Moda Center: Guide for Visiting Fans

The easiest call you'll make all trip is taking MAX. The Moda Center is served by the Blue, Green, Red, and Yellow MAX lines. The nearest MAX stations are Rose Quarter TC and Interstate/Rose Quarter — each about a 4-minute walk away. Coming from Portland International Airport (PDX), it couldn't be more direct: the MAX Light Rail has a station on the airport's lower level, and the Red Line takes riders from PDX to downtown in approximately 38 minutes. You'll stop at Rose Quarter TC on the way — total ride time from PDX to the arena is roughly 28–30 minutes. As of 2025, an adult ticket costs $2.80.

If you're driving, the Moda Center is accessible from I-5 and I-84, between N. Interstate Ave and N.E. Wheeler Ave. Take I-5 exit 302B (Rose Quarter) from either direction. Rideshare drop-off and pickup is best coordinated along Wheeler Ave and Multnomah Street — those are also the official taxi and limo zones per the venue.

There are four main garages on the Rose Quarter campus. The Annex Garage has 350 spaces, East Broadway Garage has 533 spaces with 11 EV chargers, Garden Garage has 1,038 spaces and is attached directly to the Moda Center's north end, and West Broadway Garage has 544 spaces. Prices vary but tend to range between $10 and $35 depending on the event; for a sold-out Blazers game, budget the upper end.

The Garden Garage is the most convenient — zero outdoor walking, attached directly to the building — but it's also the most popular and fills 60–90 minutes before tipoff on Blazers game nights, and post-event, this is the slowest garage to exit because all traffic funnels through one point onto Ramsay Way. The smart play is West Broadway: it offers the fastest post-event exit on campus, exiting directly onto Interstate Ave for a clean merge to I-5 North or South. Pre-buy your spot through Ticketmaster or SpotHero — on-site availability on sellout nights is not something you want to leave to chance.

The Lloyd District — directly across the Steel Bridge from the Rose Quarter — is your best base. It's a 15–20 minute walk or one MAX stop from the arena, substantially cheaper per night than the Pearl District or downtown, and has a solid cluster of national hotel brands. The Marriott Courtyard and Hampton Inn on NE Holladay are both solid mid-range options and are about 10 minutes by foot to the MAX platform.

If you don't mind paying more, downtown Portland (Old Town/Pearl District) puts you 10 minutes by MAX from the arena and gives you far more to do before and after the game — more restaurant and bar density, better late-night options. The Nines or Hotel Monaco are good splurge picks. Just understand that downtown Portland's street scene around certain blocks of Burnside can be rough; stay aware but don't overthink it.

Dr. Jack's is the obvious pregame anchor. Inspired by legendary Trail Blazers coach Jack Ramsay, Dr. Jack's is located just outside Moda Center's Southwest entrance and is the official pre- and post-game destination spot. It gets packed; arrive an hour before tipoff or plan to stand.

Schonely's Taproom is right inside the building. A tribute to beloved Blazers announcer Bill Schonely, this 240-seat brewpub opens at doors for Moda Center events, features 22 flat-screen TVs, two giant circular bars that open to the concourse, and is located on the West side of the 100-level concourse outside section 101.

The Garden Tavern, a short walk away on N. Williams, is a proper neighborhood sports bar — not a corporate event space. It broadcasts all Trail Blazers games on multiple big screens and carries NFL Sunday Ticket, MLS Season Pass, and more. Good for fans who want to watch the first half of an earlier game before walking over.

Spirit of '77 (NE Broadway, about a 10-minute walk) is a Portland sports bar institution with a retro arcade vibe, strong cocktails, and a local crowd that actually knows basketball. It's a better call than anything immediately adjacent to the arena if you want a quieter pre-game drink.

Don't show up with a backpack — it won't get in. Guests are permitted bags up to 10" x 6" x 2" in size, aligned with the NBA & WNBA Bag Policy. Medical and childcare exceptions are permitted and screened via X-ray; those bags cannot exceed 14" x 14" x 6". A small clutch or fanny pack that fits within those dimensions is your best friend. Bag check is available on a first-come-first-served basis for a fee.

Doors typically open between 90 minutes to 2 hours before event time. The arena is fully cashless — Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum are cash-free arenas, but Reverse ATMs that accept cash and issue pre-loaded debit cards are available on the 100 Level concourse at entries A-6 and A-21, and on the 300 Level at entry C33.

There's no dedicated "away section" in the NBA, so you can sit wherever your ticket lands you. If you're a group, try to cluster in the upper-level corners (300s) for ease and value rather than spreading across mid-level 200-level seats.

The dedicated ADA entrance is located on P3 in the Garden Garage on the north end of the Moda Center. The Rose Quarter campus has four parking garages, each with ADA accessible parking on most levels. Convenient drop-off and pick-up areas for guests, taxis, and limousines are located along Wheeler Ave and Multnomah Street.

Moda Center is a certified Sensory Inclusive Venue; staff have completed KultureCity training and offer sensory bags including noise-cancelling headphones, fidget toys, and feeling thermometers, which can be checked out with an ID or credit card. The Trail Blazers are also notable for their assistive technology: OneCourt haptic devices enable guests who are blind or low vision to feel live game action through tactile vibrations, with earbuds connecting to an audio feed — available on a first-come-first-served basis at information booths at A7, A23, and C33. Assisted listening devices are provided free of charge with valid ID from Guest Information Booths at entries A7 and A24; guests are encouraged to bring their own aux-compatible headphones.

There is no designated away section at Moda Center — it's the NBA, not the NFL, and fans sit wherever tickets land them. That said, the upper 300-level is genuinely underrated here. Views from the 300-level seats are still considered good, and you'll pay a fraction of lower bowl prices. Sections 301–308 (opposite the tunnel side) give you a clear sightline across the full court. If you're buying in the 200-level (club level), the corners — sections 207–210 and 218–221 — offer excellent angled views at reasonable prices.

Avoid the absolute sideline end-zones in the 100 level if you're on a tight budget; the angles get awkward and you'll be staring at one basket all night. For away fans who want to cluster together quietly without sitting near the most vocal home-fan sections, the upper northwest corner (305–307) tends to be populated by casuals and is as close to neutral territory as you'll find.

The Moda Center has a concessions lineup that prioritizes local vendors, including Portland pizza institution Sizzle Pie, Killer Burger, and poke options — alongside over 45 local brews on tap. Expect to pay around $14–17 for a craft beer and $12–16 for a meal item, which is standard NBA arena pricing. The arena is fully cashless, so make sure you've hit a Reverse ATM or have a card before you queue.

Portland Trail Blazers fans are passionate but not particularly hostile to visitors — this isn't a building where you'll get heckled for wearing the wrong jersey. The crowd tends to be loud and well-informed, which actually makes for a better game atmosphere than you get at a lot of NBA arenas where half the crowd is on their phones. One thing that only becomes clear once you're inside: the arena's saddle-shaped roof traps crowd noise exceptionally well for a building this old, so the 300 level during a playoff-adjacent late-season game can get genuinely loud in a way the architecture doesn't telegraph from outside. Rip City faithful show up. Expect a real basketball crowd, not a corporate hospitality vibe.

MAX: This is the right call. Services depart every 20 minutes, and the journey to the airport takes approximately 30 minutes — but post-game, TriMet runs extra trains and frequency increases. The Rose Quarter TC platform fills fast; get there within 5 minutes of the final buzzer and you'll board the first or second train out. If the game goes to overtime or you dawdle, expect a 20-minute platform wait.

Driving: Leave immediately after the final buzzer if you're in West Broadway Garage. West Broadway offers the fastest post-event exit on campus, exiting directly onto Interstate Ave for a clean merge to I-5. Expect 10–20 minutes from most garages after a sellout. Garden Garage drivers should budget 25–35 minutes just to clear the structure on a full house. From either, you'll be on a moving road (I-5 or I-84) within about 25–40 minutes of tip-off end.

Rideshare: Surge pricing kicks in immediately after the game. Walk two blocks east to NE Wheeler or north toward Broadway before requesting your car — you'll get better pickup times and cut 30–40% off the surge fare compared to requesting from the front plaza. Wait 20–25 minutes after the final whistle before requesting; by then the surge has partly subsided and driver supply catches up.

Opinionated tip: Take MAX. Seriously. You're in one of the best transit-accessible arenas in the NBA, the train is faster than your car after a Blazers sellout, and you'll save $30 on parking. There is no scenario where driving home from Moda Center is faster than the Red or Blue Line unless it's a Tuesday night with 11,000 people.

What MAX lines serve Moda Center?

The Blue, Green, Red, and Yellow MAX lines all serve the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter Transit Center stop, a 4-minute walk from the arena entrance.

How do I get to Moda Center from PDX airport?

Take the MAX Red Line from the station on PDX's lower level — it takes approximately 38 minutes to downtown , stopping at Rose Quarter TC en route, about 28–30 minutes total from the airport to the arena. Fare is $2.80 for adults as of 2025.

What is the Moda Center bag policy?

Bags must be no larger than 10" x 6" x 2". No backpacks. Medical and childcare bags are exceptions and are screened via X-ray; they cannot exceed 14" x 14" x 6".

How much does parking cost at Moda Center?

Prices vary but tend to range between $10 and $35 depending on the event and garage. Pre-purchasing is strongly recommended for Blazers game nights, especially for the attached Garden Garage which fills early.

Is Moda Center cashless? Yes. Moda Center is a cash-free arena. Reverse ATMs that convert cash to a pre-loaded debit card are available on the 100-level concourse at entries A-6 and A-21, and on the 300 Level at C33.

When do gates open for Trail Blazers games?

Doors typically open between 90 minutes to 2 hours before event time. Plan to arrive 60–75 minutes before tip if you want time for concessions without a rush.

What are the best seats for away fans? There is no designated away section in the NBA. Upper 300-level sections (301–308) offer solid sightlines at lower prices. For lower-bowl tickets, the corner sections (207–210, 218–221 in the 200-level) are the sweet spot for view and value.

Does Moda Center have sensory accommodations?

Yes — it is a certified Sensory Inclusive Venue; staff are KultureCity-trained and offer sensory bags including noise-cancelling headphones and fidget toys at Guest Services booths.