My first day on Ball State’s campus I parked in the wrong spot and got a nasty ticket. Over $100 as a first-time parking offender… yikes. On the bright side, that experience has given me the opportunity to teach you what NOT to do and where you can park without fear of being ticketed.
Parking at Residence Halls
Assuming you’ve paid for a parking permit, you’re free to park at residence halls, which are shown in blue on the map below. If you don’t have a permit, these spots are also safe to park in after 5 p.m. on Fridays up until Sunday at 7 p.m. This is also one of the few exceptions to the “no overnight parking” rule for guests and students without a permit, assuming your car is moved by the Sunday deadline.
Metered Parking
Metered parking is simply paid parking. In the listed parking garages on Ball State’s campus there will be areas to pay for parking by the hour. The meters accept cards and cash, but if you bring cash keep in mind the meter will ONLY accept $1 and $5 bills. If you try to pay for parking with a $20, you’re probably going to be very disappointed. There is also no overnight parking under any circumstances (3:30 a.m. to 7 a.m.). Do keep in mind that metered lots are usually free after 7 p.m. but make sure you check signs before assuming. If a parking meter is broken, don’t panic. Call Ball State Parking Services at 765-285-1208 or 765-285-1111.
Here are the various rates and locations
- New York Parking Garage (R6) - Metered parking is on the bottom floor and the pay station is at the west entrance in the east stairwell.
- McKinley Avenue Parking Garage (R7) - Metered parking is on the bottom floor and a pay station is located on each pedestrian exit.
- Student Center Parking Garage (R8) - Metered parking is located on the bottom floor and the ONE and ONLY pay station is located at each pedestrian exit.
Garage Rates*:
Hours 1-3 - $1 per hour
Hours 4-6 - $0.50 per hour
Hours 7-8 - $0.25 per hour
*Maximum daily rate is 5 dollars
Parking on Weekends
Most parking lots are available to park in for free starting on Fridays at 5 p.m. After that you should be in the clear to park, but make sure to check signs to be sure. There are places on campus where parking is enforced until 7:00 p.m. on Fridays.
Park and ride
Of course, out-of-town visitors might also choose to park in a large business lot and take the MITS bus to campus.
Walmart and the Muncie Mall are accessible by a MITS route, according to the MITS website. Check with local businesses about their overnight policy before parking.
