State Farm Arena Game Day Guide
Atlanta Hawks · Atlanta, GA
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Bags must be no larger than 14 x 14 x 6 inches and are screened; single-compartment drawstring bags and qualifying purses or fashion backpacks are allowed, while standard backpacks and hard-sided bags are prohibited.
Bag rules can change by game. The general arena policy exempts screened medical and child-care bags from the size limit, but a current Hawks event listing includes oversized diaper bags among prohibited bags, so confirm the listing for your game or call 404-878-3000.
- Bag storage
A fee-based bag valet for noncompliant bags is outside Gate 2 on Centennial Olympic Park Drive, and items must be collected the same day.
The policy page inconsistently says the valet opens either 90 minutes or two hours before the event; both versions say it remains open until one hour after the event ends.
- Gate opening
Hawks game gates open 60 minutes before tipoff; Hawks Members may enter 75 minutes before tipoff.
Gate 6 is not used for Hawks games. Gate 7 provides a CLEAR lane for guests using the CLEAR app.
- Mobile tickets
Hawks tickets are mobile-only and must be opened in the Hawks + State Farm Arena app, the Ticketmaster app, or a phone's digital wallet.
The entry barcode cannot be scanned from a mobile browser, although the browser can be used to add a ticket to the digital wallet before arrival.
- Re-entry
State Farm Arena does not permit re-entry after a guest exits.
- Prohibited items
Prohibited items include weapons, aerosols, oversized or hard-sided bags, standard backpacks, outside food or drinks, reusable bottles, noisemakers, illegal drugs, lighters, vapes, fireworks, projectiles, lasers, optical-illusion items, detachable-lens cameras, tripods, and selfie sticks.
Tablets are allowed at Hawks games, but laptops require advance approval. Management may reject other items, and event-specific rules can differ.
- First aid
First Aid is inside Gate 1 across from Section 121 and on the 200 Level across from Section 221.
For medical help, notify the closest staff member or text 404-878-3030 with the request.
- Nursing and lactation
The Mother's Room/Nursing Room is inside Gate 1 next to the main Guest Service Center.
Parents may bring plastic bottles of formula or milk into the arena.
- Family restrooms
Family restrooms are on the 100 and 200 concourses, and each has a baby-changing station.
Baby-changing stations are also available in some other public restrooms.
- Tickets for children
A child younger than 2 may enter without a ticket when seated on a parent or guardian's lap; every guest age 2 or older needs a ticket.
- Guest services
Guest Services is inside Gate 1, inside Gate 5, and across from Section 211 on the 200 Level.
The centers provide accessibility escorts and devices, directions, lost-and-found help, and a meeting point for separated guests. Call 404-878-3000 before the event.
- Service animals
Leashed service animals are welcome at State Farm Arena.
Call Guest Services at 404-878-3000 before the game if assistance is needed; the public page does not list a relief area.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking, vaping, e-cigarettes, and vaporizers are prohibited everywhere on State Farm Arena property, with no designated smoking area.
Guests who leave to smoke cannot re-enter.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at State Farm Arena, hour by hour.
Arrive in downtown Atlanta
Park at the Red or Blue decks, or take MARTA to the arena station. Explore Centennial Olympic Park and the surrounding restaurants.
Pregame dining
Grab dinner at CNN Center food court, Stats Brewpub, or one of the Marietta Street restaurants. Southern comfort food is the move.
Doors open
Enter the arena and explore the renovated concourse. Check out the Hawks team store and the Topgolf Lounge on the upper level.
Find your seat
The intimate 16,600-seat layout means every seat feels close. Settle in for player introductions and the Hawks hype video.
Game time
Hawks games have a nightclub atmosphere, DJ-driven energy, LED light shows, and one of the loudest arenas in the Southeast. Total game time is about 2-2.5 hours.
Halftime break
Hit the concourse for smoked wings or BBQ nachos. The arena's food variety is among the best in the NBA after the renovation.
Post-game scene
Walk to Marietta Street or Luckie Street for bars and late-night dining. Atlanta's nightlife keeps going well past midnight.
Tips & Fan Reports
The Topgolf Lounge on the upper level is a unique Hawks-only experience, worth checking out even if you have lower-level seats.
The arena completed a $200M renovation in 2020 with a new 'Sky Bridge' social deck with views of downtown.
CNN Center food court (attached to the arena) has affordable pregame options and ample seating.
State Farm Arena sits next to Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Falcons) - same parking lots, same MARTA station.
Halftime food lines are long. Buy during the first or third quarter at the less crowded stands.
MARTA's Dome/GWCC station is literally next to the arena. It's the easiest commute in the NBA.
A hard-sided bag is refused at any size, but a soft drawstring bag under 14 by 14 by 6 is fine. The shape matters more than the volume here.
Reserve through ParkMobile ahead for the lower price; ADA spaces cannot be reserved and go first come, first served.
Season ticket members get in fifteen minutes early on a typical Hawks night.
MARTA stops steps from the entrance, which beats driving into downtown Atlanta.
Before the Game
State Farm Arena is at 1 State Farm Drive in downtown Atlanta, near the intersection of Marietta Street and Centennial Olympic Park Drive, with a MARTA stop steps from the entrance, so most people arrive by train and there is no tailgating policy to publish. The bag rule is more permissive than most arenas but bans a whole category: nothing over 14 by 14 by 6 inches, and no backpacks or hard-sided bags at any size, though single-compartment drawstring bags and fashion backpacks under the limit are welcome. Doors vary by event; for Hawks games they typically open at 6:00 p.m. for the general public and 5:45 p.m. for season ticket members.
Where to Go Before the Game
The MARTA stop by the entrance
A MARTA station sits steps from the arena entrance, which makes the train the simplest approach into downtown Atlanta on a game night.
Known for Steps from the entrance · Rail transit · No parking needed
Sapphire, Diamond Deck and Ruby Lot
The arena's three parking locations, each holding a limited number of ADA spaces on a first come, first served basis. Reserving through ParkMobile in advance guarantees the space and the lower price.
Known for Three arena locations · ADA spaces in each · Reserve via ParkMobile
Marietta Street and Centennial Olympic Park Drive
The downtown intersection the arena sits beside at 1 State Farm Drive, and the landmark most driving routes aim for.
Known for Downtown Atlanta · 1 State Farm Drive
Pregame Rules
What State Farm Arena allows before the game, and what it does not.
- Bags larger than 14" x 14" x 6" are prohibited, including briefcases, purses and luggage.
- Backpacks and hard-sided bags of any size are prohibited. Single-compartment drawstring bags, and fashion backpacks or purses smaller than 14" x 14" x 6", are permitted.
- Door opening times vary by event. For Hawks games doors typically open at 6:00 p.m. for the general public and 5:45 p.m. for season ticket members.
- The Box Office opens on event days only, one hour prior to the event's scheduled door time.
- The arena is at 1 State Farm Drive, near the intersection of Marietta Street and Centennial Olympic Park Drive, with a MARTA stop steps from the entrance.
- Parking can be reserved in advance through ParkMobile. ADA spaces are available in all parking locations (Sapphire, Diamond Deck and Ruby Lot) on a first come, first served basis.
Weather
State Farm Arena 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 75°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 34°F. March is the wettest month at 4.5 inches and October the driest at 3.6 inches.
That January low ranks 18th coldest of the 30 NBA venues, and March here ranks 8th wettest.
October
3.6 inchesDecember
4.2 inchesJanuary
4.3 inchesMarch
4.5 inchesApril
3.6 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food and drinks are prohibited except plastic bottles of formula or milk for small children and medically necessary snacks approved in advance.
- A card or a phone wallet
State Farm Arena is cashless; ticket, food and beverage, and retail locations require card payment and support contactless tap-to-pay.
- A coat for the walk in
January lows average 34°F between the lot and the door at State Farm Arena.
- A rain layer for the walk in
March averages 4.5 inches of rain outside State Farm Arena.
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: Hawks game gates open 60 minutes before tipoff; Hawks Members may enter 75 minutes before tipoff.
- Pregame
State Farm Arena official site: Policies & FAQs, Arena Parking, and Transportation
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current State Farm Arena policies, accessibility, transportation, and prohibited-items pages plus official Atlanta Hawks mobile-ticket guidance and a current Hawks event listing reviewed for game-day policies.