American Airlines Center area

Planning a visit to the Victory Park arena district

American Airlines Center sits on the northwest edge of downtown Dallas, in a district built up around the arena itself. That layout shapes the whole night. Instead of a stadium surrounded by surface lots, you get a compact mix of plazas, restaurants, apartment towers and garages. Plenty of people arrive early, eat nearby and walk in. Besides the Mavericks, the building is also home to the Dallas Stars, so the event calendar is busy through much of the year.

Getting there

Public transit is often the least stressful option on big nights. DART light rail serves Victory Station, right next to the arena, and Trinity Railway Express trains also stop there. Before you go, check DART's current service and any special-event schedules, since frequencies and routes can change. Drivers will find garages and lots around Victory Park and the surrounding blocks. Rates and availability vary by event, and many operators let you reserve a space online ahead of time, which is worth doing for sellouts.

Timing your arrival

• Come early for tip-off: security screening and crowds near the main plaza can slow entry, especially within 30 minutes of start time.
• Check the venue's bag policy: major arenas usually limit bag size, so read the official rules before you leave home.
• Plan your exit: garages and trains get crowded right after the final horn. Staying a little longer for food or a drink nearby can save you time in traffic.
• Watch for overlapping events: downtown can have several large events on the same evening, and that affects roads and parking.

For Fuel fans

On nights when a big AAC event lines up with a Fuel game elsewhere in the metro, leave extra time for traffic on the downtown highways, including I-35E and the Woodall Rodgers Freeway. Keep an eye on our schedule for tip-off times. You can also browse the other venue guides to compare how each location handles parking and transit.