Went to the Galen Center for a volleyball game, USC vs Fort Valley State. Very nice experience. Getting in was smooth, security was organized, and the staff were friendly. The building itself is clean, modern, and a good place to watch a game. Volleyball match was fun and the atmosphere was good without being too hectic. Overall, a solid venue for college sports. I am giving the Galen Center 4 stars. read more

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Had a wonderful experience there. It seems like every seat in the house is a good seat and they were comfortable. The food was reasonable. I was surprised that they had chili cheese Fritos that was a bonus right there. I will definitely be back to watch juju and the lady Trojan's ball. my only complaint is they ran out of a lot of stuff. I waited in two lines for nachos and when I got to the counter, they were out they should've let everybody know in line that they were out so you didn't have to wait in a long line to get disappointed once you got to the check stand. read more

First time watching the Lady Trojans play against the Iowa Hawkeyes. It was a great game to watch from beginning to end. Very exciting and fun filled environment. We enjoyed most the hard play on the court and the victory at the end of the game. Fight on Lady Trojans and keep up the good work. The staff at the concession stand on street level or excellent, especially Miss Bridgette, who was very knowledgeable of the food. She was also helpful and helping us decide on what to eat and snack. I enjoyed the chocolate sundae with sprinkles, my son enjoyed a churro. The nachos were average, but the popcorn made to order was superb. read more

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This place is nice. No matter where you sit, you'll have a good view. We got through the check in quickly. Bathrooms were easily accessible. There is no parking garage though. We started to park at the Shrine. But it was $45 to park. So we taken our chances and parked in the street (2hr max) and paid the meter. Luckily the volleyball game we went to see was less than 1 1/2hr and we paid like $3. Didn't buy any food here even though they were selling it. read more

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Intimate arena that is home to USC basketball. Located near the USC campus which has some questionable areas thus park in one of the many cheap parking structures, we paid $15 for the multi level structure diagonal to the Galen Center. Clear plastic purses suggested or don't bring a bag at all. All visitors are scanned. All seats have good sight lines and there is an area near the end of the court where you can stand and watch from level 1. Food is not overly xpensive and you can get drinks, popcorn, hot dogs, cotton candy. We went to the USC vs Notre Dame WNCAA game and ND outclassed the Lady Troy that game. Note that the Emcee during the game is annoying. Too much music and talking during the game. Better luck next time. read more

The event was super cool! Parking was across the street. Not too bad or confusing. Getting into the venue was easy but actually getting to the ground level for our seats was a pain in the ass! About 5-6 workers kept telling me to go to another worker to get let down to the ground level seats. After walking back and worth, and talking to close to 10 different employees, I finally was able to get to my seats. It was so ridiculous how hard it was to get to my seats. One of the workers told me I can literally sit anywhere in the venue. Why would I want to do that if I have specific seats that I bought? She literally kept only telling me that and that was the only thing she was told by her management. That's just idiotic through and through. Beyond stupid. read more

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The stand food is absurdly overpriced, not very fresh, and the clerks are expecting tips to serve you. I am paying more than $40 for a hotdog, chips, and a beer plus tax. And some slow moving sloth-type clerk thinks she should get $6 for dishing out these three items. Sorry, not happening. read more

$20 parking in garage next to the Galen Center. Good hot dogs! 10,258 capacity. Good music to hype up the crowd, USC mens basketball game vs #5 Purdue was not sold out. Service for entrance, rest rooms, concessions a-ok, Concourse and seat views a-ok. Traffic was not too bad, read more

Truly the worst expletive I've had at a venue. We visited today for a Fortnite event. As I pulled into the parking structure I asked the man at the entrance if there were pay stations inside. I've never been before and it wasn't clear. He simply replied "yes you pay inside." The bottom floors were for the hotel. We parked on the 6th floor. I didn't see any pay station or signs about paying. For a moment I thought it was free. We walked down and it was only as I walked out of the structure that I saw a sign saying to text to pay and that I needed my plate # (which I have not memorized). I asked the same person and he said I would need to go back for it. It would have been helpful to have him mention it when I asked the first time. Or to have sandwich signs by the exits on the floors letting people know how to pay. The lines to get in were not clear. I had to ask three people which lines were for what. Once we got in, the merchandise line was so unorganized. They did not use stanchions for the end of the line and we were blocking people trying to walk in. It took the fire department rep to tell them to move the line because it was a safety issue. I bought a special bag for the event that fit their guidelines in an email they sent. Come to find out, they let people in with fanny packs, backpacks, and regular purses. I didn't see them turn anyone away. When I went to buy drinks and snacks the people working at the concessions were very unprofessional. One guy tried to tell me that the "zero proof" drinks had alcohol. The guys sitting behind us had about 4 beers each. They were clearly drunk and yelling and although there was security, they did nothing. I had to ask 5 people about the meet and greet location. Got 5 different answers. Once we got to the meet and greet (after paying for it and waiting in line for a long time), one "security" person was waving his hands and yelling to keep the line moving. None of the other people working there were doing that. Players were saying yes to pictures and taking time to say hi, which I thought was wonderful. It took us triple the time to get a picture because he kept waving his arms and ruining the photo. When I tried to talk to him to ask him not to yell at my son he wouldn't even look at me. He just stared in another direction. The air conditioning was terrible. The email confirmation after I bought the tickets looked like a fax from the 80s. I never got my tickets to add to a digital wallet. I didn't even know I needed it until the day before the event when they sent a reminder email. The positive is when I called about the digital ticket the person was very helpful. I hope I never have to come back again. read more

Horrible security! I came right on time to see my college Cal battle USC and once getting past the line was told I had to check my bag which in a completely different MF building with a crazy slow line. I ended up missing the first quarter. The food was garbage. My friend ordered the nacho supreme and when I think supreme I think tomatoes sour cream guacamole no no no we're talking Costco tortilla chips the round ones that if you were to throw at someone's face could probably cause a laceration with nacho cheese and a little bit of cilantro and chicken. Quite laughable actually. Once inside, I had a great time! Saw my cousin play for Cal, great time being Cal Alumni! Cal Alumni and fans were DEEP, and I recall this night feeling proud, Similarly like going to ram stadium when they're playing the 49ers and you look around if you see the whole stadium is red and not blue... Yeah like that Posted from a review draft. This review is from 2020. read more

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Love going to my alma mater to watch basketball games. Nice arena with comfortable seating. Any seat gives you a good view of the court! read more

Galen Center - a red and yellow sign with the word fight on it - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I've been there a few times, but not during the pandemic. We went to a volleyball game last Saturday. I'd advise you to purchase your tickets online. It will save you $5 on each ticket. They shake you down hard for your ID when you pay with a credit card, so be sure you have it. I haven't been asked for an ID along with my credit card in well over a decade. Still, no biggie, but it does slow things down considerably. After that, we started to go in but we were required to present our COVID vaccine cards. My friend left hers in the car. We had to go all the way back to the parking lot to get it. When we got back, they said here tiny little pack was too big (see picture) so we had to go back to the parking lot again and leave it in the car. We missed the entire first set. They should be more upfront about their expectations to avoid these kinds of delays. We should have been told when purchasing tickets about proof of COVID vaccination and their bag policy. What could have been a really fun evening was marred by bad communication. The entire match only lasted an hour and fifteen minutes. We were there for less than 40 minutes. What a waste of time and money. read more

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Another basketball season and another review for the Galen Center. A lot is the same as from last year's review. The DJ is still playing his preferred tunes (not those of the paying customers) at a painful decibel level. Security seems to be less visible at the arena than last year. And, after last Saturday night's game, some vendors were trying to attract customers with "chariots" (small, electric, open-air touring vehicles with colored rope lights) that were located not far outside the exit doors and were impeding the egress of thousands that were leaving the arena. Are you kidding me??!! read more

Perfect size basketball arena with rare comfortable seats...USC basketball is the BEST bargain in sports...the Galen is easy to find parking...has a great a sports bar next door to grab a pre-game beer...and is quick and easy to leave after the game...We go to 6-8 games a year and we love it!!! read more

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Enjoyed a USC basketball game with family last night. We found a parking garage close by for $10 too! Nice arena and we had decent seats, snack bars and restrooms close by. Nice and loud! Fun night! We lost, but still had a great time. read more

Galen Center - Me with my daughter. - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Came for game 3 of the WNBA Championship (GO SPARKS!)... when you're a WNBA team you just play where ever you can I suppose so instead of the usual Staples Center, the game was at Galen. If you don't know the area well (and I don't), it's tough to find parking. The neighborhood is very congested and it isn't a typical sports venue like Staples with lots of off site parking options and signs directing you to parking lots. We only managed to find ONE parking structure, a school garage, and it was $20 to park. Whatever... there didn't appear to be any other options. I'm sure there are other parking choices but we just didn't see any and again, it's not easy - so budget in a lot of time if you're not familiar with this hood. The stadium is old and old fashioned. To get to upper levels your choices are a couple of very small elevators or a large flight of stairs. Seats are tightly packed and very uncomfortable. My armrest kept falling off. You are going to get to know your neighbors because they're pretty much sitting on top of you. Bathrooms are too small - especially women's - again as an older structure they didn't get the memo about women just needing more stalls. There are concessions. Standard stadium stands offer hot dogs (not bad actually), pizza (awful), popcorn (also awful) and nachos. You can get beer. I paid $10 for a can of Corona, which they are required to pour in a plastic cup. No problem. But then they hand you a 2/3 full plastic cup. It's a sad moment for everyone involved. No words were spoken. We all just looked sadly at that tiny little beer. And I handed over my money. Other food stands around the stadium offer tacos, cotton candy, pretzels, draft beers and cocktails. Prices are what you'd expect to pay at a sporting event. This is NOT a vegetarian's paradise... only thing my SO could eat was that awful pizza and equally bad popcorn. Taking food to your seat is a bad idea anyway because there is so little room to move. If you're going to eat something, do it before you sit down. SPARKS WON and that made the two hours of being uncomfortable worth it. Getting out of the parking garage wasn't too bad since parking is paid when you enter. I'd really only go to an event at Galen Center if it was a show that I just HAD to see. And I'd just prepare myself for being uncomfortable. read more

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This place is not that bad. I went here to see a concert. The prices were good. It's pretty big, but not big enough so that you can barely see what's going on onstage. The seats are okay. Although,we all had had feet up on the chairs in front of us. If I had to have it on the floor, it may have been a little uncomfortable. There are 2 nearby structures to park here. And it was pretty easy to find parking, even after showing up 2 minutes before the concert was to start. Also, most of the people who went to the event were USC students... so after the concert, they just walked home. I thought that getting out of the Galen Center, and getting out of the parking would be a hassle, because it usually is for things like this, but it was not that bad at all. It probably took only 15 minutes total to do both. And there wasn't traffic for us getting onto the freeway from the campus. Also.. No outside food or beverage are allowed inside. I think only unopened bottles of water are. read more

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Thank you Mr. Louis and Mrs. Helene Galen for USC Galen Center. What a sports complex! It's a multipurpose athletic arena that serves USC, the community and so many others with great sporting events. Thank you for supporting LAFD/LAPD community events. read more

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My most recent visits here were for the Clippers' open practice and for my graduation. As always, this facility is clean and comfortable. The people that work here are nice and courteous. The lighting is great and it is all that you would expect from a professional sports arena. Parking: It's best to park at one of the parking structures (i'd suggest the one at radisson or the one a little further at fig and exposition read more

Galen Center - Clippers practice - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I came here for the first time to watch a hoops game. Easy to park for $12 and easy to find beers and food close by. It's a beautiful building with good sight lines. Bummed they would not even upon up the curtain to see out that iconic window. Geez, maybe just at halftime? Is it that hard? Soft cloth seats, long lines at the restrooms, decent food options. read more

Galen Center - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Disorganized - poorly ryn and long wait to get in .... what a mess. would not recommend having or going to an event here

I want to start off with the staff, they are all so helpful and welcoming. I felt so comfortable as soon as I walked in the entrance. Very clean and well organized. Definitely recommend coming to a game. They have a great variety of food and snacks to choose from. I definitely had a great time here. Thank you USC staff! read more

Galen Center - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I am rating this place solely on its cleanliness. I came here 4/12/2020 for a blood drive. I had to use the restroom, their facilities are clean! Going in to floor, place looks great, A/C works to perfection! Hopefully I'll come here for a game next time! read more

Galen Center - empty seats and a table with drinks on it - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Got free tickets to a USC Basketball game vs Vermont (59-57 W). Did not disappoint. Not much in terms of food options but the turkey bacon wrap I got was very good. Bathrooms are clean and the drinking fountains have cold water. No bad seat in this place! read more

Cool. I mean really cool. The lighting really stands out such as the hardwood floors. I can't wait to catch a game this basketball season. I wonder what they have to eat :) read more

Terrible service. Machines are broken. Can't figure out how fix a computer. Better get to your game an hour early.

The Galen center is indescribably AWESOME and then some. /review hahaha I wish... You can easily tell that this facility is new and definitely one of the best smaller venues around So Cal. I love the view out the Northern end of DTLA and at night the city lights are awesome to behold. The interior and exterior are definitely special places. I love how the exterior façade is done in brick with lots of relief work in the stone showing sports scenes all around the facility. Pro Tip: This is a great place to take your child for a father/daughter or son day or even a mother/daughter or son day... to be able to watch live collegiate sports is fairly cheap and a fun thing to do that will instill great memories... There are plenty of clean restrooms located on all levels and sides of the arena. Likewise there are a lot of concession stands around the facility providing the usual stuff at the usual prices. The seats (when I have been lucky enough to sit down there) seem to be quite comfortable and plush compared to most. Overall it is a top flight smaller facility with all the accoutrements of a much higher end facility. Definitely a great place to see a game at least once and more if you can. If you go, maybe I will be sitting courtside clicking pix... come say hi if you see me =) read more

Galen Center - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I've been here a lot these past few years. I'm a USC fan. yesterday we came to USC vs. UCLA women's basketball game. they gave away free USC basketball shirts for the game and a picture of the team. for almost $40 we sat in section 116 row 1. we got 2 tickets at the price. it was center court. I always have a good time here. if you get here early you can park in the street close by for free. you can also take the train or the bus. it's always fun to watch them play. they don't have many choices in snacks or food here but I usually eat before or after we come. I love the games because its family oriented and the girls play with heart and dedication. I'm hoping they get better. the players look like they have potential but they need to work on their defense. I dont like seeing my team lose to our rivals. fight on! read more

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Every now and then you hear a sports commentator talk about how a certain team might need a new arena. That's not the case here. Galen Center is a venue that deserves a better team. I can't believe a team like USC would only draw 3,983 for a fairly decent opponent like New Mexico. Growing up in Big Ten country, I am used to sellouts. It is beautiful, it is clean and every single employee I had an interaction with (or even passed by) was as friendly as can be. In fact just before game time, 1 of them even offered to upgrade us from our cheapo $5.00 seats on the second level, to the first row behind the baseline. This was my niece's first college basketball game and now she is spoiled forever. What happens if she attends a college like Michigan State or Duke where people actually care about basketball and she has to camp out for three days just to get a ticket into the building? read more

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I went here in 2011 to watch my Kansas Jayhawks take on the USC Trojans. It was a very clean venue, a bunch of seating, and the people who worked there were friendly. Definitely a cool place to watch a basketball game, but no comparison to the Legendary Allen Fieldhouse! =P Still, check this venue out if you get the chance! read more

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I have to say I am totally impressed by the Galen Center. It's a very nicely designed moderately sized arena. Compared to the craphole gyms that the USC Womens Basketball and Volleyball teams had to play in, this is the Taj Mahal. Same can be said for the Mens Basketball team that had to play in the rat and roach infested Sports Arena. The long running joke at USC was that an arena would never be built. For decades, when asked about one, USC personnel would just give a sarcastic chuckle. However they finally got it done, they did an awesome job. Nice unobstructed seating, everything looks clean for a Downtown LA establishment and the HD video scoreboard that hangs over the court is incredibly clear and more colorful than real life. Nice cozy atmosphere, too. From a photographic standpoint, I love it even more! Awesome lighting! The Long Beach Walter Pyramid is nice, but this is nicer and more intimate. Daytime games are limiting though. The one side of the court that faces the huge windows facing Downtown give a crazy glare! Conversely, shooting from that side is awesome! Of course, with all good things, there is a negative. Parking is blows! When it takes 45 minutes to get out of the structure, there's no way you can find a positive about that. Add the maze-like and construction filled streets around the arena, it's a totally nightmare. It also costs at least $10. Another plus to USC finally getting an arena is that UCLA is forced to step up it's game. Plans are in the works for finally upgrading Pauley Pavilion. Can't wait to see what those Westsiders come up with! read more

Galen Center - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Let me start by saying I love all things Trojan. Was here again last weekend for a Basketball game against Arizona with a 4OT Victory! Good times! The venue is large enough to accommodate everyone but small enough so that all the seats are good. It is clean, easy to navigate in and out, parking across the street is close, and the crowd interaction is good during games. No trouble, No Thugs, No Drama Fight On! read more

Galen Center - 2nd level seats were great. $50 each - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This is a great venue that is nice and new. The north facing end has some windows so you can see downtown LA, a nice touch. The Stadium is easy to enter and never feels crowded. There are interesting displays throughout the stadium and bathrooms and concessions are never too far away. One compliant is that the main stairs inside the stadium make you back track. You must walk to the middle of the concourse, and then walk up, and then back out to your section. Hard to explain here, but you'll see what I mean if you are sitting up top. read more

I was there for OCAtv taping of the Xfactor audition so I was only at a portion of the center. The concession stand prices will kill you. The first thing I saw--$4.00 for a bottle of water, and they make you throw out your own water beforehand depending on the guard you get so good luck. In terms of how the court looked, the crew (whether it was the show crew or center staff), transformed the court into an amazing stage for X-Factor. The Center was clean and the bathroom was constantly being cleaned (which is a major plus for a large performing arts center because sometimes they don't get cleaned). read more

Saw USC lose to Nevada yesterday and was disappointed in THAT...... However The Galen center is awesome... Clean... Comfortable seats Great sound system And wonderful sightlines... We just need a better basketball te am And the place would be rockin and rollin... Glad the TROJANS play here Oh...and please beware...security is tight and Clear purses ONLY read more

I had a nice time at the men's basketball game. We won (thank goodness!) against Southern Utah (it was a huge blowout). The facility is clean and the entry was smooth (we got there super early and they let us in so we walked around just looking around at the awards in the walls). My only concern was that their food options were limited and not labeled well. My boyfriend ordered a turkey wrap and realized after taking one bite that there was bacon in it, which he does eat. They should really consider labeling ingredients or at least allergen info to reduce the threat of something serious happening it at the very least, wasting overpriced food. read more

Tough review for me. I like the new Galen Center, but the food really sucks. They have the typical game fare; dogs, popcorn, pretzel, candy etc... but nothing gourmet!? The Galen has great seats all over, but naturally the arena level is the best. At the USC games they do fun things to keep the crowd engaged, they have parachutes fall from the ceilings with gift cards, and the Sports Challet usually gives away a debit card with a surprise amount loaded on it. This past weekend I even got a witness a rare and exciting USC hoops victory over Oregon State. Fight on! The arena itself is very nice/new, but the food, which is a key part of any experience, is lacking. read more

One of the head of security at the Galen- not sure his name but white guy with dark brown hair, middle aged, and had a mustache was cursing and verbally abusing everyone who was there attending the USC graduation. I defended a couple people because he was screaming "fuck you" to a lady who wanted to take a camera in to take a photo of her graduating child during the ceremony and also at another man because he couldn't understand English. To be clear, the official commencement invitation as seen in the attached image only says "no water bottles and large backpacks" but nothing about not bringing your camera to take a photo of your graduating child. I told him I wanted to speak with his manager, along with the other lady and man and instead he got very close to face, uncomfortably close to where his lips were almost on mine and said "FUCK YOU ALL" so I told him I was uncomfortable with how close he got and he said "screw you you privileged fuck!" read more

Galen Center - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We sat in section 112 ... great views ... USC vs UCLA ... the venue is great everything is modern. Make sure you get here 20 minutes ahead of time to get thought the security check. Females must have a clear purse no larger than 12x12 ... also no alcohol is served inside so make sure to get your drinks before you head over. Also they have several new parking structures and restaurants nearby ... so long as you don't mind paying 25 dollars for parking. read more

Galen Center - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Los Angeles, California

First off the Galen Center gets five stars just because USC built it to get out of the decrepit sports arena. This review is for the Galen Center's basketball configuration. In my mind this is one of the best venues for watching high level basketball in it's purest form. To start off with the venue has tremendous leg room. My husband likes it that people can get by without him having to get up which is the usual case considering how tall he is. It is rare in today's profit centric venues to have the spectator experience built into the design. I have seen multiple basketball games at this venue and every seat for which I have been deposited has reaped fantastic lines of sight, tremendous spectacle appeal, and almost always victorious conditions. Parking here is a breeze if one provides themselves sufficient time and utilizes the adjacent Radisson structure. From the structure it is two hops and a skip (okay maybe just a little bit farther) walk to the brick adorned classic architecture of this stand out stadium. Once inside one immediately is immersed into the heritage of the greatest athletic institution in America. Adorning the walls are pictures and a chronology of the greatest of all Trojan athletes. Further proof that this one of the great destinations for basketball games are the freebies that Trojan athletics has provided. This year alone I have a t-shirt, glossy program and several frame ready team posters. Because you already read the above paragraph and arrived with sufficient time you have the opportunity to go into the Trojan store here. The selection is different than what you find at the bookstore on campus and will outfit you like the true spirited fan you must be. Don't worry we will know who the true Trojans are because they can afford the higher than anticipated prices for the gear within. Basically be willing to shell out the green stuff because you will want the gear and it doesn't come cheap. The food is pretty standard with hot dogs, nachos, popcorn and some pizza by the slice. Every time I've come here the lines have not been too long so I can get my dog, dress it up, grab a beverage and still get to my luxurious seating unit before the unusually tall people jump up in unison to tip that round ball. From this point it is a basketball viewers nirvana, with the band playing Conquest, the Song Girls dancing and the Yell Leaders rallying the crowd it can only end in another Trojan victory. I know this however, win or lose, you will always be the victor when you buy a seat to view a game at the Galen Center. read more

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