The Carolina Panthers have started to make themselves worth seeing in person once again. Dave Canales, Dan Morgan, and the rest of the front office have the team moving in the right direction, and the games have been enjoyable to watch. You might find yourself thinking that it’s high time you made it back out to Bank of America Stadium, or maybe even pay it a visit for the first time.
The stadium is situated right in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, which has its pros and cons. On the one hand, there are all sorts of things to do within walking distance of the stadium as part of your game-day experience. On the other hand, parking is not exactly the easiest thing to do.
If you’re new to attending a Panthers game, visiting Charlotte, or if you’re just looking to change up your game-day routine, this post is for you. There is so much to do and see and eat in Charlotte that we won’t be able to get to everything, but hopefully this at least gets you started.
Places to stay in Charlotte
The best places to stay depend on how you’re trying to experience the city and what kind of temporary living accommodations you want. If a hotels are your thing, you’ll find that most of them are concentrated in the middle of the city, the airport, and Southpark while several smaller options sit along the highways. Uptown options tend to be a bit more high-end but are very convenient for actually getting to the game and partaking in the other activities that area has to offer. You’ll be within walking distance of lots of bars and restaurants for non-game activities and also within walking distance of the stadium, which is a plus given how difficult transit can sometimes be.
If you want to get out of the hustle and bustle of the inner city but are still looking for a higher-end place to stay, Southpark has some great options. There are a few hotels in the area which are all very close to swanky restaurants and Southpark mall. If you’re looking for a more budget option, there are hotels in the University area in the north and Carolina Place Mall area in the south that are just a short drive or rideshare rides away from park and ride lots for the light rail into Uptown (more on that in the parking section).
There aren’t a lot of hotel options in the other more walkable areas of Charlotte. If you do have access to a vehicle, hotels and rental houses in the Ballantyne area put you in the safest part of the city while surrounded by all sorts of retail space if you’re into shopping or eating. You’ll generally find that most of the south to southeastern part of the city is the quietest part of town if you’re looking for a more laid-back experience with a more routine day-to-day.
Things to do in Charlotte
If you’re making a Panthers game part of a more extended stay in Charlotte, there are plenty of other things to do to keep you busy when you’re not screaming your lungs out on thirrrrrrd down. If the outdoors are your thing, you can’t come to Charlotte and not pay a visit to the Whitewater Center. It has the world’s largest manmade whitewater river to give people of all abilities a whitewater rafting experience. There are also zip lines, rope courses, and dozens of miles of mountain biking and hiking trails. The trails are free access, and the other activities can be accessed with a day pass. They also transform one of the ponds to an ice skating rink in the winter.
For racing aficionados, the NASCAR Hall of Fame sits just about half a mile away from Bank of America Stadium. It has a Hall of Honor like you’d expect from a Hall of Fame, as well as a number of exhibits to vary the experience, including a couple that are interactive. There are exhibits showing the evolution of the cars and tracks and the history of the sport. There is a pit crew challenge where you test how quickly you can change a tire and refuel the car like a NASCAR pit crew, and a racing simulator to see how well you can actually drive a race car. The whole experience is very highly regarded both by NASCAR fans and non-fans alike.
For nights out on the town, there are two distinct options. For a more chill, artsy vibe, check out Plaza Midwood or NoDa on the east side of the city. Both areas feature a wide variety of dining options, bars, and breweries in easily walkable areas. If you want more of a party atmosphere, Southend, just south of uptown, offers a more high energy alternative with dance clubs, bars, and trendy restaurants that appeal to a younger crowd.
Best places to eat in Charlotte
Given the transit options, there are nearly limitless options for dining before making your way to the stadium. Lots of the park and rides for public transit (covered below) have nearby dining options, so you could always swing by a restaurant outside the heart of the city for a quick bite to eat before catching the bus or train into the city for the game. One of the most popular places for this is Optimist Hall in NoDa. It has dozens of food options with shared dining spaces, and it’s a short walk away from the Parkwood light rail station.
If you want to enjoy some food in the uptown area within walking distance of the stadium, there are options for just about any food preference and budget. If you like the idea of a singular area with multiple food and drink options like Optimist Hall but want something nearer to the stadium, the Alley at Latta Arcade and the adjacent Brevard Court might be your thing. It’ll be very crowded in the hours leading up to a game, but it will be full of Panthers fans and form almost a tailgate-like environment. The whole complex is only a few blocks from the stadium, so it’s a short jaunt to the game once you finish your food and beverages.
There are a number of standalone restaurants in the stadium’s vicinity that offer more traditional dining options. For hibachi and sushi, there’s Hasaki Grill & Sushi (a Chuba Hubbard favorite) about a block from the stadium. Next to it is Mellow Mushroom for pizza, Chex Grill & Wings for some standard American fare, a Rhino Market deli, and Tikka Shack for Indian food (and they have a pizza and wings deal for game days).
If you want a more upscale dining experience in the area of the stadium for either the night before the game or in the evening after, Fogo de Chão and Chima Steakhouse are catty-cornered from one another in the middle of uptown. Not far away is an STK Steakhouse. Outside of the center city in the Southpark area is a more middle tier option and one of my personal favorites, Cowfish. They serve sushi, burgers, and a combo of the two (burgushi, if you will).
Bank of America Stadium parking, rideshare, and transit options
Bank of America Stadium does not have its own parking, so don’t expect to pull up to the stadium and find a place to park. Instead, parking is entirely done in various parking garages, lots, and open spaces scattered in the area surrounding the stadium. It’s very hit and miss on which lots have availability if you’re showing up on a whim. It can also be difficult to navigate the area due to heavy traffic, both vehicle and pedestrian. If you intend on driving to the game, it’s highly recommended that you get into the area as early as possible to make finding open parking areas as easy as possible. You can also plan and book parking early through Ticketmaster or SpotHero.
Given how difficult commuting by car can be, the team and city have combined to offer several game day specific public transit options. The light rail (Blue Line) is a train service that runs from South Boulevard near 485 through uptown Charlotte all the way to the campus of UNC Charlotte. There are several park and ride locations along the route, particularly towards either end of the route. You can see the park and ride stations here. The Brooklyn Village station is the closest one to the stadium. It’s about a four block walk to the stadium from the station. Just be prepared to be packed in pretty tight, particularly on the way out.
The city and team have also partnered to offer Game Day Express shuttles from three different areas of Charlotte. One runs north of the city from Davidson through Cornelius and Huntersville on the way to the stadium, one runs from Matthews, and one runs through south Charlotte from Waverly to the Arboretum and Strawberry Hill (a couple miles from South Park) on the way to Uptown. The drop off point for all the shuttles is on Brevard Street, about a 15 minute walk from the stadium.
Tailgating at Bank of America Stadium
Since there isn’t a central parking area near the stadium, tailgating can be pretty scattered throughout the area around the stadium. If you park at one of the surface lots (not a parking deck), you’re generally allowed to do your own tailgating if that’s your cup of tea.
If you want to get in on more fan experiences, there are a few organized tailgate experiences near the stadium. Roaring Riot hosts a big tailgate partythat opens three hours before every home game and is about a 15 minute walk from the stadium. It’s $20 for a guest pass on their site, or you can get free entry as a member if it’s something you’ll want to do more often. A block or two way, Pantherfanz hosts a tailgating experience at 601 S Cedar St. There’s no cover charge. Just show up and enjoy the vibes.
Just a short walk away from the stadium is the WFNZ Dog House. As you would expect, it’s run by the local sports talk station in Charlotte. They’ll do live radio broadcasts from the event, and there is a DJ, food trucks, and giveaways. It’s an open area, so anyone is free to swing by and enjoy the experience.
The Bank of America Stadium Experience
This is going to be drastically changing in the next few years as the stadium undergoes some major renovations. Still, the game day experience has improved tremendously in the last few years. Entry is a lot faster now than it was a few years ago, but still expect to take a bit to get through the gates on your way in. Make sure you know the bag policy so you don’t get turned away at the gate for trying to bring in a big purse.
Try to get to your seats early to see player introductions and the honorary banging of the Keep Pounding drum. That kicks off the first of the Keep Pounding chants, where one side of the stadium shouts Keep before the other side responds with Pounding. That chant will come out a few times throughout the game. As with any sporting event, bring the energy. The team needs you to get loud on third and fourth downs.
If you dare eat food in the stadium, it’s your usual stadium fare for the most part. Some people say the Bojangles in the stadium is better than what you get outside the gates, but that’s up for debate. There are some other speciality restaurants throughout the concourse. Check out the Panthers app on game day to see what’s available around you.