Went to the Prince Night themed Wild game a few weeks ago. It was super underwhelming compared to last year's celebration. Not to mention it's the 10 year anniversary of his passing. Wild games are generally fun. Super expensive but fun. Also the lines to get it in, they need to label where the lines should form, people were forming lines at doors they didn't open and that was a lot when people were trying to get in once the doors opened. Not much improvements since the rebranding. Parking options are $30+ for events. read more

Home of the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League, the Grand Casino Arena (recently renamed in 2025, formerly Xcel Energy Center) is located in downtown St Paul. My wife and I were given the opportunity to attend the Wild-Blackhawks game on March 19, 2026 with partial season ticket holders, and really enjoyed it. The arena was completed in 2000, with the Wild playing their inaugural season that same year. It can seat almost 18,000 people and we found the sightlines to be really good with decent, comfortable seating. Concessions were well organized, though prices were high, showing the cost of going out to a game these days. A nice feature was using spectator's smart phones to create flashed coordination throughout the arena. Bathrooms were well placed throughout, and lines were short, even during the two intermissions between periods. On the concourse are displayed hockey jerseys of every hockey playing high school in the state, pushing the 'State of Hockey', and the arena being THE place for the yearly high school championships. The professional women's hockey team (Minnesota Frost) calls the arena 'home' as well. Going with locals has many benefits, one of which is getting parking that allows a quick exit onto the freeway, as opposed to the spots close to the arena that were pretty backed up. And the night had a happy ending (for me), as the Hawks beat the Wild for the first time in regulation here since 2017, 2-1. read more

Grand Casino Arena - Arena - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Always a good time watching the Wild play at the Grand Casino Arena. The lower bowl seats are incredible and priced fairly well compared to other events. The facilities are plentiful. You never have to stand in line too long for the bathrooms or to get food. It takes less than a minute to get checked in and scanned through the door. This is one of the best sports experiences I have been to and we will continue to come back! read more

Grand Casino Arena - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Tips: - It's best to leave you massive handbag in your car or at home when you come here. - Collect Wild 4Ever rewards at concession stands that have humans. Xcel Energy Center was home to the Minnesota Wild for 25 years. This year, the venue was rebranded as Grand Casino Arena. As with most name changes to sporting venues, I either do it seamlessly or it doesn't happen. SkyDome to Rogers Centre in Toronto? I still call it SkyDome. It's a dome that retracts, depending on the weather. What's the nickname for Grand Casino Arena? I kind of like GCA. It's easier to rattle off the acronym. Short and sweet. Structurally, the place is the same, except for a ton of rebranding, which is primarily signs and the name on the ice. Otherwise, it's pretty much the same venue. I've been a Wild season ticket holder (it's an 11-ticket pack, as I am not rich) for the last six year. I like my seat and taking in live Wild games. The food at GCA is phenomenal compared to other sporting venues. The pulled pork poutine is authentic. The only difference is getting real cheese curds from Wisconsin instead of Quebec. It's quality. I like eating here. There's happy hour an hour before the puck drops. I tend to get a fountain drink and a hot dog at special happy hour prices. However, there are special food and drink items that I love. Section 117 has Minnesota State Fair items. I'm never around in the summer to attend it. I recently got to enjoy a pronto pup and a shepherd's handheld pie. Delicious! I love fair food. If you feel like ice cream, you can get a scoop of ice cream in a Wild collector helmet near section 117. If you feel like dining before the game, I like the Taphouse for wings. The peanut butter and jelly ones are so good. I also like to splurge and go for a fun dining experience at Flynt & Kyndle. You get a starter, main, dessert, and a drink for a fixed price. The downside is that it feels rushed to eat everything before heading down to take your seat for the game. GCA has a clear bag policy. I don't bother bringing a bag after what I went through a few years ago when it was Xcel Energy Center and the dimensions that the female staffer had were wrong. I bring my vehicle fob, a credit card or two, my phone, and me. That's it. Entry is much easier. You walk through the security scanner. The place got rid of the bin in which you placed your phone and belongings. It's much faster getting into the venue. Gate 4 is where you enter, unless you have club seats. It's straightforward. You get your ticket scanned and off you go. I do like some of the free stuff that you get here. I have everything from a nightlight from Xcel Energy, to a Wild insulated travel mug. As far as seats go, I feel comfortable sitting in my seat. There's lots of leg room. I have a cup holder for my drink. It's clean. It's all good. The Wild 4Ever Rewards booth is at section 113. If you redeem points towards merchandise, you have to option to pick it up here or have it mailed to you. The Wild don't ship merchandise outside of the US, so I always pick up. Staff are super friendly. I got to meet my Wild sales rep, Megan, for the first time last weekend. She made my experience at this game versus the Ottawa Senators so memorable. She came to my seat with a box. I had no idea what it was. The man seated next to me on my left was curious. So was I! I started to unbox my item. The man on my right handed me his keys to make it easier for me to tear the tape off. So nice! It's expected. Minnesotans are nice. I got a commemorative Wild 25th anniversary ticket. It was so beautiful. I scanned the QR code, which played a nice video going through the entire Wild's existence in two minutes. Washrooms are clean. I like the ledges to put your drinks and stuff down. There are handrails for every staircase that you use. There are also elevators to get you to different levels, manned by an employee. There isn't a bad seat in this venue. I have seen Guster and John Mayer at the 100 level and Madonna at the 200 level. All were fabulous and memorable concert experiences. The only downside that I have witnessed in the last two years is seeing staffer jobs being eliminated by self-serve services. I used to have a chat with the woman at the RiverCentre parking ramp. Humans at that parking lot have been replaced by a QR code that you scan and pay for parking. In section 121, there's a vending area where I tend to pick up a Diet Coke, cookies, and popcorn, and chat with two female staffers. They have been replaced by self-serve kiosks. You also can't collect 4Ever Wild reward points here. Before I leave the arena, I visit the Hockey Lodge for merchandise. I tend to get a t-shirt. Humans at the checkout have also been replaced by self-serve kiosks. I like this venue. The food and experience are wonderful. It's sad seeing staffers who have been fixtures for years get replaced by self-serve kiosks. (483) read more

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When watching a hockey game in person, there is no better place to be. They have great food, great food, and great fans. The interludes in the game have fun entertainment and they make sure fans have a great time. read more

Grand Casino Arena - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

I can't say enough wonderful words about Grand Casino Arena. It's located in the heart of the capital city of St Paul. It hosts events such as the Minnesota Wild hockey club, concerts, Disney on Ice, etc. On this particular visit we were attending MN Wild taking on the CO Avalanche on Native American Heritage Day. They had lovely tributes throughout the entire game to all the tribes across Minnesota. All tribes were represented. I have to say we were gifted by a family friend these 2 tickets in row 15. The seats were incredible. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful throughout the arena. We had the best time ever! Especially cause the Wild won in a shootout against the top team in the NHL. read more

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The Grand Casino Arena is a slightly dated yet welcoming and friendly ice and concert venue. Seeing the Minnesota Wild there as a neutral fan was a great experience and while the promenade is a bit tight and confusing in some points it's also extremely warm and homey in the way it looks. Food and drink options are great and plentiful and there doesn't seem to be a bad seat in the house. read more

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Grand Casino Arena is filled with fun! My visit was for an MN Wild hockey game. Place was clean, and the staff is very friendly. read more

Grand Casino Arena - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Great arena for concerts and hockey games! Formally known as Xcel Energy Center, this downtown Saint Paul venue hosts many great events! We recently attended a Wild hockey game and the Pentatonix concert and had a great time at both events! Staff were super friendly and helpful. I recommend coming in through the gate attached to the river center. Super fast checkpoint and out of the elements. Food and drinks are a bit expensive but that is expected at big arenas. There is a wide range of foods to choose from though! There are paid parking lots a plenty and we often will walk a few blocks to park in a cheaper lot. I recommend arriving early during a hockey game to test your luck on the Grand Casino "wheel." read more

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I was at the GCA for the Jonas Brothers concert on 10/10/2025. My seat was at section 117 Entry: GCA has a clear bag policy. Security made an announcement before entry that those who had a bag bigger than a certain size, they carried a pocket size card to measure, that we needed to go to gate 1 or 3. Merch: They had security monitor the queue to the merch table. The one nearby my section was closed off because there was a lot of people. I thought the line moved quick. There were 4-5 people working the merch table and so they have guests move down to wait behind the buying guests. (I thought it was a cleaver way to move things along.) Food/Drinks: I am grateful that they leave the water bottle cap intact. Previous experience was the facility would uncap your water bottle to prevent guests from chucking the cap onto the stage. For me, I am grateful because I don't chug/drink my water or pop in one go and most of the time need to carry it home. So I am grateful. It was $7 for a Dasani water bottle. Concert: It was fantastic. One of the screens seems to have some technical issues where it stopped showing video of the stage, but it recover quickly. Exit: Leaving GCA was a nightmare. It was like everyone just merge onto the first floor, shoulder to shoulder as everyone is trying to leave, but the line was not moving for a while. Perhaps GCA could have a better way for people to leave the facility. read more

What a large venue! Was here for Disney on Ice and boy do they know how to put on a show! Plenty of paid parking in covered lots but it can get expensive I think depending on the event. There is a skyway so you never have to go outside. Lots of comfortable seating with a decent amount of space in between and cup holders. Most of the seats will allow you a decent view. Food options are what you expect, fries, pretzels, pizza, beer, water, at a premium price of course! Enjoyed being here like always! read more

Hockey, concert, and all around fun. It feels sturdy even when you're in the cheap seats. I prefer this place over the target center. Each seat is a good seat. IMO read more

I've been to this stadium a number of times for various events & it's always a good time! There really hasn't been a time where I've had a bad seat, & the bathrooms have all been very clean. They also have a wide range of events, from sports to concerts to shows, all in St. Paul. I do wish that the train line was closer, since it's a bit of a hike from the train stop to the stadium. The food & drinks are also quite expensive (I suppose that's the norm now, but I'd rather pay more for a ticket & pay less for concessions). read more

Great place for a concert, fun and energetic ticket takers and ushers! Lots of variety of foods and drinks. Soft serve ice cream is yummy read more

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Nice venue! Maybe more signs to point you toward various exits or maps would be helpful. read more