Nothing beats the excitement of catching live pro basketball. But the game is just one piece of the puzzle. There’s also a special game-day energy to soak up, in both the basketball arenas and their surrounding neighborhoods. Let’s discover what it’s like for fans to visit some amazing hoops cities across America.
As always, check for travel restrictions and closures before planning your trip.
Boston
At Boston’s TD Garden, avid shoppers buy basketball jerseys, caps, and other merchandise at the massive ProShop. You can also walk on the actual parquet floor on which the home team captured the championship in 2008.
While here, head upstairs to The Sports Museum to admire half a mile’s worth of historic Boston sports artifacts.
Charlotte, North Carolina
The Spectrum Center in Charlotte offers thrilling basketball action, and the area around the stadium has amazing pregame attractions.
Love auto racing? Visit the nearby NASCAR Hall of Fame, featuring heart-pumping racing simulators and tributes to icons like Richard Petty. Into science? Take the kids to Discovery Place Science, which has an aquarium and IMAX theater.
Chicago
Chicago‘s always-energized United Center‘s basketball championship heyday was the 1990s. And if you live for sports history, there’s plenty to check out in the Windy City beyond this 20,917-capacity basketball arena’s statues of Michael Jordan and Bobby Hull.
At the Chicago Sports Museum, interactive exhibits let you shoot free throws or test your vertical leap against legendary basketball players. The museum also includes exhibits on everything from game-used World Series equipment to a history of sports superstitions.
Las Vegas
Women’s pro basketball has taken off in Las Vegas, the city of the Aces. You can also enjoy NBA Summer League action at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Check out the on-campus Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art‘s colorful contemporary exhibitions (check for closures and rotating shows). And at the nearby Pinball Hall of Fame, play games at the world’s largest collection of pinball machines, sourced from the 1950s onward.
Within walking distance, sample close to 100 tasty dishes at The Modern Vegan, and enjoy some classic Italian American fare at Ferraro’s Ristorante.
Los Angeles
The Staples Center is home to a pro men’s basketball and women’s pro basketball team, and surrounded by downtown attractions. In the L.A. LIVE entertainment district, tour the GRAMMY Museum‘s interactive exhibits on an array of musical genres, recording technologies, and famous songs.
Alternatively, browse through more than 500,000 new and used books at The Last Bookstore.
Feeling peckish? Head to Sonoratown for some of the best tacos in the neighborhood on house-made flour tortillas, or visit Sushi Gen in nearby Little Tokyo.
Miami
In Miami, waterfront fun abounds near the city’s basketball arena. Fans of “Miami Vice” will love the 45-minute power catamaran tour with Thriller Miami Speed Boat Adventures. The tour features views of celebrity homes and South Beach’s art deco architecture.
Culture buffs will love Museum Park, which houses the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science and the Pérez Art Museum Miami.
For a quick pizza pie or slice and bottle of wine before or after a game, head to Eleventh Street Pizza, just minutes from the arena.
New York City
The Big Apple boasts two world-class basketball arenas, and the action never stops here.
Got courtside seats at Madison Square Garden? Go behind the scenes before the game with the 75-minute MSG All-Access Tour. Or walk up Eighth Avenue to Spyscape to solve espionage challenges and learn about real historic spy heroes and traitors.
In Brooklyn, the 2012-launched Barclays Center welcomes basketball fans. Entertainment options abound nearby.
At the Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club, food trucks and tropical drinks augment the old-school fun for a new age. At Union Hall, whose interior resembles a library, you can play bocce ball, enjoy live entertainment, and devour house-made mac and cheese.
Philadelphia
Basketball fans in the know at Philadelphia‘s Wells Fargo Center pack the top-floor, 23,000-square-foot standing-only lounge, The Assembly Room for games. This lively club has four fireplaces, locally themed cocktails, food ranging from tacos to wings, and artwork commemorating important moments in Philly history.
The nearby XFINITY Live! entertainment district features hot spots like Geno’s Steaks.
Want a breath of fresh air before the game? In the neighboring 348-acre FDR Park, check out ducks at Meadow Lake and skateboarders pulling tricks at the renowned skatepark.
San Francisco
The waterfront Chase Center, which debuted in 2019, is an ideal jumping-off point to San Francisco‘s buzzing Mission Bay neighborhood.
Visit the 1896-founded Anchor Brewing, the U.S.’s first modern craft brewery, for a pint of California Lager. Or grab a pregame bite at Moshi Moshi, a San Francisco mainstay since 1987. Its extensive selection of whiskey and sake complements the spicy salmon rolls and cold soba noodles.
If you scream for ice cream as well as three-pointers, the ultra-sweet and interactive Museum of Ice Cream is just a drive away.
Toronto
Toronto celebrated its first professional basketball championship in 2019, and you can always find ways to live it up around Scotiabank Arena.
Real Sports Bar and Grill (RS) boasts more than 200 TVs broadcasting games, a 100-tap bar and an extensive pub menu. For a 54th-floor panoramic view and Canadian fare like bison tartare or Baffin Island turbot, Canoe is the restaurant of choice.
Visit the Hockey Hall of Fame to check out the Stanley Cup and other iconic hockey artifacts. And adrenaline junkies can brave the EdgeWalk, a tethered, hands-free walk around the CN Tower, 1,168 feet off the ground.
Washington, D.C.
The Capital One Arena is the heartbeat of Washington, D.C.’s, Chinatown. The game-day experience here makes it well worth a road trip for basketball fans.
Find excellent duck soup and other classics at Chinatown Express, or spot some of your favorite sportswriters refueling on shepherd’s pie and Guinness at the cozy Irish Channel Restaurant & Pub.
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