Haymarket Connector Pedestrian Option

The Haymarket Connector (2002)

An alternative to driving through the main entrance and traffic

South Gate Today (2004)

South Gate to BEFORE the Connector (2001)

Parking lot near south end of Connector (2004)

Very Brief History of the Haymarket Connector

When Haymarket Park (the ballpark) was built in for the 2001 season it was planned to be connected to the Historic Haymarket by a long pedestrian bridge over the railroad switchyard that prevents access from the south. The cost originally was considered too high and the plan temporarily abandoned. In 2002, the City of Lincoln completed the pedestrian bridge now known as the "Haymarket Connector."

View walking to ballpark (2004)

Using the Connector

The connector starts a few blocks north of the north end of the Historic Haymarket district. There are some parking lots near the connector that charge (unlike those at the ballpark). Pricewise this is a drawback --unless your post game plans are taking you back here. Then it can be a real convenience.

View walking to District(2004)

Going to the ballpark you can purchase tickets at the south gate ticket office.The entrance is next to the ticket office and puts you in center field almost directly behind the batters eye. You can walk to the main entrance, though there is no explicit path or sidewalk to get there.

It's even more of a convenience if you're staying at one of the hotels in the Haymarket (like the Holiday Inn or Embassy Suites). If that's the case, you can leave your car in the hotel lot and walk less than a mile to the ballpark and enter the south gate (in center field). On the way back you can obviously stop at one of the bars and restaurants for post game refreshments. Only problem with the connector, if you can call it that, is it starts/ends a few blocks from the entertainment part of the district.

It also may be convenient for families going to day games on the outfield berms that want to reduce the driving since walking the connector to an adjancent parking lot may be as long as from the main lot to the berm.

The Bridge Itself

View walking on the Connector (2004)

The Connector is actually two bridges in one. The west side is for pedestrians, the east for bicycles. There are no openings between the two bridges except at the entrances. There are also no automobiles or motorcycles permitted and it is the only way to go directly to and from the ballpark and district. If you happend to be a cyclist, this is definitely the way to go.

View walking on the Connector (2004)

The west (pedestrian) side gives you a view of the busy railroad switchyards. Kids might find this fun by itself. Signs on each end make clear what's on the other side and where you are when you arrived (if it wasn't clear enough). The bridge is somewhat interesting in its own right (architecturally) and has an attractive approach at south end.