Amerant Bank Arena Game Day Guide
Florida Panthers · Sunrise, FL
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Only small clutches measuring 4 x 6 x 1.5 inches or less are permitted; purses, backpacks, cinch bags, and sling bags are prohibited.
Applies to: Florida Panthers games
- Diaper bags, breast-pump bags, and medically necessary bags are exceptions and receive visual and X-ray screening.
- Bag storage
Bag lockers are available outside the main entrance at the bottom of the Publix Plaza stairs.
Applies to: Florida Panthers games
- Guest Services does not check or hold rejected items other than strollers.
- Gate opening
Doors open 60 minutes before regular-season Panthers home games.
Applies to: Florida Panthers regular-season home games
- Mobile tickets
Amerant Bank Arena is mobile-only; display tickets in the Panthers GameDay app or the smartphone wallet because screenshots and printouts are not accepted.
Applies to: Florida Panthers games
- Download tickets before arrival; guests whose phone is unavailable should visit the Box Office with valid identification matching the account.
- Re-entry
All exits are final and re-entry is not allowed except for an emergency arranged with an Event Supervisor or Guest Services near the North Box Office.
Applies to: Florida Panthers games
- Prohibited items
Prohibited items include weapons and defensive sprays, chains or spikes, fireworks, lasers and noisemakers, professional or recording equipment, laptops, wrapped gifts and balloons, large signs or signs with posts, bottles, cans, coolers, hockey sticks, and non-service animals.
Applies to: Florida Panthers games
- Guests pass through metal detectors, may receive secondary screening, and must submit permitted bags for search.
- First aid
First Aid stations are on the Plaza Level outside Section 119 and the Upper Level outside Section 320.
Applies to: Florida Panthers games
- Notify the nearest usher or Event Staff member when medical assistance is needed.
- Nursing and lactation
The Spectra Baby Lactation Lounge is at Section 310.
Applies to: Florida Panthers games
- Nursing is also available in family restrooms, First Aid, or with help from Guest Services on arrival.
- Family restrooms
Family restrooms are located at Sections 109 and 310.
Applies to: Florida Panthers games
- All public restrooms are accessible and equipped with baby-changing stations.
- Tickets for children
Children younger than 2 may enter without a ticket when sitting on a ticket-bearing parent or guardian's lap.
Applies to: Florida Panthers games
- Children age 2 and older need tickets; child-focused events may use different rules.
- Guest services
Guest Services is next to the Box Office inside the North BMW Entrance Lobby.
Applies to: Florida Panthers games
- To report unruly behavior during an event, text RED to 954-737-FANS with the issue and location.
- Service animals
Trained service animals and service animals in training are permitted and generally must remain leashed or harnessed.
Applies to: Florida Panthers games
- The animal must rest within the owner's seating area rather than an aisle and cannot occupy an additional seat unless that seat has a ticket.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking, tobacco use, vaping, e-cigarettes, and other electronic smoking devices are prohibited throughout the arena and its outdoor spaces.
Applies to: Florida Panthers games
- Guests cannot leave to smoke and then re-enter.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Amerant Bank Arena, hour by hour.
Shop at Sawgrass Mills
The massive outlet mall is walking distance from the arena. Kill time before the game with some retail therapy.
Pregame at the War Memorial
The Panthers' outdoor fan zone opens before home games with live music, food vendors, and the Stanley Cup championship banner display.
Doors open
Enter Amerant Bank Arena and catch warm-ups. The arena has been renovated and upgraded since the Cup win.
Find your seat
The arena fills faster since the championship. Settle in for the pregame light show and video presentation.
Game time
Three 20-minute periods with two intermissions. Panthers fans have found their voice, the arena gets LOUD for big games.
Grab a Cuban sandwich
South Florida's influence shows in the food options. Cuban sandwiches and fish tacos alongside standard arena fare.
Head to Las Olas or the beach
Drive east to Fort Lauderdale's Las Olas Boulevard or the beach for post-game nightlife, 20-25 minutes.
Tips & Fan Reports
The arena got a huge energy boost after the 2024 Stanley Cup win. Games are louder than they've been in decades.
You need a car to get to Amerant Bank Arena. There's no meaningful public transit to Sunrise.
The arena is in a suburban commercial district, pregame dining options are chain restaurants near Sawgrass Mills.
South Florida heat means the arena's AC is aggressive. Bring a light layer even in summer.
Sawgrass Mills mall across the street has restaurants and a food court for budget pregame options.
Club parking requires staying centre on Panther Parkway past Gate 7 before merging left for Gate 6.
Bag lockers sit at the bottom of the Publix Plaza stairs outside the main entrance, so a refused bag is not a trip back to the car.
A 4 by 6 inch clutch is the whole allowance — and unlike some arenas, there is no larger clear-bag alternative.
Baby bags and formula are admitted but are searched and tagged on the way in.
Before the Game
Amerant Bank Arena runs a no-bag policy: no bags, purses or backpacks, with only small clutches of 4 by 6 inches and under admitted. Slightly larger bags required for prescribed medical reasons are permitted, and baby bags, plastic bottles, formula and baby food come in after a search and are tagged on arrival. Anything else goes into the bag lockers outside the main entrance at the bottom of the Publix Plaza stairs. The arena is at 1 Panther Parkway in Sunrise, a mile north of Sunrise Boulevard, and doors open 60 to 90 minutes before puck drop.
Where to Go Before the Game
1 Panther Parkway
The arena's address in Sunrise, one mile north of Sunrise Boulevard on the left — the road every approach ends on.
Known for Arena address · A mile north of Sunrise Blvd
Gate 6, for club parking
Club parking means staying in the centre lanes of Panther Parkway until past Gate 7, then merging left and entering at Gate 6. What you get varies with the tickets you hold.
Known for Club parking entry · Past Gate 7, merge left · Varies by ticket
Bag lockers at the Publix Plaza stairs
Outside the main entrance at the bottom of the Publix Plaza stairs, and the only option for anything larger than a 4 by 6 inch clutch.
Known for Outside the main entrance · Bottom of the Publix Plaza stairs · For refused bags
Pregame Rules
What Amerant Bank Arena allows before the game, and what it does not.
- No bags, purses or backpacks are permitted. Only small clutches 4" x 6" and under are allowed inside.
- Bags slightly larger than 4" x 6" required for prescribed medical reasons are permitted.
- Baby bags, plastic bottles, formula and baby food are permitted into the building, subject to a bag search, and are tagged on arrival.
- Bag lockers are available outside the main entrance at the bottom of the Publix Plaza stairs.
- The arena is at 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise, FL 33323, one mile north of Sunrise Boulevard on the left.
- For club parking, stay in the centre lanes on Panther Parkway until past Gate 7, then merge into the left lanes and enter through Gate 6. Parking varies based on the tickets owned.
- Doors open 60 to 90 minutes prior to puck drop for hockey games, and 60 to 90 minutes prior to the ticketed show time for concerts.
Weather
Amerant Bank 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 86°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 58°F. October is the wettest month at 7.3 inches and January the driest at 2.9 inches.
That January low ranks 32nd coldest of the 32 NHL venues, and October here ranks 1st wettest.
October
7.3 inchesNovember
4.7 inchesJanuary
2.9 inchesMarch
3.0 inchesApril
3.7 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but each guest may bring one sealed plastic water bottle.
- A card or a phone wallet
Amerant Bank Arena is completely cashless; food, beverage, and merchandise purchases require a card or digital payment.
- A rain layer for the walk in
October averages 7.3 inches of rain outside Amerant Bank Arena.
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 open 60 minutes before regular-season Panthers home games.
- Pregame
Amerant Bank Arena official site: Directions & Parking, A-Z Guide, Fan Safety Guidelines, and FAQs
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Amerant Bank Arena and Florida Panthers accessibility, arena-guide, ticketing, parking, and concessions pages reviewed for Panthers policies.