Paycom Center Game Day Guide
Oklahoma City Thunder · Oklahoma City, OK
Know Before You Go
Essential details checked against official venue information.
- Bag policy
Permitted bags must be smaller than 6 x 9 x 2 inches, including clear bags, and every bag is searched at entry.
Applies to: Oklahoma City Thunder games
- Items brought for autographs must also fit within 6 x 9 x 2 inches; full-size basketballs, binders, and unworn adult shoes do not meet the rule.
- Bag storage
Paycom Center does not store or safeguard rejected bags or other personal belongings.
Applies to: Oklahoma City Thunder games
- A guest must return a prohibited item to a vehicle or surrender it for confiscation.
- Gate opening
Arena doors are scheduled to open 90 minutes before each Thunder home game.
Applies to: Oklahoma City Thunder games
- Check the specific event page or call 405-602-8700 if an event notice changes the timing.
- Mobile tickets
Thunder tickets use mobile entry through a smartphone barcode in the Thunder app or online Account Manager; print-at-home PDF tickets have been discontinued.
Applies to: Oklahoma City Thunder games
- Apple users may add tickets to Apple Wallet. Android users should add tickets to Google Wallet because barcodes do not populate inside the Android Thunder app.
- Re-entry
Once a guest exits Paycom Center, re-entry is prohibited.
Applies to: Oklahoma City Thunder games
- Prohibited items
Prohibited items include weapons, mace and pepper spray, oversize bags or signs, professional cameras, recording equipment, tablets and laptops, outside food or drinks, lasers, fireworks, noisemakers, drones, hazardous materials, illegal substances, hard-sided containers, and non-medical mobility devices.
Applies to: Oklahoma City Thunder games
- Poles, selfie sticks, tripods, chains, wrapped gifts, balloons, beach balls, and frisbees are also prohibited. Management may reject other inappropriate items.
- First aid
First Aid is on the entry level across from Section 112.
Applies to: Oklahoma City Thunder games
- Notify the nearest staff member during a medical emergency. AEDs are distributed on arena levels near elevators.
- Nursing and lactation
A private mother's room next to First Aid at Section 112 is available to nursing parents.
Applies to: Oklahoma City Thunder games
- The room also provides a calm, quiet space for guests with sensory needs.
- Family restrooms
Paycom Center has 12 accessible unisex family restrooms with diaper-changing stations, with family restrooms available on every level.
Applies to: Oklahoma City Thunder games
- Tickets for children
Children age 2 or younger may enter a Thunder game without a ticket; guests age 3 or older need a game ticket.
Applies to: Oklahoma City Thunder games
- A child of any age needs a ticket to occupy a separate seat.
- Guest services
Four Guest Relations desks are near the main-concourse entrances, with additional desks at the club and suite-level entrances.
Applies to: Oklahoma City Thunder games
- Ask any staff member or visit a desk for arena information and assistance; courtesy phones are available at the desks near each entrance.
- Service animals
Trained guide dogs and service animals are permitted to assist guests inside Paycom Center.
Applies to: Oklahoma City Thunder games
- A service animal may pass through the detector with its handler, or both may use the marked ADA lane for wand or pat-down screening.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking is prohibited inside Paycom Center and on the surrounding city-owned grounds, including the use of e-cigarettes and vaporizers.
Applies to: Oklahoma City Thunder games
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Paycom Center, hour by hour.
Arrive in Bricktown
Park near the arena or in Bricktown. Explore the Bricktown canal, restaurants, and entertainment venues.
Pregame dining
Grab dinner at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar, Bricktown Brewery, or Cattlemen's Steakhouse. Oklahoma BBQ and onion burgers are the move.
Doors open
Enter the arena and explore the concourse. The Thunder team store is packed with blue and orange gear.
Find your seat
Settle in for the Thunder's electric intro, 'Thunderstruck' by AC/DC sets the tone. The arena fills early and loud.
Game time
Thunder games are LOUD. The fanbase is passionate and engaged from tip to buzzer. Loud City in the upper deck rivals any arena in the NBA. Total game time is about 2-2.5 hours.
Halftime break
Hit the concourse for an Oklahoma onion burger or BBQ brisket. Lines move fast at this arena.
Post-game scene
Walk to Bricktown for post-game bars and restaurants along the canal. OKC's downtown nightlife has grown significantly.
Tips & Fan Reports
Doors open 1.5 hours before tip. Get to the arena early and have your tickets pulled up on your phone. The fans are very respectful - just cheer for your team and don't be a jerk and you will have a great time.
Bricktown entertainment district (5 min walk) is OKC's premier pregame dining and nightlife area.
OKC is one of the most affordable NBA cities. You can do a full game-day experience for under $100.
Halftime lines move quickly. This is one of the more efficient arenas for concessions.
Free street parking is available after 6 PM. Arrive early to grab a meter spot.
OKC fans are LOUD. Bring earplugs if you're sensitive to noise. Loud City is no joke.
Paycom Center is one of the loudest arenas in the NBA. Thunder fans are consistently top-5 in crowd noise measurements.
Weather
Paycom 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 73°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 27°F. April is the wettest month at 3.6 inches and January the driest at 1.3 inches.
That January low ranks 11th coldest of the 30 NBA venues, and April here ranks 20th wettest.
October
3.3 inchesDecember
1.8 inchesJanuary
1.3 inchesMarch
2.5 inchesApril
3.6 inchesOklahoma City Thunder 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: Arena doors are scheduled to open 90 minutes before each Thunder home game.
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Paycom Center and Oklahoma City Thunder accessibility, security, ticketing, parking, and concessions guidance reviewed for Thunder policies.