The Haymarket Connector (2006)
An alternative to driving through the main entrance and traffic
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 2006, the City of Lincoln completed the pedestrian bridge now known as the "Haymarket Connector."
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.
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.
