HOTEL UMASS GUESTS
Guests staying at Hotel UMass will receive a complimentary parking pass to the Campus Center Parking Garage at hotel check-in. The Campus Center Parking Garage is located at 1 Campus Center Way in Amherst MA 01003. Follow the signs down to park on Level 2. Take your gate with you and enter the Campus Center using the marked hallway. Stay to the left to walk through the main concourse. Take the elevators to the hotel lobby, located on the 3rd floor, to check-in (available after 3PM on your date of arrival). Provide your garage gate ticket to the hotel desk clerk to have your parking validated.
COMMUTING/OFF-CAMPUS ATTENDEES
Attendees not staying at Hotel UMass should park in the Campus Center Parking Garage, located at 1 Campus Center Way in Amherst, MA 01003. Parking coupons for the garage will be provided upon your arrival at the registration desk. As you pull into the garage you will take a gate ticket. Prior to leaving for the day, but before you get to your car, take your gate ticket and the parking coupon to one of the garage paystations (paystations are located on levels 2, 3, and 4). Enter your gate ticket and, when prompted, scan the parking coupon. This will offer you a discounted rate of $6.50/day, valid for one exit. Once your coupon has been applied you will submit payment and your now validated gate ticket will be returned to you. Return to your car and drive the garage exit. Insert your validated gate ticket to lift the exit gate as you drive out of the garage. This process will need to be repeated each day you attend the conference.
Note: after 5 p.m. on Friday and throughout the weekend campus guests can park in many surface lots around campus without having to pay or having to obtain a permit. If you wish to park in a surface lot after 5 p.m. on Friday or anytime on Saturday you should avoid any spots marked as “Restricted” or “Reserved” and avoid any lots marked as being “24-hour restricted parking”. We recommend taking a look at the Parking Services interactive parking map for additional information. As surface lots are not located directly next to the Campus Center, we also recommend having a campus map handy if you plan to park in a surface lot to help you navigate campus.
ACCESSIBLE PARKING
Attendees with a valid state-issued reserved accessible license plate or placard may park in any marked Handicap Space or any nonrestricted, nonreserved space or lot, at no charge, as long as your plate or placard is clearly displayed at all times during your stay. To locate reserved accessible parking, visit the UMass Parking Map, select the blue parking icon on the right, and click the “Handicapped Parking” option. You may also click here to view a complete campus accessibility map.
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
There are multiple transportation options to get you from campus to amenities and attractions in the surrounding area. Amherst center, with local shops, restaurants, and small convenience stores, is a 15-20 minute walk or 5 minute drive from campus. If you find you need to visit a grocery store, large retail store, or pharmacy during your stay, numerous options are located on University Drive and Russell Street (also known as Route 9) in neighboring Hadley, about a 5-10 minute trip from campus by car or bus. Retailers include CVS, Big Y, Stop and Shop, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Target, Walmart, JC Penney, Marshalls, and more.
Local buses, operated by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, run regularly between Amherst center and the University, with additional services traveling throughout the Pioneer Valley, including Northampton, Springfield, and Greenfield. If you’d rather take a car, UMass has partnered with Zipcar to bring on-demand car sharing services right to campus. The area is also serviced by a variety of cab companies, including Uber, Lyft, Celebrity Cab Company and Taxi Express.