What Milwaukeeans need to know about the RNC, including road closures, parking, venues and more

Claire Reid and Maia Pandey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Updated July 15, 2024 at 5:53 AM·6 min read

Milwaukee has been preparing to host the 2024 Republican National Convention for two years.

From Milwaukee's selection as the RNC host city to organizers' final preparations for the convention, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel journalists have been reporting on various aspects of the RNC. The convention, which will take place in downtown Milwaukee next week, is expected to bring about 50,000 visitors to the city.

Below is a guide to the convention and its widespread impacts on our city, featuring coverage from our reporters. Click on the in-line links in each section to learn more about a topic.

Installers with New Image Technologies, out of South Elgin, Ill. work on installing signage outside Fiserv Forum on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. for the Republican Nation convention taking place from July 15 and ends July 18.

What road closures and parking restrictions will be in place during the RNC?

Though the convention runs from July 15 to 18, you should expect driving and parking restrictions in the days before and after the RNC as well. Numerous downtown Milwaukee roads will be closed due to the convention between July 11 and 19. Widespread street parking restrictions will also be in effect between July 5 and 21.

From Sunday morning to Monday morning, the Hoan Bridge, which connects Interstate 794 between Van Buren Street and Carferry Drive, will be closed to traffic. And the following roadways will be closed throughout the week of July 14:

McKinley Avenue / Fond du Lac Avenue ramps for Wisconsin Highway 145
I-794 eastbound ramp at James Lovell Street
Kilbourn Avenue Tunnels

How will the RNC affect public transportation?

Multiple Milwaukee County Transit System bus routes will be disrupted or follow detours between July 11 and 19, including the East-West Bus Rapid Transit CONNECT 1. There will also be disruptions to the County's paratransit service, Transit Plus, for riders with disabilities.

Bublr Bikes, Milwaukee's bikeshare system, will shut down seven of its stations between July 11 and 19. The stations are all located downtown in and around the security perimeter.

Milwaukee's Hop streetcar will run on a normal schedule from 5 a.m. to midnight and arrive every 15 minutes.

A Milwaukee Police boat rides along side a U.S. Coast Guard, Sector Lake Michigan response boat as Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Hughes stands on the deck after it travels under the horn Bridge during a Republican National Convention routine risk based maritime security operation involving members of the U.S. Coast Guard's Maritime Security Response Team East on Lake Michigan off the shores of Milwaukee on Wednesday, May 22, 2024.

Where can't I go downtown during the RNC?

A two-tiered security perimeter will surround the main convention venues. An extensive list of items are banned from the security zone and surrounding demonstration areas.

The vehicle security perimeter stretches roughly from West Cherry Street on the north to Clybourn Street on the south and from North 9th Street on the west to the east side of the Milwaukee River. Residences and businesses inside the vehicle security perimeter will be accessible to the public, and pedestrians and cyclists will be able to freely enter the vehicle security perimeter from any area. Vehicles, including rideshare and food delivery drivers, must enter through one of the vehicle screening points. Restrictions will begin at 2 a.m. on July 15.

The pedestrian restricted perimeter stretches from West McKinley Avenue on the north to just past West Wisconsin Avenue to the south. The area encompasses Pere Marquette Park on the east side and stretches past North James Lovell Street on the west. The pedestrian restricted perimeter will be accessible only to credentialed or ticketed individuals, such as convention attendees or volunteers.

The boundaries of the security perimeter include a portion of the Milwaukee River. From July 14 to 19, no commercial or recreational boats will be allowed on the Milwaukee River from Cherry Street to Michigan Street, and road bridges in this area will remain down during the convention. Multiple boat rental companies will halt operations during the conventions.

Are any other areas in Milwaukee closed to traffic during the RNC?

The Hank Aaron Trail will be closed 76th and 89th street in Milwaukee July 15-July 20 to accommodate security operations associated with the RNC, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

When and where are protests during the RNC?

There are two designated protest zones for the convention: one on the north side near Fiserv Forum and another on the south side near Baird Center.

Both areas will have a speaker's platform. On the north side, the platform will be at Haymarket Square at West McKinley Avenue and North King Drive, and on the south side, the platform will be at Zeidler Union Square.

The protest zones are both outside the hard security zone for the convention, which prompted pushback from activists who were planning to march closer to Fiserv Forum. After a month-long legal battle over the designated protest zones, the activist group preparing to march on the RNC announced a route that complies with the U.S. Secret Service's security perimeter.

The group plans to gather in Red Arrow Park at 10 a.m. on July 15, the first day of the convention. There will be a rally at 11 a.m., followed by the march at 12 p.m., according to organizers.

Check out the map below for a newly announced march route, as well as our guide to protest rights for the RNC. For more insight into how the city plans to police the convention and protests, check out our breakdown of Milwaukee police's "rules of engagement" for tear gas, pepper spray and other policing strategies.

The Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 announced a new protest route that will avoid the Secret Service's restricted security perimeter.

Which restaurants and bars will be open during the RNC?

If you're inside the convention, make sure to check out Convention Fest at the Baird Center, which will showcase 100 local vendors each afternoon of the RNC. Featured businesses include Immy's African Cuisine, Slo' Motion BBQ, Scrima's Pizza from Waukesha and Ainnie's Sweets, among many others.

If you're hoping to stay out late during convention week, here's our rundown of bars and restaurants taking advantage of the state's new law allowing Milwaukee-area businesses to stay open until 4 a.m. on RNC nights.

For visitors, check out this guide for an overview of the best restaurants and bars across the city.

What is the RNC schedule?

The RNC recently released its official Master Event Calendar for delegates and guests. Events run Sunday through Thursday and include an invite-only welcome party at the Henry Maier Festival Park, official convention sessions, affinity group receptions, lectures, film screenings and late-night parties.

RNC events will take place at various Milwaukee landmarks, including the Bradley Symphony Center, Harley-Davidson Museum, Pfister Hotel, Mitchell Park Domes and Lakefront Brewery.

Preparations are underway at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 for the upcoming Republican National Convention. The convention takes place from July 15 to July 18.

How to watch the RNC

The convention venues are closed to all but delegates, politicians, media members and volunteers. However, there are plenty of ways to watch the RNC. Numerous platforms will stream the convention, including the Journal Sentinel. FOX News Media will also have coverage across all of its platforms.

What is the RNC?

The Republican National Convention is a multiday event at which delegates will officially select the party's nominees for president and vice president. Former President Donald Trump is the party's presumptive nominee. He is expected to accept the presidential nomination, and name a vice president, during the convention at Fiserv Forum.