CONVENTION TIP of the DAY - Thursday, June 6, 2024 - PARKING, Downtown Road CONSTRUCTION,  Handicap Parking, Teachers’ Shuttle Information

READ and RETAIN friends, this is an IMPORTANT ONE for anyone driving and parking!

BOS Convention Center Parking Garage - How to Pay Instructions

ROAD CONSTRUCTION - AT THIS TIME, SPRINGFIELD HAS A LOT OF ROAD CLOSURES AND ROAD CONSTRUCTION THROUGHOUT THE CITY, PLEASE ALLOW PLENTY OF TIME TO AND FROM THE BOS CENTER.  PLEASE FOLLOW DETOUR SIGNS FOR ROAD CLOSURES.

Bus Parking Passes Must Be Placed In Your Window

****NEW THIS YEAR - MINIBUS STREET PARKING IS ASSIGNED BY STREET THIS YEAR - WE WILL EMAIL THOSE CHAPTERS THAT RECEIVED STREET PARKING SEPARATELY.

LARGE BUS PARKING & MINIBUSES ARE IN LOT #24

STREET PARKING IS SOLD OUT

WE ARE NOT ANNOUNCING THE COLOR OF THE METER BAGS BECAUSE OF THE ASSIGNED PARKING.  YOU WILL BE TOWED IF PARKED AT RED-BAGGED METERS OR NOT BAGGED FOR IL FFA.

Paid Parking Passes are REQUIRED to park on the street AND in Lot #24.  For questions, please contact Patti Davis, at pdavis@illinoisffa.org, or (217) 753-3328 Ext. 107.

• Mini Bus, Cargo Van, or Oversized Truck (Taller than 6 ft. 7 inches) Requires a Paid Parking Pass.  

• Special Blue Bagged Meters with FFA or IAVAT Emblem - We will have blue bagged meters & sandwich boards on meters closest to the BOS Center for the Top 10 Chapters & IAVAT Winner Chapter. These are located on streets 100 & 200 W Washington Street.

• Full-Size Buses - You MUST park in Lot #24, 4th Street (One-Way Street-Runs North), 5th Street (One-Way-Runs South) & Madison Street (One-Way-Runs East).  Note:  Other vehicles will be parking in this lot, so please park your bus so that others can park around you.  Note:  Please be aware of your surroundings and walk in pairs to and from Lot #24.  Do not park in parking lots not authorized for our event.  Please lock your vehicles everywhere!

• Cars, Vans, Regular-Sized Trucks - Please use the Parking Garages, there are several available downtown.   The closest parking garages to the BOS Center are the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel/BOS Center Parking Garage off of 7th Street (One-Way Runs South) Washington Street (one-way runs East) or the Wyndham Hotel Entrance on Monroe Street (One-Way Runs East). The height requirement for most of the parking garages is 6 ft. 7 inches.  Downtown Parking Information

  • ATTN:  GUESTS:  BOS Convention Center Parking Garage  - How to Pay Instructions

  • The only vehicles allowed to park at the meters are the minibusses and oversized vehicles.  If cars park at the meters they will get tickets!!

**** NEW THIS YEAR for WEDNESDAY ONLY - Guests on Wednesday, June 12, 2024: THANK YOU  to Caritas Bingo Hall, 900 E Converse St, Springfield, IL for free GUEST AND CAR Parking WITH a Shuttle Service to the Bank of Springfield Center.  Caritas BINGO Hall is 1.7 miles from the Bank of Springfield Center and is a straight shot, so the shuttle drivers can get your guests there with ease.  Click here to see it on a map.  

ADVISORS - please share this information with parents and families who are attending on WEDNESDAY.  PLEASE ask any guests who want to take advantage of this service to drop all the other guests off at the BOS Center and then have the driver park their vehicles at Caritas BINGO Hall.  Shuttle drivers will start at 12:30 p.m. and run right up until the start of the session at 2:00 p.m. and then of course take drivers back to the BINGO Hall after the session. Shuttle Drivers can also be contacted via this phone number:  217-299-9744.  

• ADVISORS - please share parking garage information with parents and families who are attending.  

• Handicap Parking - Handicap parking is located in the BOS Center & Wyndham Parking Garages. Other parking garages in the downtown area have handicap parking.  

• Shuttle Service - Meet at the Statehouse Inn Parking Lot (Picture) - This shuttle service is for schools parked near the State House Inn (100 & 200 East & West Washington Streets 200 E & West Adams Streets and 300 West Adams Street).  

We will provide a shuttle service for Teachers Only for pickup and drop off at the State House Inn Parking Lot - Look for an IL FFA Center Fleet Vehicle possibly wrapped with a sponsor’s logo:

• Pick-Up 30 Minutes Before the Session

• Pick-Up 15 Minutes Before the Session

• After Session - Meet in the lobby for 10 Minutes After Session - Meet in the BOS Center Lobby at the Registration Booth.