The Park People of Milwaukee County, Inc.

06/24/2026

As budgets shrink, Friends groups are playing a more active role in Milwaukee County Parks. These groups are taking on a variety of projects from trash cleanups to fundraising for small capital improvements. While over 60 parks have Friends groups, so many parks are still in need.

Become a Park People member at the $250 level, and you'll provide seed money for a new Friends group to get started. Besides helping out a park, your membership will also help foster new relationships and build community!

Learn more about becoming a Park People member by clicking or tapping the link in the first comment.

📸 Friends of Doyne Park gather after a recent event. The group organized during the Covid-19 pandemic to bring neighbors together to care and advocate for Doyne Park. Photo by Friends of Doyne Park.

06/19/2026

“Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation.” ~ Coretta Scott King

06/18/2026

🎉 Celebrating an event at one of our Milwaukee County Parks creates fond memories people can reflect back on weeks after the event! But a lot of stuff used for those celebrations have negative effects on parklands that last much longer than the celebration itself does! 🎈Balloons are particularly harmful, creating litter issues, clogging waterways, and injuring animals and birds.

This year, if you're thinking of decorating with balloons for a picnic celebration or launching balloons at a Milwaukee County Park, consider gathering friends and family together to donate a bench or tree from our Park Market instead. A bench or a tree makes a memorable, long-lasting gift, all while improving a park and keeping park environments clean and healthy!

Every bench and tree donated through our Park Market comes with a engraveable plaque or tag that you can personalize to honor a loved one or special event. And we'll work with you to have a bench or tree placed in a park that has special significance to you or your loved one.

For more information about our Park Market program, click or tap the link in the first comment. And after your celebration is finished, please remember to leave no trace! 😊

Friends of Brown Deer Park

06/18/2026

During the Great Depression, scores of men worked in parklands to make them the beautiful spaces we know and love today. To highlight their work, the next Parkives posts take a look at the impact Depression-era workers made on our Milwaukee County Parks.

By 1930, the county park system had grown to impressive proportions. Two decades after its initial land acquisition, the county parks contained 2,173 acres through purchases totaling $1,384,330. However, with the onset of the Great Depression, funding for county and city parks became hard to find, and only ordinary maintenance could be carried on.

In the early part of 1931, as the Depression wore on, it was apparent that some type of relief program would be necessary to bolster the morale of the unemployed. Private industry was unable to support this type of undertaking, making it necessary for municipalities, and later the federal government, to underwrite the expenditures. The first projects were supported under Milwaukee County's Department of Outdoor Relief. The programs started with four eight-hour workdays per week with a pay rate of 50 cents per hour.

Did you have a relative working in Milwaukee County Parks as part of a county or federal government program during the Great Depression? Share their stories with us using .

Historical excerpts from Images of America: Milwaukee County Parks by Laurie Muench Albano, published by Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC.

📸: Milwaukee County Historical Society

06/17/2026

🚴‍♀️ 🚴 The Oak Leaf Discovery Tour (OLDT) is an awesome activity to do with kids! There's so many things for them to explore along the Oak Leaf Trail like playgrounds, county and city parks, famous landmarks, and sports facilities.

Use our Oak Leaf Discovery Tour app to keep track of points of interest your family sees along the trail. The app is only $5 and includes special offers by our business partners that are only for app holders. You can also purchase an app/t-shirt combo for $35 and show your love for the Oak Leaf Trail to everyone!

Visit 10 or more points of interest and check them off in the app for a chance to win some terrific prizes at our end-of-the-season party on Sunday, September 13, including a $500 gift card from Wheel & Sprocket! The party will be held from 12 - 3 pm at The Landing at Hoyt Park.

The link to learn more about the OLDT and download your app is in the first comment.

And don't forget to wear your stylin' bike helmet on the trail! 😁

The Oak Leaf Discovery Tour is sponsored by Wheel & Sprocket, Ope Brewing Co, Estabrook Beer Garden, The Landing at Hoyt Park, Family Cycle Works, Bublr Bikes, Forward Outdoor, Lakefront Brewery, MKE Outdoor Indoor Exchange, Beechwood Sales and Service, and Milwaukee County Parks.

06/15/2026

🥳 We had an awesome time at our summer PARKticipation kickoff party on Saturday!

The free PARKticipation app is now available for download! Complete five or more actions before August 29 for a chance to win a $100 gift card from The Pasta Tree Restaurant & Wine Bar!

The link to learn more and download your app is in the first comment.

Make the most of your summer by PARKticipating at your Milwaukee County Parks!

06/12/2026

Doctors Park Friends is looking for volunteers to help with a Weed-Out on Saturday, June 20! The Weed-Out starts at 9 am and will run until noon. The group will work on removing Garlic mustard, Dames rocket, Arctic scilla, burdock and buckthorn.

If you can volunteer on June 20, meet at the Doctors Park parking lot. Wear a pair of sturdy boots or shoes and bring a pair of work gloves. All other supplies and equipment will be provided. Doctors Park is located at 1870 E. Fox Ln., Fox Point.

Weed-Outs will continue throughout the summer! Click or tap the link in the first comment for a schedule of upcoming events.

Milwaukee County Parks Natural Areas & Conservation

06/10/2026

Some still shots from our live spots with TMJ4 News Community Correspondent Kidd O'Shea at Greenfield Park recorded Wednesday, June 10.

Milwaukee Recreation The Pasta Tree Restaurant & Wine Bar Milwaukee County Parks The Friends of Greenfield Park

06/10/2026

On Wednesday, June 10, we were featured on TMJ4 News morning show morning promoting this Saturday's PARKticipation party and more! Check it out!

And join us for the party starting at 10 am, Greenfield Park, Picnic site 3B!

The Park People of Milwaukee County is hosting a FREE summer kickoff party at Greenfield Park this Saturday. Walks, a community bike ride, and a $100 raffle — what are you waiting for?