Special Event Parking
Learn more about parking for special events such as move-in day and commencement.
If you are visiting campus in order to attend a special event, the university department hosting the event may have made parking arrangements for its invited guests. If no arrangements have been made, please use one of the visitor parking options.
Weekend Events
Park for free in any yellow zone from the hours of 5 p.m. on Friday evening until 7 a.m. on Monday. Please be aware there may be restrictions or reserved spaces for specific events.
Move In Day
Parking & Transportation Services assists students and their families with special parking regulations and vehicle direction during the official fall move-in dates for Washington University in St. Louis.
During move-in, Parking & Transportation Services staff is on hand to assist with directing vehicles to and from the loading zones and visitor parking areas.
With this anticipated heavy traffic and associated parking constraints, Parking & Transportation Services highly recommends those driving to campus during move-in days consider carpooling to campus, using Metro Transit resources or exploring other transportation options.
Commencement
Commencement at Washington University in St. Louis is a cherished day of celebration on campus and we welcome all visitors. With so many attending the ceremonies, parking and transportation are of special importance. Parking & Transportation Services always highly recommends carpooling to campus, using Metro Transit resources or exploring other transportation options. For details about upcoming Commencement times and locations, please visit the university Commencement website.
Parking Arrangements for Campus Guests
If you represent a university department or activity sponsor hosting an event on campus, we encourage you to call us at 314-935-5601 or request event parking online so the Parking & Transportation Services staff may assist you in planning for the parking and/or transportation needs of your special event and invited guests. We offer a variety of options for guest parking.
Reserved Parking
Reserve parking spaces on campus for one or more guests attending an event or meeting on campus.
- Red/Visitor designated spaces – $35 each
- Yellow spaces – $25 each
- Let-In service requested for reserved spaces – $25 per 30 minutes; per monitor required
*Please note that if the requested reserved space is in a garage, it will also require a validation ticket to pay for parking upon exit.
To learn more about reserved parking prices and procedures, please contact us at 314-938-5601.
Validation Tickets
Validation tickets for the Danforth University Center (DUC) Garage are available to university departments for distribution to visitors. Departmental charges for guest validations will only be incurred when the validation is used and only for the amount of time the guest is parked. To request a validation, departments must fill out the Request Event Parking form. Please be aware that your validation request may take one to two weeks to process depending on the time of year and the volume of requests.
Guest Parking Policies
If you will not be making parking arrangements for your guests, you may wish to inform them of some of the visitor parking options offered on campus. Direct weekend visitors toward yellow spaces, which do not require permits between 5 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Monday. If your event occurs during the week, please make your guests aware that they must display a valid parking permit at all times or follow our visitor parking guidelines. Note that the Danforth University Center (DUC) Garage offers limited hours of free parking on Saturday and Sunday; no overnight parking is permitted. For additional options, visit Visitor Parking.