First Trip to Big House...Parking?
Looking for a little help from the MGoCommunity. I am making my first ever trip to the state of Michigan solely to attend my beloved Michigan Wolverines game vs. Nebraska. I have tickets, hotel, but I don't have anyone who can tell me about the gameday logistics. How early to get there. Where can I park and so forth. I am completely unfamiliar with the area, so any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and Go Blue!
(Edit): Also if you could give me any hotel info that would be helpful as well. The hotel I had didn't work out.
November 9th, 2011 at 6:51 PM ^
.....and don't want to pay for premium parking at Pioneer High School, the golf course, etc..., then get there maybe two hours in advance for decent $20 spaces at Colonial Lanes, Kroger, and in the residential sidestreets along East Stadium. That's what I usually end up doing.
November 9th, 2011 at 6:55 PM ^
That is very helpful, thank you. I don't care about the fee either so that might be the way to go. Where's the best tailgating going on?
November 9th, 2011 at 7:02 PM ^
...are generally at the golf course or in the parking lots near Crisler. Don't drop my name though, because they know who I work for and I may have said things that won't turn out to be the case if it keeps raining like this.
November 9th, 2011 at 7:03 PM ^
for tailgating, I suggest forking over the dough for Pioneer HS, UM Golf Course or the AA golf and outing club.
You might find a nice house close to the stadium for 30 or 40 bucks with a nice tailgating spot in the neighborhood West of Main Street, North of Pioneer HS.. Go about 3 blocks West and the price drops significantly and you can find free parking on the streets but no tailgating atmosphere at all.
Enjoy your first trip to the big house, hope its a good one.
November 9th, 2011 at 7:01 PM ^
If you're staying by the Briarwood Mall (State and I-94), I would just pick up the shuttle from the mall. It's cheap and you don't have to fight traffic or pay $20 to park on someones lawn.
November 9th, 2011 at 7:04 PM ^
and its actually not a terrible walk, especially if you cut throught the golf course.
November 9th, 2011 at 7:06 PM ^
I designed a job for some rearrangement of the subtransmission lines near S. State and Stimpson....I wonder if the fence is still down over there. You could walk right onto the course when we were building that.
November 9th, 2011 at 7:22 PM ^
I think they open a gate or two on game day. Also, I don't think there's any kind of fence between the golf course and the varsity tennis center, so you can always cut through there.
November 9th, 2011 at 11:28 PM ^
since I've done it. One year I'm sure we cut onto the golf course where they let the cars in. Another year we cut through where the tennis center is, which wasn't built yet. I seem to remember some kind of open gate on to the golf course but I could be mistaken. Either way we came out around the 3rd tee if my memory is right. Nice walk from there.
November 10th, 2011 at 12:02 AM ^
Walking back to Briarwood is often faster post-game than emerging from the tennis lot or random lots along State St. near the golf course. We went to the Purdue game, arrived about 2 hours before kickoff, and parked in a lot just south of the golf course for $15. Very convenient and easy walk across the course to the stadium. Egress after the game was very slow, though. Plenty of fans walked faster to Briarwood than we did crawling on State St back to I-94. So Briarwood is a good option if you like the exercise (or catch the public transport back).
November 9th, 2011 at 7:11 PM ^
you can reserve a spot ...plus they support mgoblog so Brian like
November 9th, 2011 at 7:29 PM ^
ALL of the good lots are listed here (not the "No, bro, I won't park you in! Srsly!" backyard lots, but the real ones) and they guarentee you a spot. Support Brian. Make your life easier.
Edit: OH, and congrats on your first trip! Go way early and go to Crazy Jims or through the Quad or something. See Ann Arbor a bit. Walk downtown past the Jug and get a shirt at UGP.
November 9th, 2011 at 8:02 PM ^
Oh, I definitely plan to. I want to see as much of the sights as I can before the game. Who knows, maybe I'll stick around and do some tourist type things for a while afterwards too. Thanks, I think I may go with the golf course as I have heard that that's the place to be. Go Blue!
November 9th, 2011 at 7:30 PM ^
You can park for free on the residential streets south of Stadium near Packard. Then you can either walk northwest on Packard through student neighborhoods to campus or go west on Stadium to the Big House. Traffic coming west on Stadium from US 23 isn't bad at all--it's maybe 15 minutes slower than a normal commute to get to Packard and Stadium on game day. The walk is 1 mile, and you'll pass Colonial Lanes, Kroger, and the Golf course as you walk. I lived in Ann Arbor for 6 years and this has been my game day practice since I moved away.
November 9th, 2011 at 7:37 PM ^
If the streets are packed my friends usually park at one of the structures down town by palto restaurant. It's $5.
November 9th, 2011 at 7:38 PM ^
so many variables to consider, where is your hotel located? Do you plan on tailgating or taking in campus? 2 hours is usually a good amount of time to come before the game. You might hit some traffic on 94, but if you've got a hotel, that might not be a problem. Usually coming from the north, taking an early exit and driving through town or north campus is a much quicker route. I almost always end up parking on some random front lawn down by church street or around the north side of the stadium.
November 9th, 2011 at 7:47 PM ^
I always pimp my own tailgate, but if you do swing by the golf course come have a shot with us. We are always right off state street on the golf course. Look for the Jager flag flying high above our tailgate. Beyond that, congrats on your first game!!!
November 9th, 2011 at 8:03 PM ^
Thank you. I will definitely try to look you up. I'll most certainly have a shot with a fellow MGoFan.
November 9th, 2011 at 8:19 PM ^
Get there at least 2 hours before gametime....minimum. If you want to tailgate proper, I'd suggest even earlier.
U of M has the standard parking locations laid out with maps at the following link
http://www.mgoblue.com/genrel/082609aab.html
These will be the more expensive locales....the golf course, Pioneer, etc... If you want to take in campus life instead, there are a number of parking garages encircling campus, most of them charge by the hour and are extremely reasonable.
November 9th, 2011 at 8:56 PM ^
Everyone has their approach to a football Saturday in AnnArbor and they are all great. However, I HIGHLY recommend ....
1) get out your map of AA. find the corner of Hoover and S. Division. Park at a house anywhere along Division and close to Hoover. Elbel Field will be right accross the street.
2) For a noon kickoff ... be parked by 8:30a. You will be able to hear the MMB rehearse while you tailgate. The MMB's practice area is a full sized football field of field turf (yeah - just like the BH) after the band leaves take your football over and have fun throwing those 15 yard out patterns.
3) About 11a go down to the corner of Hoover and Division. This is where the MMB leaves for the stadium. Its fun to get just ahead of the MMB and cheerleaders as they march to the Big House. This scene is filmed by many, many people every Saturday. This is also the route the students take to Michigan Stadium. There is great excitement going in with the MMB. This will lead you right to the Stadium and you will have ample time to find your way around (and empty your bladder) before going to your seats.
Finally ... no problem drinking your favorite beverage anywhere that I have described. I usually open one as I am leaving for the stadium and throw away the empty just before getting to the gate.
Go Blue!
November 9th, 2011 at 9:01 PM ^
I heard 1213 South State street is the place to be on gamedays...
November 9th, 2011 at 9:23 PM ^
When I made my visit to the Big House, we parked up by Zingerman's. I know it is pretty far away, but if you don't mind the walk, you get to see parts of campus on game day, and after the game you are parked right there to get Zingerman's.
November 9th, 2011 at 9:48 PM ^
For the past four years, I've been parking/tailgating at a few different houses in the neighborhood across the street from the stadium. I've enjoyed it there, and you can find spots for $10-30, depending on how far away you decide to park.
November 10th, 2011 at 1:55 AM ^
I usually park downtown.
November 10th, 2011 at 2:51 AM ^
I'm gonna be honest, I'd go golf course. You get a lot of open space to tailgate and great alumni to hang out with. Downtown is going to be pretty crowded so you may as well drop the money for the tailgate.
November 10th, 2011 at 5:18 PM ^
What's the cost of the golf course?
November 10th, 2011 at 8:15 AM ^
I park at Fox Awning about six blocks north of the stadium on Main Street. It's on the west side of the street, just south of Happy's Pizza and the train tracks. It's only $10 for the first few rows, and they have a port-a-jon on site. We go and grab a $5 Happy's pepperoni pizza, drink our beer, maybe toss a football.
After the game, we go to a brewery to relax, eat, and let the traffic clear.
November 10th, 2011 at 10:17 AM ^
Are any bars open early enough for breakfast and beer before a noon kickoff? We're getting into town late Friday night, so I'm not sure we'll be able to get food/drink together for a tailgate. Thanks.
November 10th, 2011 at 11:02 AM ^
I have a bunch of family coming for the game and they could not find any availability for hotels that weekend. My nephew's co-workers found somewhere out of town, however.
I'd put you up in my basement, but it's already spoken for by a vanload of Cornhuskers.
If you're still looking, try Plymouth, Canton, Dundee, etc. Places in a 20-mile circle from AA. I wouldn't do Brighton because the 23 North/South route between it and Ann Arbor is a class-A clusterf*ck all the time.
November 10th, 2011 at 5:17 PM ^
Thanks. It's amazing that you'd offer that to a perfect stranger. I got a hotel in Livonia. How's that commute gonna be?