Colorado Avalanche
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
- Capacity
- 18,007
- Roof
- Indoor
- Surface
- Ice
- Opened
- 1999
- Tickets
- $45+
- Parking
- $35+
- Beer
- $13+
- Food
- $7+
- Est. total
- $100+
Against the other 31 NHL arenas, Ball Arena is the 26th cheapest game day: 24th for tickets, joint 27th for parking and joint 20th for food and drink, compared on market ticket medians and published lot and menu prices in US dollars. See the full ranking.
Prices are estimates. See our methodology.
What to Expect
Ball Arena sits on the western edge of downtown Denver, near Confluence Park where Cherry Creek meets the South Platte River. The Avs' pregame scene centers on LoDo (Lower Downtown), Wynkoop Street and Blake Street are packed with breweries and sports bars. Denver's craft beer scene is world-class, and pregame pints at a LoDo brewery are essential. The altitude (5,280 feet) hits visitors harder than they expect, hydrate aggressively. Games run 2-2.5 hours in regulation.
View Seating GuideTips & Fan Reports
Game Day
Expect it to take about 20 minutes to get through security, walk the arena, and find your seats. Ball Arena is pretty good at moving people through but plan accordingly for puck drop.
No open alcohol anywhere in the Toyota lots, which is the sharpest difference from an NFL tailgate.
Lots open three hours before the event and take cards, so there is no cash-at-the-gate step.
Parking & Directions
Park by Ball Arena early and walk over. Uber or Lyft after late games can be rough. If you are staying downtown you can walk but it is about 20-25 minutes. The RTD train is another option.
Approaching from the south, use exit 210B for Auraria Parkway, then 7th, 9th or 11th Street.
Use Ball Arena/Elitch Gardens light rail station.
Food & Drinks
Green chile is Colorado's answer to everything, but it is not a burger here: look for the Hatch green chili sausage at Colorado Social and the green chile chicken nachos and tacos at The Cantina, section 206.
Blue Moon is brewed in Golden, CO, 15 miles west. It's the local flagship and always fresh on tap.
Denver's altitude dehydrates you fast. Alternate beers with water, especially in the dry arena air.
Seating
Anywhere in the 300s is really chill and the views are great. You can not go wrong at Ball Arena. It is a great arena with a great team.
For hockey, the 200 level shows you more of the game than the glass does, at a fraction of the price.
The Select Health Club Level carries the Forget Me Not Lounge and Colorado Social, and is the building's main premium tier at 1,900 seats.
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Only clutches, wristlets, and fanny packs up to 4 x 6 x 1.5 inches are allowed; purses and backpacks are prohibited.
Medical and diaper bags up to 14 x 14 x 6 inches are allowed after X-ray screening at VIP/ADA Door 1 in the Grand or East Atrium.
- Gate opening
Doors generally open one hour before the game.
Confirm the game-specific opening time with Guest Relations at 303-405-8548.
- Venue payments
Concessions, suites, and premium locations are primarily cashless and accept debit and credit cards.
A limited number of locations accept cash; ask Guest Relations for the current list.
- Re-entry
Ball Arena does not permit re-entry after a guest exits.
Guides for Ball Arena
- Game Day Guide
7 steps from arrival to puck drop, and 22 venue rules checked against official sources. Where the tailgate happens, the lot rules, and what to bring.
- Parking & Directions
3 lots and garages with distances and entry routes, from $35. Or leave the car: the cheapest way in is RTD Bus / Free MallRide.
- Food & Drinks
31 concession stands and 119 items researched from the venue's own menus, cheapest food $7 and drink $6.
- Seating Guide
6 seating areas at Ball Arena, with the level names printed on the ticket.
- Cost Calculator
Build a total for your own party using Ball Arena's stored figures.
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.
- Venue facts
Wikipedia / Official Venue Page
- Parking prices
Ball Arena Parking & Directions: for Nuggets and Avalanche games the 4Runner and Elitch's lots are $35, the Tundra $40 and the RAV4 premier lot $70, all by credit card; cash only at the Tundra with a $5 card discount; lots open 3 hours before. The $25 on the page is the Mammoth lacrosse rate. Off-site lots are unpriced by the venue. RTD 3-hour pass $2.75 from rtd-denver.com/fares-passes/fares.
- Venue policies
Current Ball Arena policy, accessibility, bag, prohibited-items, food-and-beverage, and parking pages reviewed for Colorado Avalanche game-day policies.
Not yet checked against a published source
These figures are estimates. Most venues no longer publish the numbers behind them (concession and ticket pricing moved to dynamic marketplaces), so we hold them as estimates rather than dating them as verified.
- Ticket prices: Secondary market averages (SeatGeek/StubHub)
- Food prices: Team Marketing Report FCI + venue research
- Drink prices: Team Marketing Report FCI + venue research