In June 2024, NWSP brought a new 4.8-acre public park to the Near West Side, transforming a former parking lot on Harley-Davidson’s corporate campus. The park was built in partnership with anchor institution Harley Davidson, which has called the Near West Side home for over 120 years.
Davidson Park was a direct response to community input from the NWSP Appreciative Inquiry Summit conducted in 2021, where neighbors expressed a desire for more greenspace to gather. NWSP and Harley Davidson envision the park as a new cornerstone of community activity and ongoing revitalization.
Most recently, the park hosted the first annual Near West Fest, presented by the Harley-Davidson Foundation, where NWSP celebrated its 10 year anniversary. Neighbors came for a night of community, with events like happy hour in the park’s 1903 Tavern beer garden featuring a special NWSP “10 Year Beer” by Molson Coors, a maker’s market, live music, food trucks and a family-friendly movie night.
Truly a space for everyone, Davidson Park includes amenities like an open-air amphitheater, a playground and a reflective garden. The Hub Pavilion serves as the park’s centerpiece and holds events such movie nights, theater performances and music concerts. The Little Legends Playground is a nature play area where kids are encouraged to explore wooden log climbers, stepping stones and slides. Neighbors and visitors can also stroll in the Potawatomi Serenity Garden which offers neighbors contemplation, reflection and meditation.
These are just the beginning! There’s so much more the park plans to offer as it begins to host more events in the Near West Side.
An expression of Milwaukee by Milwaukee, the park was designed to be bike and motorcycle-friendly as a tribute to Harley-Davidson. Brick bike spots around the Hub were designed by Story Elementary students, and the engraved medallion in the Hub was the winning design in a competition by Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) student Megan Huss.
Come see Davidson Park for yourself, located at 3725 W Juneau Avenue, and stay up to date with events and new developments at the park by following Davidson Park on Facebook and Instagram. Whether you bike, walk, drive or motorcycle over, we hope to see you there!
