Looking for parking in downtown Lexington? Here’s the cheapest spots near Comic Con
If you’re in town this weekend to catch the Lexington Comic & Toy Convention – which will feature guests like William Daniels (who played Mr. Feeny in Boy Meets World) and Ron Perlman (of Hellboy fame) – there’s plenty of cheap parking downtown.
We asked Gary Means, Lexington’s certified administrator of public parking and executive director of LexPark, for tips about where to leave your car before taking in the convention scene at Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena.
Where’s the best parking in downtown Lexington this weekend?
According to Means, the Victorian Square Garage at 350 West Short St. will charge its regular daily rates ($3 an hour, maximum $12) during the day Thursday and Friday. After 5 p.m. those days, the max charge is $3.
Saturday and Sunday, it’s a flat $3 rate, but from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. both days there will be events at the nearby Opera House, so the rate will be $10. You can also pay that and go to Comic Con as well, Means said.
The Transit Center garage at 150 East Vine St. is also a good option to try. It’s charging $3 after 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and $3 flat Saturday and Sunday.
According to Means, all parking downtown is more available on weekends and typically the rates are lower.
LexPark garages typically charge $3 on the weekends unless other events happen to be going on, Means said.
Parking on street: Hours and rates
Meter rates in Lexington range from 50 cents to $1.50 per hour, depending on the density of the area, according to LexPark.org.
There are one-hour, two-hour and four-hour meters located throughout the downtown area. Specific rates are posted on the meter itself.
Meters are in effect and enforced from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Metering isn’t enforced on the following holidays:
New Years Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Presidents’ Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
The Friday after Thanksgiving
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
What to know about off-street parking
LexPark owns three garages in downtown Lexington and manages a fourth garage owned by the metro government that total more than 2,200 spaces.
That doesn’t account for the many other parking garages and lots downtown that are open to the public – in total more than 10,000 spaces in downtown Lexington.
You can go online to parkme.com/map to get real-time availability of LexPark garages.
Means also recommends downloading the SpotHero app to reserve parking ahead of time and the ParkWhiz app for booking parking.
Lexington Comic and Toy Convention
When: 6-10 p.m. Thursday, March 24; Noon-8 p.m. Friday, March 25; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, March 26; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, March 27
Where: Central Bank Center, 430 W. Vine St.
Tickets: $30-$100
Online: lexingtoncomiccon.com
This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 6:00 AM.