonds are programmed with youth and adult league play. See Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) for league information.

Softball Fields: RESERVE ONLINE 
Backstop: RESERVE ONLINE 
 

Baseball Field

We offer a reservable baseball field located at Duane F. Bowman Park. 

Fields, open or closed?

If a field reservation is canceled, a notification is emailed to the user who made the field reservation. Notifications are sent by 2:00 pm Monday through Friday and by 9:00 am on weekends and holidays. 

View all Softball Fields

• Goodman Park Softball #1

  Bleachers: Yes
  Lighted: Yes
  Setup: Adult
  Type: Game
  

• Goodman Park Softball #2

  Bleachers: Yes
  Lighted: Yes
  Setup: Adult
  Type: Game