Downtown Lexington KY Parking Guide
LexPark garage locations, rates, and street parking tips for downtown Lexington. We've also built dedicated parking guides for Lexington's biggest venues: Keeneland Race Course for race days, Rupp Arena for games and concerts, Kroger Field for UK football gamedays, Railbird Music Festival for the annual festival at The Red Mile, the Lexington Opera House and Kentucky Theatre downtown, Manchester Music Hall in the Distillery District, the Woodland Art Fair in Woodland Park, and Blue Grass Airport (LEX) with an interactive parking cost calculator. Each guide has interactive maps, walking times, and tips from firsthand visits.
During UK move-in weekend in August, parking is one piece of a longer day: the UK move-in weekend guide covers the drive in, food near campus, and the hours between drop-off and the drive home.
Jump to a venue
The map also shows other parking locations from OpenStreetMap. The 4 highlighted P markers are LexPark public garages with verified rates. Click any marker for details.
Where are you going?
Rupp Arena
Full guide: Pedway access, 7 garages and lots, event rates →
Kroger Field
Full guide: free lots, tailgating, shuttle, and gameday tips →
Opera House
Full guide: closest garages, walk times, event rates →
Downtown Dining & Bars
Any garage works, all are walkable to Short St and Main St
Courthouse / YMCA
Transit Center or Courthouse Garage, both within a block
Garage Comparison
| Garage | Daily Max | Evening & Weekend | Monthly | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
350 West Short Garage 350 W. Short St. | $19 | As posted | $105 + tax | 6'7" |
Transit Center Garage 150 E. Vine St. | $10through Dec. 31, 2026 (LexPark 2026 rate map) | As posted | $70 + tax | 6'11" |
Helix on Main Garage 156 E. Main St. | $19 | As posted | $70 + tax | 6'7" |
Courthouse Garage 105 Barr St. | $19 | As posted | $75 + tax | 7'10" |
Victorian Square Garage is now 350 West Short Garage
If you are looking for the Victorian Square Garage, you have found it. It is the same garage at the same address, 350 W. Short St., and LexPark now lists it by its street address rather than the old name.
Nothing about the garage itself changed with the name. Its rates, height limit, and space count are in the comparison table above.
What you actually pay by the hour
350 West Short, Helix on Main, and Courthouse all use the same tiered ladder:
| First 30 minutes | $3 |
| 30 minutes to 1 hour | $4 |
| Up to 2 hours | $8 |
| Up to 3 hours | $12 |
| Up to 4 hours | $16 |
| Over 4 hours, and the daily max | $19 |
| Lost ticket | $19 |
- •Transit Center Garage is the low one, but only through the end of 2026. It charges $1 per half hour with a $10 daily max through Dec. 31, 2026, which beats the other three at every length of stay. Starting Jan. 1, 2027 it moves to the same ladder as the others: $3 for the first 30 minutes, $4 per hour after, and a $19 daily max. Both dates are published in LexPark's 2026 rate map.
- •350 West Short, Friday and Saturday nights: a $15 prepaid rate covers 11pm to 2:30am.
- •Monthly parkers: 350 West Short is $105 + tax, or $130 + tax for a reserved space. Transit Center and Helix on Main are $70 + tax, Courthouse is $75 + tax. All are subject to availability.
- •Evenings and weekends are charged at a rate posted at each garage. LexPark lists them only as "as posted" and does not publish them ahead of time, so check the sign at the entrance rather than planning around a number.
The 168 North Upper Street surface lot
LexPark also runs a surface lot at 168 North Upper Street at Church Street, about 125 spaces across three sections. It is the option most people miss, and it is often the cheapest way to leave a car downtown for up to 12 hours.
| Up to 3 hours | $8 |
| Up to 6 hours | $12 |
| Up to 12 hours | $15 |
| 24 hours | $22 |
Pay by text (text 34168 to 25023) or through the PayByPhone app. There are a limited number of metered spaces on the lot as well.
Read this before you park here on a Sunday: this lot is the exception to free weekend parking. Its spaces and meters are enforced 24/7 regardless of holidays or weekends.
LexPark hours
- •All four garages are open 24 hours, every day.
- •Street meters are enforced Monday through Friday, 9am to 7pm. They are free on Saturdays, Sundays, and LFUCG holidays.
- •The 168 North Upper Street lot is the exception, enforced 24/7 regardless of weekends or holidays.
- •LexPark's own office is open Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, per lexpark.org.
For which days parking is actually free rather than just unenforced, see the frequently asked questions below.
Street Parking Tips
- $Meters are $0.75 to $2.00 per hour depending on location. Credit cards accepted at all meters.
- •Meters enforced Monday through Friday, 9am to 7pm only. Free parking all day Saturday, Sunday, and on LFUCG holidays.
- •Since July 1, 2024, all LexPark garages switch to credit card only during major downtown events. Have a card ready.
- •Evening and weekend garage rates are still your best deal, and they are lower than the weekday daily max. LexPark posts them at each garage instead of publishing them in advance, so check the sign on the way in.
Paying for parking
- •At LexPark garages on normal days: LexPark's Frequently Asked Questions page states that the Pay on Foot (POF) machines in the garages take cash and credit cards, and that exit lanes take credit cards only, with the single exception of the Main Street exit of Helix Garage.
- •Skip the kiosk: Per the Text2Pay instructions on LexPark's Frequently Asked Questions page, from inside Helix, 350 West Short, or Courthouse you text "PAY" to 859-710-5413, and from inside Transit Center you text "TRANSIT" to 25023. Either way you will need your license plate number.
- •You start that text; LexPark will not text you first asking for payment. LexPark posted a fraud alert in March 2026 about scam texts impersonating them.
- •On event days: As of July 1, 2024, during major downtown events, all LexPark garages switch to credit card only. POF kiosks included. Have a card ready.
- •Street meters and surface lots: Mostly digital and mobile payment. PayByPhone and similar apps recommended. At the 168 North Upper Street lot, text 34168 to 25023.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is parking free in downtown Lexington?
Street meter parking is free all day on Saturdays, Sundays, and on LFUCG holidays. All 4 LexPark garages charge daily rates on weekdays. The one exception to the free weekend is the LexPark surface lot at 168 North Upper Street, where the spaces and meters are enforced 24/7 regardless of weekends or holidays.
Does Lexington KY have free parking on weekends?
Yes. Metered street parking is free all day Saturday and Sunday throughout downtown. Garages still charge on weekends, at a weekend rate that LexPark lists only as "as posted". LexPark does not publish that rate in advance, so the rate you pay is the one posted at the garage when you arrive.
What time is parking free downtown in Lexington?
Street meters are enforced until 7pm on weekdays, so meter parking becomes free at 7pm Monday through Friday and is free all day Saturday, Sunday, and on LFUCG holidays. For free parking earlier in the evening, the Phoenix Garage surface lot on Water Street (behind the LFUCG Government Building) is free after 5pm on weekdays and free all day on weekends. LexPark garages charge an evening rate that is posted at each garage rather than published in advance, so the rate you pay is the one on the sign at the entrance.
Where to park in Lexington KY?
The 4 LexPark public garages (350 West Short, Transit Center, Helix on Main, and Courthouse) are your most reliable options downtown. All are open 24 hours and accept credit cards. Since July 1, 2024, all LexPark garages are credit card only during downtown events.
How much does it cost to park in a downtown Lexington garage?
At 350 West Short, Helix on Main, and Courthouse the rate is tiered: $3 for the first 30 minutes, $4 up to an hour, $8 up to 2 hours, $12 up to 3 hours, $16 up to 4 hours, and $19 over 4 hours, which is also the daily max. A lost ticket is charged at $19. Transit Center Garage runs $1 per half hour with a $10 daily max, but only through Dec. 31, 2026. On Jan. 1, 2027 Transit Center moves to the same tiered rate as the other three, with a $19 daily max. Both dates are published in LexPark's 2026 rate map.
Garage and meter rates from LexPark, verified 2026-09-10. Rates subject to change. Verify current rates at lexpark.org/rates-hours.