American Airlines Center
Dallas, TX · Pro Basketball+Hockey
Founding membership for Mavs & Stars fans. Free, verified, permanent.
- Member cap
- 19,200
- Cost to join
- Free
- Verification
- Email + Phone
- Status
- Open
— verified members.
Venue encyclopedia
Independent, no paid placements
What attending a pro basketball+hockey game at the Dallas, TX venue is actually like: seating, arrival, weather, food, and the seats we'd point a friend toward (or away from).
- Opened
- 2001
- Capacity
- 19,200
- Roof
- Indoor / climate-controlled
- Orientation
- Indoor, climate-controlled multipurpose arena. It reconfigures between a wider basketball court for the Mavericks (NBA) and a longer ice sheet for the Stars (NHL), so the lower-bowl footprint and the closest rows shift with the sport. A classic three-tier bowl: lower bowl, a club/suite ring, and the upper bowl, with center-hung video board over the floor.
Neighborhood
In Victory Park just north of downtown Dallas, a planned entertainment district built around the arena. The plazas, bars, and restaurants of Victory Park sit right outside the doors, and downtown is a short trip south. This is a downtown-adjacent arena with its own walkable district, not an isolated suburban box surrounded only by parking.
What it feels like
A modern, comfortable arena that does double duty for two pro teams, so the vibe changes with the season: a fast, high-scoring Mavericks basketball crowd in one configuration and a loud, physical Stars hockey crowd in the other. The Victory Park district outside means game day starts and ends with food and drinks steps from the gates. The bowl is steep enough to keep sightlines tight, and the entertainment-district setting makes it easy to fold a game into a full downtown night.
Seating tiers
Lower bowl (100s)
Rows 1-20Closest to the floor or the ice, wrapping the full bowl. Premium pricing, most expensive at center court and center ice; the exact closest rows shift between basketball and hockey configurations.
Club / suite level (200s)
Mid-level ring with wider seats, indoor club access, and shorter concession lines.
Upper bowl (300s)
Rows 1-20Steep and honest with clean sightlines to the whole floor or ice. The best value in the building; center sections up here beat the corners.
Sections we'd pick
- Lower bowl along the sideline (basketball) or along the blue lines (hockey) for a close, straight-in view without top-tier pricing
- Upper bowl center, behind a basket or behind the net, for the best price-to-sightline ratio in the arena
- Club level near center for wider seats, indoor access, and a strong mid-height view
Sections we'd skip
- Lower-bowl corners behind the basket or in the end zone, where the angle across the floor or ice flattens
- The last rows of the upper bowl in the corners, the farthest and highest seats in the building
Arrival
- Primary route
- I-35E (Stemmons Freeway) and the Woodall Rodgers Freeway feed Victory Park from downtown Dallas; Victory Avenue and Houston Street reach the arena and its garages.
- Rail / transit
- DART light rail serves the Victory station right at the arena, connecting to downtown Dallas and the wider DART system. Transit is a genuine option and skips the post-game garage backup.
- Rideshare
- Designated drop-off and pickup zones around the Victory Park plazas. Walking a block or two into the district after the game trims the surge and the immediate gate crush.
- Parking
- 8,000 spots across 15 lots , median $25 . Prepay recommended.
- Walk to gates
- ~7 minutes (median)
- Notes
- Victory Park garages and surrounding surface lots serve the arena; pre-pay through the usual apps for the closest decks on marquee dates. The DART Victory station is the easy alternative when garages fill.
Weather and timing
Roof
Indoor
Indoor and climate-controlled, so it plays the same in a Texas August or a January cold snap. Comfortable year-round regardless of what the weather is doing outside.
Food inside
Texas arena fare leads: brisket and smoked-meat barbecue, loaded nachos, Tex-Mex options, and a broad local and Texas craft-beer list. The barbecue and brisket-nacho stands are the local-flavor picks alongside the usual arena staples.
Food and pre-game outside
Victory Park's bars and restaurants are steps from the gates for pre-game and post-game, and the wider downtown Dallas dining scene is a short DART ride or drive south. The district is built for exactly this, so you rarely need to leave the immediate area.
Accessibility
ADA seating with companion seats on every level and accessible routes from all gates. Accessible parking in the Victory Park garages near the elevators; the DART Victory light-rail station and platforms are accessible. Sensory resources are available through guest services.
Worth knowing before you go
- Take DART to the Victory station to skip the post-game garage backup entirely.
- The bowl reconfigures between Mavericks basketball and Stars hockey, so double-check your section's view for the specific event.
- Bag policy is limited; check the current policy on the team site before you go.
- Cashless throughout the venue.
What Mavs & Stars fans get
- A permanent member number that reflects when you joined. The lower the number, the higher your standing — forever.
- Priority access to seat opportunities at American Airlines Center. Seniority determines order. No luck involved.
- First look at every new perk, partner offer, and member event — founding members always hear before anyone else.
- Founding Member status. This tier closes when the roster fills at 19,200. It doesn't reopen.
Mavs & Stars fans: your spot is waiting.
Free founding membership. Verified by email and phone. Your member number is permanent — the earlier you join, the higher your standing. One Pro Basketball+Hockey membership per fan.
Claim my founding spot →Free forever · Verified members only · One per sport