Golden 1 Center Game Day Guide
Sacramento Kings · Sacramento, CA
Know Before You Go
Essential details checked against official venue information.
- Bag policy
Backpacks are prohibited, and other bags must not exceed 8 x 6 x 1 inches.
Applies to: Sacramento Kings games
- Medical bags must be searched and tagged by a security supervisor. Baby bags up to 16 x 16 x 8 inches, plastic bottles, and formula are permitted.
- Bag storage
Golden 1 Center directs guests to store prohibited bags and items elsewhere; otherwise they may be confiscated or discarded.
Applies to: Sacramento Kings games
- Gate opening
Golden 1 Center doors open 90 minutes before tipoff for Sacramento Kings games.
Applies to: Sacramento Kings games
- Mobile tickets
Use the Kings ClickTix account to view and manage mobile tickets, transfer tickets, and display the barcode for Golden 1 Center entry.
Applies to: Sacramento Kings games
- Transferred tickets arrive by email and must be accepted before use; some tickets are not eligible for transfer.
- Re-entry
Golden 1 Center normally prohibits re-entry, but guests with a personal emergency or a prohibited item to return must first arrange an exception with a Security Supervisor or Manager through Guest Services.
Applies to: Sacramento Kings games
- Prohibited items
Prohibited items include smoking products, weapons and knives, aerosols, bottles and cans, backpacks and oversized bags, coolers, outside food or drink except baby food or formula, laptops, radios, bats, drones, balloons, professional cameras, poles and selfie sticks, large signs, illegal substances, pepper spray, lasers, noisemakers, fireworks, and recording devices.
Applies to: Sacramento Kings games
- Cowbells are the only listed noisemaker exception for Kings games. Management may reject other items it considers dangerous.
- First aid
First Aid is on the Event Level beside the Security Office, Plaza Level across from Section 118, and Bridge Level across from Section 207.
Applies to: Sacramento Kings games
- Emergency Medical Technicians are on site for every event.
- Nursing and lactation
A Mamava breastfeeding pod is across from Section 211, and nursing is also available in the First Aid offices and Event Level club lounges.
Applies to: Sacramento Kings games
- The three public First Aid locations are beside Event Level Security, across from Plaza Section 118, and across from Bridge Section 207.
- Family restrooms
Family restrooms are on the Event Level in the three club lounges; Plaza Level at Sections 105, 114, 118, and 121; Loft Level outside L13 and L42; Suite Level outside S11 and S34; and Bridge Level at Sections 203 and 220.
Applies to: Sacramento Kings games
- Changing tables are in all women's restrooms and all family restrooms.
- Tickets for children
Children younger than 24 months are normally admitted free when seated on an adult's lap; every child 24 months or older needs a ticket.
Applies to: Sacramento Kings games
- Family shows may use a different age requirement.
- Guest services
Guest Services locations are across from Section 109 on the Plaza Level and Section 207 on the Bridge Level.
Applies to: Sacramento Kings games
- Ambassadors are also stationed at every arena entrance and can provide accessibility help, directions, and assistance with in-game concerns.
- Service animals
Individually trained service dogs are welcome when their work or tasks directly relate to the guest's disability; emotional-support and companion animals are not permitted.
Applies to: Sacramento Kings games
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking and tobacco use are prohibited inside Golden 1 Center and within 250 feet of the arena, including cigarettes, pipes, cigars, snuff, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, and vaporizers.
Applies to: Sacramento Kings games
- Guests who leave to smoke cannot re-enter.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Golden 1 Center, hour by hour.
Arrive at DOCO
Park in the DOCO garage or take light rail. Explore Downtown Commons, restaurants, bars, and retail.
Pregame dining
Eat at one of the DOCO restaurants, Echo & Rig, Punchbowl Social, or Iron Horse Tavern.
Doors open
Enter the arena to watch warm-ups. The open-air design lets in the California breeze on mild nights.
Find your seat
The arena fills with one of the NBA's most loyal fan bases. Light the beam!
Game time
The 'Light the Beam' tradition after wins has made Golden 1 Center one of the loudest arenas in the league. Total game time is about 2-2.5 hours.
Halftime break
The farm-to-fork concessions are worth exploring. Local craft beer options from Sacramento-area breweries.
Post-game scene
If the Kings win, stay for the beam ceremony! DOCO restaurants and bars stay open after the game.
Tips & Fan Reports
They have a cardboard cutout example of the allowed bag size at the entrance. Check the website before you go because they will make you go back to your car if your bag is too large.
Sacramento's farm-to-fork identity shines in the arena food. Try something local.
The arena has an open-air design, on mild nights, outdoor areas are open to the California air.
'Light the Beam' after wins is a must-see. Stick around after a Kings victory.
DOCO (Downtown Commons) plaza outside Golden 1 Center has restaurants and bars that stay open late postgame.
SacRT light rail to 7th & Capitol station drops you right at the arena. $2.50 each way.
Golden 1 Center sources 90% of its food from within 150 miles - the local food program is one of the best in sports.
Weather
Golden 1 Center 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 79°F, and the coldest is December, when the average low is 41°F. January is the wettest month at 3.9 inches and October the driest at 0.9 inches.
That December low ranks 22nd coldest of the 30 NBA venues, and January here ranks 17th wettest.
October
0.9 inchesDecember
3.5 inchesJanuary
3.9 inchesMarch
2.8 inchesApril
1.4 inchesSacramento Kings Clear Bag Policy
Most venues require a clear bag. Get an approved one before you travel.
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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: Golden 1 Center doors open 90 minutes before tipoff for Sacramento Kings games.
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Golden 1 Center FAQ, accessibility, parking, prohibited-items, and dining pages plus official Sacramento Kings support and app guidance reviewed for Kings game-day policies.