American Airlines Center Game Day Guide
Dallas Mavericks · Dallas, TX
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Wristlets, wallets, and clutches up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches are allowed at all entrances; larger purses up to 14 x 14 x 6 inches must use a main X-ray entrance.
Backpacks and large totes are prohibited. Medical and diaper bags accompanying a small child must be under 14 x 14 x 6 inches and are inspected.
- Bag storage
American Airlines Center does not provide storage or a check area for oversized bags or luggage.
- Gate opening
Doors typically open 90 minutes before tipoff for Mavericks games.
Check the individual event page because opening times can change.
- Mobile tickets
All tickets are digital and must display the live Ticketmaster barcode in Account Manager, Apple Wallet, or Google Wallet; screenshots are not accepted.
Guests without a smartphone should bring their confirmation email and photo ID to the box office for assistance; no tickets are held at Will Call.
- Re-entry
Re-entry is not allowed; a Guest Services Supervisor at the door may approve an exception for a medical need.
- Prohibited items
The arena prohibits weapons and knives, outside alcohol or illegal drugs, outside food and drink, aerosols, drones, professional cameras and recording gear, hard containers and flasks, fireworks, lasers, coolers, noisemakers, backpacks, large totes, and other dangerous items.
A prohibited item must be returned to the vehicle or discarded; event-specific restrictions can change, so review the current official list.
- First aid
First Aid stations staffed by certified medical professionals are near Sections 111 and 313.
Contact the nearest arena employee for emergency assistance; AEDs are installed throughout the building.
- Nursing and lactation
A private nursing room is across from the Modelo Golden Lion Bar & Grill on the Plaza Level.
The locking room includes an ottoman, outlet, side table, and privacy curtain.
- Family restrooms
Gender-neutral family restrooms are beside the public restrooms in the corners of every concourse on all levels.
Baby-changing facilities are available in all public restrooms.
- Tickets for children
Children younger than 2 do not need a ticket for Mavericks games if they sit on an adult's lap and do not occupy a seat.
Children who have reached their second birthday need their own ticket and ticketed seat.
- Guest services
Guest Relations is across from Section 104 on the Plaza Concourse and Section 326 on the Terrace Level.
It opens one hour before each event and remains open until one hour afterward; during those hours call 214-665-4535 or use TellAAC.com for immediate assistance.
- Service animals
Task-trained service dogs and service animals in training are permitted; emotional-support and comfort animals are not.
Service animals must remain leashed or harnessed. The relief area is in Lot F.
- Smoking and vaping
The building is smoke-free and vape-free; smoking is limited to the Patron Tequileria Patio and ULTRA Club Patio.
Guests using those designated patios must be screened again before returning inside.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at American Airlines Center, hour by hour.
Arrive at Victory Park
Park in a Victory Park garage or take DART rail. Explore the shops and restaurants surrounding the arena.
Pregame dining
Eat at one of the Victory Park restaurants, Happiest Hour, Hero, or Meso Maya.
Doors open
Enter the arena to watch warm-ups. The Mavs team store is on the main concourse.
Find your seat
Settle in. The arena's sound system and video board are excellent.
Game time
Dallas fans are energized, especially for big matchups. Total game time is about 2-2.5 hours.
Halftime break
The brisket sandwich and Tex-Mex nachos are the must-try concession items.
Post-game scene
Victory Park bars stay open after games. Uptown Dallas is a 10-minute walk for more nightlife.
Tips & Fan Reports
Victory Park around AAC has become a full entertainment district - arrive 2 hours early to explore.
The arena shares with the Stars. Check for scheduling conflicts during hockey season.
DART Victory Station is a short walk from the arena. Skip the parking hassle.
Deep Ellum (2 miles east) is Dallas's live music district and a great postgame option.
DART Victory station is the easiest way in and out. It's right at the arena entrance.
Texas BBQ is available inside the arena, the brisket sandwich is worth the line.
No in-and-out, so anything you want has to come in with you on the first pass.
Lots open two hours before the event, not the four or five a stadium would give you.
There is no tailgate to plan here: grilling, open flames, food preparation and alcohol are all banned in every parking area, at any time.
F-Lot needs no pass at all and takes a card at the gate, which is the simplest option if nothing was booked.
Before the Game
Tailgating is not permitted at American Airlines Center, and the ban is unusually complete: grilling, open flames, food preparation and the consumption of alcoholic beverages are all prohibited in any parking area at any time. What is left is the logistics of arriving. The colour-coded lots and the Commons and Comerica garages open two hours before tip-off and close two hours after, with no in-and-out privileges and no overnight parking. If nothing was booked ahead, F-Lot needs no pass at all and takes a credit card at the gate, and the lot at 2601 Victory Avenue does the same.
Where to Go Before the Game
The colour-coded lots and garages
Inspiration Lot, Blue, Orange, Gold, Purple, Brown and Green parking, plus the Commons and Comerica garages. Additional lots open two hours before the event and stay open two hours after, with no in-and-out privileges once you are in.
Known for Open 2 hours before · No in-and-out · Colour-coded
The 2601 Victory Avenue lot
A lot on Victory Avenue that opens two hours before events for guests paying by credit card, so no pass has to be arranged in advance.
Known for Opens 2 hours before · Credit card at the gate
F-Lot
The lot that requires no parking pass for entry at all: you pay by credit card on arrival, which makes it the fallback when nothing was booked ahead.
Known for No pass needed · Pay on arrival · Card only
Pregame Rules
What American Airlines Center allows before the game, and what it does not.
- For the safety of all Center patrons and guests, grilling, open flames, food preparation and consumption of alcoholic beverages are not permitted in any parking area at any time.
- Additional parking lots open two hours prior to the start of each event and remain open two hours after the end of each event.
- Overnight parking and in-and-out privileges are not permitted.
- The lot at 2601 Victory Ave. opens two hours prior to events for credit card paying guests.
- F-Lot does not require a parking pass for entry, and can be paid for by credit card on arrival.
Weather
American Airlines 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 80°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 38°F. October is the wettest month at 4.8 inches and January the driest at 2.6 inches.
That January low ranks 20th coldest of the 30 NBA venues, and October here ranks 6th wettest.
October
4.8 inchesDecember
3.2 inchesJanuary
2.6 inchesMarch
3.5 inchesApril
3.1 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food and beverages, including bottles, cans, thermoses, and coolers, are prohibited.
- A card or a phone wallet
The arena is cashless at concessions, merchandise, and parking and accepts credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
- A layer for the walk in
January evenings average 38°F outside American Airlines Center.
- A rain layer for the walk in
October averages 4.8 inches of rain outside American Airlines Center.
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: Doors typically open 90 minutes before tipoff for Mavericks games.
- Pregame
American Airlines Center official site: Parking, and Arena FAQs/policies
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current American Airlines Center FAQ, accessibility, food-and-beverage, ticketing, and app pages reviewed for Dallas Mavericks game-day policies.