UW-La Crosse does not graduate on campus. Commencement is downtown at the La Crosse Center on the Mississippi riverfront, and three hotels stand within a block of its doors: the Radisson next to it, the Courtyard on Front Street and the Home2 Suites on Jay Street, all three on UWL's own lodging list. UWL also graduates on Sundays: Sunday 20 December 2026 at the La Crosse Center and Sunday 16 May 2027, both on the university's commencement pages, so the night that matters is the Saturday. About 1,980 students graduated in Spring 2026, tickets are not necessary, and UWL recommends a maximum of six guests per graduate. None of the three downtown hotels has a room count confirmed in an English-language directory, and no availability series has been run. Onalaska is 14 minutes; Winona, across the river in Minnesota, is 40.
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The ceremony is downtown, and so are the hotels
UW-La Crosse holds commencement at the La Crosse Center, 300 Harborview Plaza, on the riverfront downtown rather than on campus. That changes the lodging question entirely: the hotels that matter are not the ones near the university, they are the ones within a block of the arena.
Radisson Hotel La Crosse, 200 Harborview Plaza. Adjacent to the La Crosse Center. On UWL’s lodging list. No room count confirmed in an English-language directory, so none stated.
Courtyard by Marriott La Crosse Downtown/Mississippi Riverfront, 500 Front Street South. A block. On the list. No count stated.
Home2 Suites by Hilton La Crosse, 210 Jay Street. A block. On the list. No count stated.
About 1,980 students graduated in Spring 2026, per UWL’s news release, and the university recommends up to six guests per graduate. No matched-window availability series has been run for La Crosse, so this page publishes no count of what remains.
Sunday ceremonies, so the Saturday night
UWL graduates on Sundays. Sunday 20 December 2026 at the La Crosse Center, one ceremony at 11 a.m. for all graduating students, per the commencement page. Sunday 16 May 2027, per the commencement future-dates page and the new-student calendar. Both weekdays check out.
A Sunday ceremony puts the pressure on the Saturday night, and a May Saturday in a river city is a night that also draws weekend visitors of its own. The spring time was not published at this check; Spring 2026 ran three ceremonies through the day, and a morning sitting makes the Saturday unavoidable.
No tickets, ramps for parking, YouTube for the rest
UWL’s commencement page: “Tickets are not necessary.” And: “A maximum of 6 guests per graduating student is recommended.” Parking is in the ramps near the La Crosse Center, and the ceremony streams on YouTube for anyone who cannot come. Those are standing statements read on 14 September 2026.
The suburbs, then Winona
Onalaska, 14 minutes north on US 53, is effectively part of La Crosse, with chain hotels along the interstate. Holmen, 23 minutes, is the next suburb. Sparta, 39 minutes east on I-90, is small. Winona, Minnesota, 40 minutes up the Mississippi, is a river city with its own hotel market and its own May commencement at Winona State.
Drive times are off-peak road routes to the La Crosse Center computed on 14 September 2026, not measured journeys.
Not claimed here
No availability count, because none was measured. No room counts, because none was confirmed. No commencement rate at any hotel; UWL’s list is a general one. The spring venue is not explicitly assigned on the future-dates page; the December round is stated at the La Crosse Center and the ceremony weekend logistics page tracks the spring assignment.
Verified hotel rules
| Hotel | Min. stay | Prepayment | Cancellation / forfeit | Typical rate | How to book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radisson Hotel La Crossesourcecheck rates | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Online, hotel’s own site |
| Courtyard by Marriott La Crosse Downtown/Mississippi Riverfrontsourcecheck rates | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Online, hotel’s own site |
| Home2 Suites by Hilton La Crossesourcecheck rates | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Online, hotel’s own site |
- Radisson Hotel La Crosse: 200 Harborview Plaza, adjacent to the La Crosse Center on the riverfront. On UWL's own lodging list. A room count was not confirmed in an English-language directory, so none is stated. No commencement-specific minimum stay, prepayment or cancellation policy was found, and none is claimed.
- Courtyard by Marriott La Crosse Downtown/Mississippi Riverfront: 500 Front Street South, a block from the La Crosse Center. On UWL's lodging list. Room count not confirmed; none stated. No commencement-specific policy was found.
- Home2 Suites by Hilton La Crosse: 210 Jay Street, a block from the La Crosse Center. On UWL's lodging list. Room count not confirmed; none stated. No commencement-specific policy was found.
Opens live availability around campus via our partner Stay22. Several of the properties above take graduation bookings only by phone, mail-in form, or lottery, so treat this as a price check against the rules in the table, not a replacement for them. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The ring
| Town | Drive time | Typical availability | Rate vs. epicenter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onalaska, WICheck rooms in Onalaska, WI → | 14 min | Not measured for this cluster. The city's northern suburb, with chain hotels along the interstate and the highway. | Not measured. Same market. |
| Holmen, WICheck rooms in Holmen, WI → | 23 min | Not measured for this cluster. A growing suburb with local lodging. | Not measured. |
| Sparta, WICheck rooms in Sparta, WI → | 39 min | Not measured for this cluster. A small I-90 county seat with a few hotels. | Not measured. |
| Winona, MNCheck rooms in Winona, MN → | 40 min | Not measured for this cluster. A river city across the state line with an independent hotel market. | Not measured. |
Drive times are off-peak road routes to the La Crosse Center computed with OSRM on 2026-09-14, not measured journeys. No matched-window availability series has been run for any town in this ring.
“Check rooms” are partner links (Stay22), and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Live availability near campus
Map and booking links are provided by our partner Stay22. We may earn a commission on bookings made through this map at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
Which hotel is closest to the ceremony?
The Radisson Hotel La Crosse at 200 Harborview Plaza, adjacent to the La Crosse Center. The Courtyard at 500 Front Street South and the Home2 Suites at 210 Jay Street are each a block away. All three are on UWL's lodging list. No room counts are stated because none was confirmed in an English-language directory.
Will downtown La Crosse sell out?
No matched-window availability series has been run for La Crosse, so this page publishes no count. Three hotels of unconfirmed size against about 1,980 graduates with up to six guests each, on a Saturday night in a river city, is the structure. Book the block now.
Which night do we need?
The Saturday. UWL graduates on Sundays: 20 December 2026 is one ceremony at 11 a.m. for all graduating students, and 16 May 2027's time was not published at this check. Spring 2026 ran three ceremonies. A Sunday night is only for families flying out Monday.
Where is the overflow?
Onalaska, 14 minutes north and effectively part of the city, with chain hotels along the interstate; Holmen at 23 minutes. Winona, Minnesota, is 40 minutes up the river with its own hotel market, and Sparta 39 minutes east is small.
Does UWL publish a hotel list?
Yes. A UWL lodging page lists La Crosse hotels including the Radisson, Courtyard and Home2 Suites. It is a general list, not a commencement block, and no commencement rate is claimed.
Do we need tickets?
No. UWL's commencement page states "Tickets are not necessary" and that "A maximum of 6 guests per graduating student is recommended." Parking is in the ramps near the La Crosse Center; the ceremony streams on YouTube.
What about December?
Sunday 20 December 2026 at 11 a.m., one ceremony for all graduating students at the La Crosse Center, per the commencement page. The same three hotels, the Saturday night, and the week before Christmas.
How we verified this
Last verified:
- UW-La Crosse, Commencement ("Winter Commencement: Sunday, December 20, 2026"; "Commencement will be held at the La Crosse Center."; "There will be one ceremony."; "11 a.m. | All graduating students"; "Tickets are not necessary."; "A maximum of 6 guests per graduating student is recommended.")
- UW-La Crosse, Commencement future dates ("Sunday, May 16, 2027")
- UW-La Crosse news, UWL commencement is set for May 16 ("Three ceremonies will celebrate 1,980 graduates at the La Crosse Center"; Spring 2026)
- UW-La Crosse, parking and transportation ("Parking ramps located near the La Crosse Center")
- UW-La Crosse, lodging (a university lodging list naming the Radisson, Courtyard, Home2 Suites and others)
This page is verified in two stages. Every fact is checked against the primary sources listed above, then the page is reviewed and signed off by our editor, A. Hassan. Corrections and enquiries: hello@graduationstay.com