United Center Game Day Guide
Chicago Blackhawks · Chicago, IL
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
A small purse or personal bag up to 10 x 6 x 2 inches is permitted; backpacks and other bags are not.
Required medical equipment and qualifying medical bags are exceptions after screening.
- Bag storage
Binbox lockers and bag-check service are in the Uber Zone near Madison Street and Wood Street.
Binbox is the arena's only approved storage option for bags inside or outside United Center.
- Gate opening
Doors for Blackhawks games normally open 90 minutes before the event start time.
Check the event page for the specific opening time.
- Mobile tickets
Mobile tickets are required for Blackhawks entry; printed PDFs and screenshots are not accepted.
Use the Blackhawks app, Account Manager, or Ticketmaster and add the ticket to a phone wallet before arrival.
- Re-entry
Re-entry is prohibited during all United Center events.
- Prohibited items
United Center prohibits weapons, explosives, pepper spray, drones, laser devices, noisemakers, detachable-lens cameras, GoPros, laptops and tablets, outside food or drink, poles, projectiles, selfie sticks, umbrellas, and other listed items.
AI-enabled recording glasses and most bags are also prohibited; event-specific restrictions may be added.
- First aid
First Aid stations staffed by registered nurses are across from Sections 115 and 116 on the 100 Level and Sections 327 and 328 on the 300 Level.
- Nursing and lactation
A private nursing room is near Sections 112 and 113 at Gate 7.
Visit the Guest Relations booth at Gate 6 to request the keypad access code.
- Family restrooms
Family restrooms are inside First Aid across from Sections 115 and 116 and at the top of Sections 303 and 304.
- Tickets for children
Children under 36 inches tall do not need a Blackhawks ticket but must remain on an adult's lap, with one child per lap.
- Guest services
Guest Relations booths are at Gates 2 and 6, Section 221, and Section 325.
- Service animals
Certified service animals and service animals in training for guests with disabilities are permitted.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking of any type is prohibited inside the arena and across the United Center campus.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at United Center, hour by hour.
Pregame in the West Loop
Head to Randolph Street or Fulton Market for pregame dinner. The West Loop is Chicago's premier restaurant district and just a quick rideshare to the arena.
Arrive at the United Center
Park in the arena lots and walk the grounds. The Michael Jordan statue and Stan Mikita statue greet you at the main entrance.
Doors open
Enter the arena and watch warm-ups. The Blackhawks' pre-game production and anthem tradition are legendary. Don't miss them.
The anthem
Settle into your seat early. The roar during the national anthem at the United Center is one of the iconic traditions in all of hockey.
Game time
Three 20-minute periods with two intermissions. The building gets loud, 19,700 strong. Chelsea Dagger blasts after every Blackhawks goal.
Hit the concourse
Grab an Italian beef or a Goose Island IPA. Concourse is wide with plenty of food options at every level.
Head east
The lots clear out within 30-45 minutes. Rideshare to the West Loop for a nightcap or hop on Madison Street toward downtown.
Tips & Fan Reports
Walk around the 100 level and check stuff out. The Blackhawks Foundation often has a table with special merch and auction items including $30 mystery pucks. The new atrium has cool memorabilia too.
The national anthem at the United Center is a legendary experience. Fans roar through the entire song. Arrive in your seat for it.
The United Center is in a primarily residential/industrial area, pregame and postgame dining is better in the West Loop.
Chelsea Dagger (by the Fratellis) plays after every Blackhawks goal. Learn it, sing it, wave your arms. It's non-negotiable.
The national anthem at the United Center is a legendary experience. Arrive early and stand for the full crowd roar.
West Loop restaurants (10-15 min walk east) are dramatically better than arena food. Au Cheval, Girl & the Goat, and dozens more.
Club seat members can be inside two hours early via Gate 7, which is the only published early-entry route.
The bag policy is a total ban, not a size limit. Purses, small clutches and even handheld wallets are all refused, with exceptions only for medical bags and for diaper bags when an infant is present.
No tailgating policy is published for the lots, and there is no designated tailgate area.
Coming off I-90, the Madison Street exit and a right turn is the arena's own directions.
Before the Game
Arriving for a Blackhawks game at 1901 W. Madison Street, the rule that will actually change what you carry is the bag ban: the United Center permits no bags at all, including purses, small clutches and handheld wallets, with exceptions only for medically-required bags and for diaper bags up to 14 by 14 by 6 when an infant is present. The arena publishes no tailgating policy for its lots, and Lots C and K are club seat member parking. If you hold a club seat, Gate 7 gets you in before the general gates and the Stadium Club on the Lexus Club Level opens two hours before puck drop.
Where to Go Before the Game
1901 W. Madison Street
The arena's address and the road everything routes off: from I-90 the approach is east to the Madison Street exit, then right onto Madison.
Known for Arena address · Madison Street exit off I-90
Lots C and K
The parking lots serving club seat members, named on the arena's own suite and parking maps. Premium seating includes reserved parking as part of the package.
Known for Club seat parking · Reserved
Gate 7 and the Stadium Club
The Stadium Club on the Lexus Club Level opens two hours before every Bulls or Blackhawks game, and club seat members arriving before the general gates open get in through Gate 7.
Known for Opens 2 hours before · Early entry via Gate 7 · Club level
Pregame Rules
What United Center allows before the game, and what it does not.
- The United Center is at 1901 W. Madison Street, Chicago, IL 60612. From I-90, take I-90 East to the Madison Street exit and turn right onto Madison Street.
- Parking for club seat members is in Lots C and K, and premium seating includes reserved parking.
- The Stadium Club on the Lexus Club Level opens two hours prior to the start of each Blackhawks or Bulls game.
- Club seat members arriving before the gates open can access the Stadium Club through Gate 7.
- No bags are allowed, including purses, small clutches and handheld wallets. Limited exceptions apply for medically-required bags and for diaper bags no larger than 14x14x6 when an infant is present.
- Under the Chicago Clean Indoor Act of 2005, smoking of any kind is prohibited anywhere in the United Center.
- The arena publishes no tailgating policy for its parking lots.
Weather
United Center 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 63°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 19°F. April is the wettest month at 3.6 inches and January the driest at 1.5 inches.
That January low ranks 7th coldest of the 32 NHL venues, and April here ranks 19th wettest.
October
3.5 inchesNovember
2.4 inchesJanuary
1.5 inchesMarch
1.9 inchesApril
3.6 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food and beverages are not permitted inside United Center.
- A card or a phone wallet
Food, beverage, and merchandise purchases are cashless; accepted methods include credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
- A coat for the walk in
January lows average 19°F between the lot and the door at United Center.
- A poncho for the walk in, not an umbrella
Umbrellas are on United Center's prohibited list, and April averages 3.6 inches of rain.
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 for Blackhawks games normally open 90 minutes before the event start time.
- Pregame
United Center official site: Directions & Parking, Frequently Asked Questions, and Venue Information
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current United Center FAQ, accessibility, and parking pages plus the Blackhawks mobile-ticket guide reviewed for Chicago Blackhawks game-day policies.