Ball Arena Game Day Guide
Colorado Avalanche · Denver, CO
Know Before You Go
Essential details checked against official venue information.
- Bag policy
Only clutches, wristlets, and fanny packs up to 4 x 6 x 1.5 inches are allowed; purses and backpacks are prohibited.
Applies to: Colorado Avalanche games
- 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.
- Bag storage
Paid Binbox lockers are near the Infinity Sculpture and Spires on the Grand Atrium Plaza, with prices starting at $12 per bag.
Applies to: Colorado Avalanche games
- Lockers open 30 minutes before general doors, accept cards and mobile payments but not cash, and close one hour after the event. Stored bags cannot be accessed during the game because re-entry is prohibited.
- Gate opening
Doors generally open one hour before the game.
Applies to: Colorado Avalanche games
- Confirm the game-specific opening time with Guest Relations at 303-405-8548.
- Mobile tickets
All event tickets and parking passes are digital and should be added to a mobile wallet before arrival.
Applies to: Colorado Avalanche games
- There is no in-person ticket purchasing at Ball Arena; tickets are purchased online and delivered electronically.
- Re-entry
Ball Arena does not permit re-entry after a guest exits.
Applies to: Colorado Avalanche games
- Prohibited items
The arena prohibits weapons and self-defense items, outside alcohol, drugs, cans and glass, hard coolers, drones, fireworks, large or pointed umbrellas, lasers, noisemakers, laptops, professional camera equipment, recording gear, selfie sticks, and oversized bags.
Applies to: Colorado Avalanche games
- Empty non-glass bottles up to 32 ounces, iPads, GoPros, cowbells, and official Altitude Authentics team flags are permitted for Avalanche games. Check the current official list because event restrictions can change.
- First aid
The staffed First Aid Station is on the Lower Level across from Section 132, and paramedics patrol during events.
Applies to: Colorado Avalanche games
- Ask any arena staff member for medical assistance.
- Nursing and lactation
UCHealth Nursing Suites are near Section 132 and on the Upper Level at Section 348; the Section 132 suite is wheelchair accessible.
Applies to: Colorado Avalanche games
- The suites include a fold-down table, benches, and outlets. Guests may also nurse at First Aid if both suites are occupied.
- Family restrooms
Accessible all-gender and family restrooms are available in the arena.
Applies to: Colorado Avalanche games
- Baby-changing stations are installed in all men's, women's, family, and all-gender restrooms.
- Tickets for children
Children age 3 and older need a ticket for Avalanche games; younger children may sit on a ticketed guest's lap.
Applies to: Colorado Avalanche games
- Guest services
Guest Relations kiosks are in the Grand Atrium lobby and near Sections 120 and 375.
Applies to: Colorado Avalanche games
- Call 303-405-8548, email GuestRelations@TeamKSE.com, or text 920-520-2255 with your seat location and issue during an event.
- Service animals
Service animals assisting guests with disabilities are permitted and must remain leashed or harnessed in the guest's seating area.
Applies to: Colorado Avalanche games
- Visit the Grand Atrium for directions to the animal relief exit and re-entry route; other animals are prohibited.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking and vaping are prohibited, and there are no smoking areas available during events.
Applies to: Colorado Avalanche games
- Guests who leave to smoke cannot re-enter; city rules also prohibit smoking within 30 feet of entry doors.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Ball Arena, hour by hour.
LoDo pregame
Start at a brewery on Wynkoop Street or Blake Street. Denver has more craft breweries per capita than almost any city in America.
Walk to the arena
It's about a 15-minute walk from LoDo through Confluence Park to Ball Arena. The mountain views along the way are stunning.
Doors open
Enter Ball Arena and watch warm-ups. The Avs play a speed-focused game, warm-ups showcase their elite skating.
Find your seat
Settle in for the pregame video and introductions. The crowd builds steadily, Denver fans arrive early.
Game time
Three 20-minute periods. The Avs play one of the fastest styles in the NHL. Expect high-energy shifts and speed through the neutral zone.
Hit the concourse
Grab a green chile cheeseburger or a Blue Moon (brewed in Golden, just west of Denver). The concourse has solid food variety.
Back to LoDo
Walk back to LoDo for post-game drinks or catch the light rail from the Pepsi Center station. The bars on Blake Street stay open late.
Tips & Fan Reports
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.
Denver's altitude (5,280 feet) is real. Drink water, go easy on alcohol, and don't be surprised if you're winded on the stairs.
Ball Arena is at 5,280 feet elevation. Hydrate, especially if you've been drinking at altitude.
The Platte River trail connects the arena to downtown - a nice walk on Colorado's 300+ sunny days per year.
The walk from LoDo to the arena is one of the most scenic pregame walks in the NHL. Take Confluence Park.
LoHi neighborhood (10 min walk from Ball Arena) has some of Denver's best restaurants for pregame.
Ball Arena allows clear bags only, 14" x 14" x 6" or smaller.
Weather
Ball Arena is indoor, so these are the conditions for the parking lot and the walk in, not the seats.
Across the NHL season the warmest month is October, with an average high of 68°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 21°F. April is the wettest month at 2.0 inches and January the driest at 0.4 inches.
That January low ranks 11th coldest of the 32 NHL venues, and April here ranks 28th wettest.
October
1.2 inchesNovember
0.8 inchesJanuary
0.4 inchesMarch
1.1 inchesApril
2.0 inchesColorado Avalanche 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: Doors generally open one hour before the game.
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Ball Arena policy, accessibility, bag, prohibited-items, food-and-beverage, and parking pages reviewed for Colorado Avalanche game-day policies.