This arena is definitely on the smaller side, but that actually makes it a great spot if you're going with family or kids. The ushers were incredibly friendly and welcoming, which really added to the experience. Sure, it could use a bit of an upgrade--the seats are a little worn, but honestly, there isn't a bad view in the 100 and 200 sections. They also offer a solid variety of food at pretty reasonable prices. For the value, you really can't beat it, only $35 to sit close! I'd absolutely come back again for lacrosse games. read more

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Attended the Jim Gaffigan comedy show last Thursday at 7:00, parking is tight so get there early, there's a municipal lot across the street, pricey at $20.00 but you're super close. Venue is nice, but very dated, seating uncomfortable, tons of food choices. Security and ushers were great, as are the many pricey food choices. Definitely a good place for smaller concerts or comedy acts. Easy in and out for such a large place so glad for that. read more

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Blue Cross arena is the main arena in Rochester & you know it if you grew up around here. From hockey to concerts you can see a little bit of everything here. Unfortunately parking cost an arm & leg & then you will lose the other ones when you buy food. The area that the dip n dots is in every time causes congestion in the main hall & makes it impossible to move in. The women's bathroom that requires you to go up the stairs is really difficult to get in/out of since the stairs are so narrow & people have to wait on them. Getting up/down the stairs/escalators is so congested it could cause a very dangerous situation if there is an emergency. Sound tends to be pretty decent for games & concerts. Prices vary depending on the event. I enjoy the events here but dread going here due to parking, maneuvering around & food prices. read more

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When I went in for a cheap minor league hockey game I was not expecting this stadium to be this big and clean. Very easy to walk around and get food. read more

Blue Cross Arena - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rochester, New York

Modern arena, lots of food and beverage choices, excellent sight lines and enthusiastic fans too. read more

Blue Cross Arena - Amerks vs Belleville Senators. Great game by Rochester goalie Levi. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rochester, New York

First let me start off by saying the concert I saw was great, and the staff were pleasant for the most part. The seats are very run down and stained. There was gum on several seats also which is very off putting. My $5 soda was 2 months expired, flat, and nasty read more

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Came here for a hockey game and had a blast. It's been awhile since I've seen anything here..: it will always be the war memorial to me tho. Have seen concerts, lacrosse games, hockey games to Disney on ice and even the circus... this place has hosted it all. Parking is all around, lots and garages in walking distance. Loved the live music and $2 beers ahead of the hockey game, it was Irish night! Seats were amazing and so many people cheering on the local team. read more

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TL;DR, Rochester deserves better. Being from Rochester, I've spent a fair amount of time in this arena. It's the go-to venue in town for headline performers, events, shows, and of course the home of our beloved Rochester Amerks. Where the venue wins: + Carrying a vast array of local brews! Love seeing Genny and Rohrbach's represented. They also have an amazing happy hour before Amerks games in the lounge - which should be better promoted throughout town. Awesome company option. + Great vantage points from really wherever you're seated. + Good pricing for Amerks games (it's not completely out of hand for a family to see a game here). + The new scoreboard is great. + Good security and door processes. + Friendly staff. Where the venue loses: + Pardon my French, but even with some updates and refurbishments through the years, the Blue Cross Arena is absolutely beat to shit. + Not many food options and signage for stands hasn't been updated since the 90s. + Parking in the (downright nasty) Civic Center Garage is $15 and, even for the most recent Amerks game I attended that was only half full, impossible to get in and out of due to archaic processes. I would recommend street parking and walking. + Resistance to updates in the area make it so there's only 2-4 good dining options that are truly walkable. I don't think Rochester will ever get an updated arena and frankly I don't think it would be a good use of funds, but it stinks to see the amazing city get saddled with an Arena that barely seems cared for, and that major acts will never want to come through due to the state of it. The city deserves better and, while I know it is a bit of "chicken and the egg" - I do think improvements to this facility would drive more people out. read more

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It's a fun place to watch sporting events and almost feel like you are part of the action. Maybe not quite as good as a concert venue tho. Concessions are fine and they are switching to no cash sales inside the facility. Home to the hockey Amerks and box lacrosse Knighthawks. read more

I've been here for all sorts of events - concerts, Amerks games, a Knighthawks game, graduation, etc. It's a decent venue. Parking in the garage & not having to go outside is amazing, especially in the winter. The food is good - the loaded nachos are A+. Only reason why I'm not giving 5 stars is that cell service is awful, which can be problematic when you're going to an event. If you have electronic tickets, I highly recommend taking a screenshot of what you need & sharing anything electronically PRIOR to going into the venue. read more

Blue Cross Arena - Loaded nachos - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rochester, New York

It's an old arena, but they've kept it up well. Can't do much about the narrow corridors that make traffic always congested. Expect a wait to get through screening at the door. If you get there early enough, you can snag free parking on a nearby street. read more

I only got on the arena for hockey games so I can only speak about those. The seats we have are comfortable with a decent view. It's an arena so it's not fancy. The speaker system has become VERY LOUD! A bit too loud for many of us. Some seats have cup holders but many seats don't. The food selections there have gotten so expensive though. $5 for a bottle of water is crazy and the food is more pricey. They have specials on some dates. Saturday games have 3,2,1 which I think is a $3 very small beer, $2 hot dog and $1 for a small box of popcorn. That's just on certain games though. It's family friendly events are reasonable to attend but expensive to eat and drink. Needs some updates in seating and food/drink prices. read more

Blue Cross Arena - Hockey! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rochester, New York

Good old Blue Cross Arena! As a native Rochesterian, I've been here literally hundreds of times! From my season tickets for the Amerks, a few concerts, and my college graduation, (Go MCC), I've come to love this building. The staff during the Amerks games are always friendly, from the ushers, to the food service staff. I've never had an issue with any employee in this building. The security team is generally nice, explains what to do in front of the new security detectors. The set up of the Arena flows nicely, the seats are a little worn now, and my front row ice seats don't have cupholders, but I imagine my drinks would go flying every time someone hits the boards, so it's a complaint with no solution! Also, my row for some reason has 2 number 9 seats and some seats aren't marked at all. Not too big a hassle to count the chairs from the start of the row, but it really shouldn't be crazy expensive to put a new plate on a chair, right? Parking isn't terrible either, I love the underground tunnel to the court street garage, and avoiding the terrible weather! Thanks BCA! read more

I along with many others in Rochester would love to see a new arena but a community this size will never have the $100 million+ to build something new for the minor leagues. So here we are with a rather worn facility. Yes upgrades have been made but that was maybe 20 years ago. I noticed that most of the seats are missing their numbers - I'm sure I could name many other items that need fixing but... It still is not a bad place to see RIT/ Amerks hockey, or like last Saturday the Bonnie's college b-ball game. It has been awhile since I saw Springsteen play here so I don't recall the acoustics. None of the seats are too far away (not like a B-ball game at the Carrier Dome!) The box office staff and ushers were all very friendly and helpful. So overall I can live with this facility given I only attend maybe one event per year... read more

Blue Cross Arena - Some Division 1 hoops at the BCA - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rochester, New York

I've been to the Blue Cross Arena for various events over the years - from RIT Hockey games to a recent Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago concert. I've always found the staff to be pleasant and helpful, from ticketing to concessions, and things seem to be generally well organized. Specifically for concessions, the local brews available on tap are a nice addition, and it's helpful that they seem to have choices to fit most tastes (for food and beverage). In terms of parking, I tend to opt for the Court Street Parking garage a short walk away because it's easy to get out of (comparatively) after an event at the arena. There are other parking options in close proximity though. Also, there are plenty of bathrooms on either side of the arena...very convenient, especially after an event when the entire crowd is leaving at once. Having seen hockey games here, I consider it a really great space. The events are an enjoyable size, and the arena is well kept/designed. Seating is comfortable, and sections are clearly marked. In terms of it as a concert venue, the acoustics quality can be debatable. I almost always get floor seats for concerts, and I found the floor seats at the recent EWF + Chicago concert to provide a quality sound/acoustic experience. Other reviewers on this page though have mentioned their displeasure with acoustics from their own seats...so something to consider (though everybody I seemed to pass while coming out of the concert was raving about how the bands sounded). TL;DR I've always enjoyed attending events here, and I'm routinely checking their event schedule to see what's coming up. An enjoyable venue, even if it can feel oddly dated. I'd recommend it. read more

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Nice arena, came here for a Rochester vs Hershey game and had a nice time. The arena is definitely a bit more aged than some of the others I've been to in the region, but still has its charm. Loud fans are always a good thing too. Really liked the $2 beers on Friday nights, that was a good perk as well, and the padded seats were an extra plus. read more

The Blue Cross Arena is a staple in Rochester. Hockey games, concerts, shows, you name it. Great location, and a fun date night spot!

Small venue but great atmosphere during Rochester Americans hockey games. Had the chance to watch a game from the box suites and the service was phenomenal! Nice location for the game with close bathrooms. Good food and drink options within the suite. Drinks also available at the bar down the hall for the suites which was convenient. Bit of a pricey menu for any other drinks/food but that's expected at any arena and the service makes up for it. read more

+ Excellent seating - Hockey audio is terrible, No attached parking lot I went here to see the Amerks play the Erie Monsters on Black Friday 2013. Tickets were only 14 bucks and they had cheap draft beer in the upper area with a band playing. We had upper level seats and were amazed how most seats had a great view. You really can't go wrong here. The only downside was the audio for the music was just terrible. They really need to look into a better audio system. Also, there is no attached parking garage but the lots aren't too far away. read more

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I went there on Saturday night for the first time. The building looks beautiful at nighttime. The security men at security detectors, were very friendly when my boyfriend and I came to the game 30 minutes late. They told us the directions after I showed them our tickets to see where we should go. The stadium looks really neat and that is not what I expected because every time I go to the game and I expect to see the messy and crazy fans, but this time it is totally different from my previous experiences. The sellers were very friendly at break time and we all got drinks like we wanted. It made our night went great. However, I give 4 stars because the parking lots aren't that great due to it requires us to park little far and walk to the stadium. I originally would thought that stadium would have their own garage where we can park then walk shortly. It would be great if they add one on one of these days. read more

My girlfriend and I decided that we would love to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Blue Cross Arena. I ordered my tickets online weeks ago and had them all printed out here ready to go. The problem started when we got in the traffic flow that was absolutely ridiculous it apparently had to be one lane to the left in order for you to get off the expressway to get to this venue. So needless to say we arrived late and missed part of the show.. but that wasn't the bad part. We had seat numbers 204 N 10 and 11. We found the curtain that we had to go through for 204 then we were told by one assistant that are seats were over and up. We went over and up and it was not the right row after I showed him the paper. So being confused we came back spoke to another assistant he sent us on a wild-goose chase again. We finally went to a third assistant and ask him where our seats were and he pointed in an up Direction and we followed the alphabetical markings on the stairs but when we got up to the top there was no N it stopped at M and no indication where row N was... then we asked some people and they said they were in N no indication we're and was.... then we found that 2 people were sitting in our seats. Unfortunately we had to tell them that we had tickets for those seats and they had to move. So they ended up in a lower row because they were probably so confused where in the world the seats were that they were supposed to be sitting in. It also appeared to be another group of people were all in the wrong seats again and they moved them around all while the show was going on and it was very distracting. Also when we did finally figure out where our seats were at 10 and 11 we noticed that when you went to put the seat down you had another number sticker on the seat pad itself that didn't match anything? You would think that a stadium this big would give you better directions to where you need to be seated and educate the assistance to where the sections are or at least escort you to your seats. Instead of look like two old fools wandering around trying to find their seats looking confused. Also the parking around there was absolutely ridiculous. Another ridiculous situation with this city. Why would you put a building like that in the middle of downtown when you know there's so much traffic nobody's going to get anywhere? What is the big point of going downtown there's nothing there? Just a lot of one-way streets dead-end streets confusing signs. I think they should build venues like this out in use areas out in Henrietta or something where they have huge fields for parking and an expressway ramp so people can pull in quickly instead of getting in traffic jams with the rest of the world trying to get to somewhere The only thing good about this experience was the show was absolutely unbelievable. The voices of the people were breathtaking and the choreographing was absolutely incredible. The laser lights the flame machines just amazing. We are definitely making this a tradition and going every year from now on and this time sitting in the front row facing the stage so you can see everything. I would highly recommend anyone go to the show it's quite an experience. It only plays in November and December every year. read more

This place is falling apart. Every time I look up I'm afraid of a piece of insulation falling off duct work or a piece of duct falling because it's so rusted. There is a new score board but it's not center to the ice and if you look from the far end it's not level at all and it drives me nuts. Luckily we sit on center ice and I don't get to see it. It's pretty cool tho shoots out fog from the corners. While taking the tunnel you get to see all the bums begging for money and you get to tip toe through the wet and icy floor as the roof leaks. Security hasn't been an issue. Just remove everything from pockets and they wand you before you walk in. Doesn't take too long as we already have our tickets so there is no waiting for them read more

I always have a good time when I come here. Blue Cross Arena host a huge array of events and always finds a way to make it fit just right with the style of the event. They also shuffle people through ticketing really quickly and I've rarely gotten stuck in traffic post-event. In the past I've been for... - Concerts (PXY Jingle Jam, Phish, DMB back in high school...) - Cirque du Soleil - Amerks hockey games - RIT hockey games They've all been a blast! Their catered food is awesome - most of it being homemade (chips & dip and the pulled pork are amazing!). And they have some local brews available on tap at a few of the bars, plus wine and cocktails. All good things. It's nice to see that they're making updates and their demographic expands and tastes change. Although, I'll never pass up some Dippin dots, a cheap beer and a pretzel. All part of the experience. The space is pretty good too -- depending on the event size you can get some greats seats for an affordable prices (ranging from $10-40). Pro tip: park in the civic center parking garage because there's a tunnel underground to the arena. Amazing during the winter! read more

Blue Cross Arena - PXY Jingle Jam - echo smith - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rochester, New York

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A nice mid sized arena. I was here in the fall for a comedy event. Allow yourself time because the traffic patters in the area made it slow getting to parking. Once inside, the staff has checks tickets quickly. It's not as large as arenas in larger cities so you're not going to get all the bells and whistles, but if you're on the fence about an event here its worth the drive. One of the best parts was their parking ramp has a tunnel that takes you from the arena to parking so no going out in the snow!! read more

Before moving to Rochester I had never been to a hockey. Now on Friday nights there's no place I'd rather be than Blue Cross cheering on the Amerks! There's great live music before the game with $2 Genesee brews an hour leading up to the game. Never a dull moment in here! read more

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Poor seat comfort Seats in some cases were unmarked Not a lot of assistance Very long outside wait to get in Arena. read more

It's hard for me to write this review without being called a square. I saw a Phish concert at this venue and the space itself was really nice. Beautiful open space and the acoustics on the ground floor were fantastic. The sound was A+, which was one of the things I was worried about. I saw a Phish show at the Syracuse War Memorial a few years back and the sound was not nearly as great as it was here. It traveled well. You can easily find free parking a few blocks away as well, which is nice. Here's where the venue loses some points...and I bet Phish fans will curse me as I write this. I wish there was better enforcement to discourage people who smoke cigarettes inside. Yes, I get it. Phish fans love to get all crazy and "enjoy themselves" at these concerts. It's part of the culture. I know this coming to a Phish show, but cigarettes are disgusting and I'm proud to live in a state with an indoor smoking ban. I don't need everyone around me lighting up a cigarette and ashing it on my shoes. I can tolerate this kind of stuff, but it really takes away from enjoyment of the music when I have to hold my breath for periods of time and wait for the intricate cooling system in here to pump some fresh air so I can grab a whiff of it before the next cigarette is lit up. Ugh. I do enjoy that the ceiling of the venue is set up with huge air-blowing ducts which does keep the place relatively cool in spite of 12,000+ dancing fans. I can only imagine how much worse this would be if the space wasn't set up this way. So all in all, it's a nice venue to see a concert. I just wish security would enforce a no-smoking cigarette ban inside and really make it clear that it's not acceptable to chain smoke a whole pack of cigarettes during the show. read more

I have been to Blue Cross Arena three times and have been impressed every time. We were able to take my my girls to see both Disney on Ice and Mickey's Doorway to Magic. For the Doorway to Magic, we sat a little higher up in the 200's. While the seats were okay, you weren't able to see some of the details of the stage show. We sat closer to the floor for the Ice show and we loved it and we were able to see much more. My only gripe for the place is that the seats are too close for a man of average height. I am 6'1" and my knees were stuck into the back of the seat in front of me, and at times the back of the poor woman's head in front as well. read more

Blue Cross Arena - Disney on Ice with my daughter at Blue Cross Arena - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rochester, New York

The famous Rochester War Memorial, now affectionately known as the Blue Cross Arena, has been the cities home for sporting events, concerts, and more, for a long time. The arena is located on exchange street, just a few blocks from the highway and mainline thruway. Paid parking is located just behind the arena on court street. Additional parking can be found in the Civic Center garage off Center street. Rumor has it that the garage is connected to the arena via an underground tunnel, which would be wonderful on a cold winter day. The main entrance is spacious and can support a crowd. Elevators and ticket windows are located on the first floor to the right of the main entrance. Just in front of the entrance is a collectable store selling merchandise for the local sports teams. Arena seating begins on the second level and is accessible by stairs and escalators. The main hallway on the second level is wide and can easily funnel a crowd. Seating is split level with stairs branching up from this second level. Seats are full chair back and are completed with shared arm rests and cup holders. Seats feel well used but are still rather comfortable. Leg room is typical and won't offer enough space to spread out, however, average sized people should have no problem finding a comfortable spot. Each side of the arena has food vendors. These include additional cut out areas that all offer different options. Snacks, drinks, beer, pizza, fingers and fries, Zwiegle hot dogs, burgers, soft pretzles, nachos, and more. Prices are typical for a sports arena and you'll feel like you overpaid for the quality. The back of the arena has a cook-to-order stand that offers slightly higher quality food for slightly higher prices. Each side offers multiple bathrooms. Some are staggered ontop of eachother and you'll need to walk down or up stairs (gender depending). This arena feels classically dated. It's '80s charm and late '90s upgrades feel cute and acceptable. It's a very nice place to catch a minor league sporting event. It is located in walking distance of food and hotels. Great for families and groups. read more

Blue Cross Arena - Center ice. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rochester, New York

It's a nice little arena done in a modern old-skoolish way. Great atmosphere and comfy seats. read more

We saw Bruce here! That should be enough said. However, for the out of towners, we saw no cabs, but parking was plentiful around the arena. If you're looking to pregame, Dinasaur BBQ is really your only shot. Just over the bridge and a very easy walk. If someone knows of another please post. Bruce said he likes the acoustics here, so I will close with that. read more

I went here for a concert last night and I was very happy with my experience here. We walked from our hotel so I can't comment on the parking situation but beyond that we were pleased with everything else. We arrived about a half hour before the first act and while there were plenty of people filing in, we didn't have to wait long at all. There were plenty of vendors to buy drinks and food from and the lines all went quickly inside. Our seats were awesome and since it's a smaller venue than places like First Niagara in Buffalo, it feels like a more intimate setting which is awesome. Sound was fantastic, and the effects during the show were great. My only complaint would be that they should have had two merch stations set up because the one table they did have was extremely crowded and they only had about four people running the whole thing. We spent about a half hour waiting to purchase shirts. Other than that, I would definitely consider this venue if there was another concert I was interested in here! read more

Blue Cross Arena - Miranda Lambert & Dierks Bentley 3/1/13 - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rochester, New York

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of course being from rochester i have to be a fan of this place because most sports and concerts are here. i actually like it because there are less seats so therefore you can see better no matter where you sit. the one thing i would like to change are the food venues, could be better. beer is beer but i would like more variety. the food is basically hot dogs, popcorn, chicken fingers. the usual, but i know first niagara in buffalo has more options and is actually tastier. read more

Blue Cross Arena - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rochester, New York

More of a review for the ticket team than anything. Customer service has been great working with our season tickets while I recover from breaking my leg. As for the arena: it's an old barn that just has an awesome vibe. Maybe it's nostalgia but it just feels like home. The food and services provided in the arena are good now that they ironed out the kinks from the new food contract (that started off ROCKYYYY) but it's better now. Good representation from local breweries and solid food options too. read more

Came here for the Knighthawks/Philadelphia Wings Lacrosse game last night. what started well for the Wings turned into another loss. Oh well. The arena has no bad seats and even the seats my group were in were only a few rows from the glass and only cost $15. The beers were tall and cheap, but I bet just about everything is cheaper here than in Philly. I did not like the narrowness of the corridors, but the place did seem to have a good flow to it. Plenty of bathrooms. The Blue Cross Arena is well built for what it is...a small arena for shows and "minor league" sports teams. read more

Horrible venue. Awful sound. I just didn't like it at all. Maybe I'm spoiled from real arenas. You know it's bad when the locals say "we're not as fancy as Buffalo". Really? Lol. Never again, unless it's comped front row. read more

We've been here a couple times for different country music concerts. Both times we purchased floor seats. On our last visit, we exchanged our D row floor seats with another couple who had 2nd row stadium seats. If you buy floor seats, be prepared to stand the entire time. If you're short (I'm 5'1") be prepared to watch the entire thing on the video screen or not at all. Even in the stadium seats (which are raised), I still wound up watching the entire show on the side screen (when they used it) because people in the first row were standing up and blocking any view I could possibly have had, even if I stood and blocked the view of the people behind me. The security people are nice, the place is run efficiently, the snack bar is outrageous ($4 for a bottle of water), but that is to be expected. read more

This facility is fabulous and was a joy to be in to play and watch basketball. UNFORTUNATELY the Chicago Tide lost to the Razorsharks 134 to 117, and now have a record of 0 wins and 7 losses. The overall experience of being in NY to play against another professional team was amazing and a blessing in itself. I look forward to returning to Blue Cross Arena and achieving a win there in the near future. read more

Blue Cross Arena - Jumbo trop before the game! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rochester, New York

I have been here for concerts, graduation, hockey games, soccer games and more. I am always happy. I generally park in the garage and walk through the tunnel past the accordion man who is also at the Red Wings games. Getting tickets scanned is always easy and there are multiple people doing the scanning. There are a large amount of bathrooms. Wide selection of food but it costs about an arm and a leg to get it. This place is perfect for what it is. Great for the use it gets and I enjoy coming here for events. read more

I've been here many times over the years. The seating is good, but they need to improve on the food vendors. They should take after Frontier Fields model for vendors. There are only a few places near by for parking. read more

Blue Cross Arena - Amerks game - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rochester, New York