TD Garden Game Day Guide
Boston Celtics · Boston, MA
Know Before You Go
Essential details checked against official venue information.
- Bag policy
Small bags, including clear bags, must not exceed 6 x 4 x 1.5 inches and are screened at entry.
Applies to: Boston Celtics games
- Diaper bags, breast-pump bags, medical bags, and bags supplied with a Boston ProShop purchase are exceptions.
- Bag storage
Oversized bags can be checked for $15 at the Event Bag Check beside the TD Garden and Boston Garden Society Box Office on Level 1, east side of North Station.
Applies to: Boston Celtics games
- Bag check normally opens two hours before the event and remains open until one hour afterward; hours may vary.
- Gate opening
General doors normally open one hour before game time; member doors open two hours before game time.
Applies to: Boston Celtics games
- Check the event page because opening times can change.
- Mobile tickets
TD Garden events use mobile-only tickets; guests must present a valid mobile ticket for scanning after security screening.
Applies to: Boston Celtics games
- Re-entry
TD Garden does not allow general re-entry after a ticket has been scanned.
Applies to: Boston Celtics games
- For a personal emergency, speak with the Guest Services Supervisor at Level 4, Loge 4 before exiting; any exception is discretionary.
- Prohibited items
TD Garden prohibits weapons, outside food or drink, glass and metal bottles, vaping devices, aerosols, laptops and tablets, cameras other than phones, drones, large umbrellas, and other listed items.
Applies to: Boston Celtics games
- Empty non-glass water bottles up to 32 ounces are permitted for Bruins and Celtics games.
- Review the official list because event promoters may add restrictions.
- First aid
First Aid is on Level 4 across from Sections 15 and 16.
Applies to: Boston Celtics games
- Nursing and lactation
Nursing accommodations are available inside First Aid on Level 4 near Sections 15 and 16.
Applies to: Boston Celtics games
- Breast pumps and their bags are allowed after visual and X-ray screening.
- Family restrooms
Family restrooms are available on Levels 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9, including one within First Aid at Level 4, Loge 15.
Applies to: Boston Celtics games
- Tickets for children
Children younger than 2 do not need a ticket for a Celtics game.
Applies to: Boston Celtics games
- TD Garden's A-Z guide: a child under two is admitted free for all events provided the child sits on a patron's lap; occasionally a family show requires a ticket for children under two.
- Guest services
Guest Services is at Level 4, Loge 4 and Level 7 near Balcony 304; the event-day Fan Safe text line is 276-FAN-SAFE (326-7233).
Applies to: Boston Celtics games
- Service animals
Task-trained service dogs are permitted; support and companion animals are not.
Applies to: Boston Celtics games
- A service dog may not occupy an additional seat unless that seat has its own ticket.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at TD Garden, hour by hour.
Arrive in the West End / North End
Take the T to North Station or park in a nearby garage. Walk the North End for a pregame Italian dinner, or hit the bars on Canal Street.
Pregame drinks
Sullivan's Tap, The Fours (RIP. Its successors), or The Harp are the classic pregame spots. Expect crowds on big game nights.
Doors open
Enter TD Garden and watch shootaround. Check out the championship banners and retired jerseys hanging from the rafters.
Find your seat
The arena fills fast for marquee matchups. Settle in and take in the electric atmosphere of a sell-out crowd.
Game time
Celtics games are intense, Boston crowds are knowledgeable and loud. Expect 2-2.5 hours of play with timeouts and halftime.
Halftime break
Hit the concourse for food. The clam chowder stand is a must-try. Upper level concessions have shorter lines.
Post-game scene
Spill out onto Causeway Street and into the Canal Street bars. Or walk to the North End for a late cannoli at Mike's Pastry.
Tips & Fan Reports
Post-game, the Green Line gets packed. Walk to Haymarket or Government Center for a less crowded platform.
Banner 18 hangs from the rafters alongside the retired numbers. Every seat has a view of the championship history.
Take the T, North Station is literally inside the TD Garden building. No easier arena access in the NBA.
The parquet floor is iconic. Even if you're in the 300s, you can see the pattern from above.
The Hub on Causeway (attached to TD Garden) has restaurants open late for postgame dinner.
Halftime lines are brutal. Buy food during the first or third quarter if possible.
Weather
TD Garden is indoor, so these are the conditions for the parking lot and the walk in, not the seats.
Across the NBA season the warmest month is October, with an average high of 62°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 23°F. December is the wettest month at 4.3 inches and January the driest at 3.4 inches.
That January low ranks 8th coldest of the 30 NBA venues, and December here ranks 12th wettest.
October
4.0 inchesDecember
4.3 inchesJanuary
3.4 inchesMarch
4.2 inchesApril
3.6 inchesBoston Celtics Clear Bag Policy
Most venues require a clear bag. Get an approved one before you travel.
Shop on AmazonAffiliate link — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never affects our prices or rankings. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Game day timeline
Gate opening time checked against the venue's own gate-opening policy: General doors normally open one hour before game time; member doors open two hours before game time.
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
TD Garden policies, A-Z, accessibility, and concessions pages plus the Celtics arena guide reviewed for Celtics entry, family, food, payment, and accessibility rules.