Chopper Circle closes three hours before every single event at Ball Arena — every Nuggets game, every Avalanche playoff night, every sold-out concert, every Colorado Mammoth matchup. The road that loops the arena itself shuts between 9th and 11th Streets, and it stays closed until an hour after the event ends. First-timers discover this mid-approach, already fighting for position on Speer Boulevard alongside 19,000 other fans who all had the same plan.
Renting a bus to Ball Arena means your group clears that whole tangle before it starts — one pickup, one drop-off, no circling.
This guide covers exactly where a charter bus or party bus drops off at Ball Arena, what the parking lots actually cost on game nights, how the post-game rideshare surge works and what waiting through it typically looks like, and which vehicle fits your group's headcount. For the full picture on group runs across Denver sports venues, see the Denver sporting event transportation page.
Why Rent a Bus to Ball Arena?
Start with the parking math. On a Nuggets or Avalanche game night, Ball Arena's official lots run $35–$40 per car in the standard Toyota-branded lots. The Toyota RAV4 Premier Lot — the closest option to the main entrance — runs $70 per car on game nights.
The TRD-Pro Lot's valet service is reserved for permit holders and Club Lexus members on Nuggets and Avalanche nights, and runs $85–$95 on the nights it's open to the public (Mammoth games and concerts). A 30-person fan group driving in separately needs roughly eight to ten cars. At the standard $35 rate, that's $280–$350 in parking before a single person has scanned a ticket — and that's before anyone pays to get home.
One charter bus to Ball Arena covers the whole group for one flat rate split across everyone, parks once, and eliminates the lot-shopping entirely.
Beyond cost, the coordination problem is real. Chopper Circle's event-day closure affects approach routes, where vehicles can stage, and how your group reassembles after the game. Split a 30-person group across separate cars and rideshares, and the post-game "where are you?" texts start the moment the buzzer sounds.
One bus ends that conversation before it begins. denverpartybus.org makes it easy to find the right-size vehicle through a large network of bus companies serving Denver — fill out the quick form or call 720-597-7100 and you can have pricing in under a minute.
Charter Bus and Party Bus Drop-Off at Ball Arena
As of September 15, 2024, Ball Arena's official drop-off and pickup zone for rideshares, taxis, and limos is the 4Runner West parking lot at the intersection of 5th and Walnut Streets — and that location only, per the arena's event-day street closures and staging page. This zone sits outside the Chopper Circle closure, which means vehicles can reach it and stage without hitting the blocked section of road between 9th and 11th Streets.
For charter buses and large party buses, the approach works around the same open perimeter streets. The 9th Street roundabout serves as the designated ADA-accessible drop-off and pickup point, per the official Ball Arena parking and directions page. On a midweek Mammoth game, approach and staging are relatively straightforward; on a sold-out Nuggets playoff night, the streets around Speer and Auraria Parkway fill fast, and staging the bus a few minutes before the crowd clears is the move.
When you book through denverpartybus.org, the support team confirms the current event-day logistics for your specific date — what's true for a Tuesday lacrosse game can look different from a Saturday night concert sellout.
Chopper Circle is closed between 9th and 11th Streets for every Ball Arena event — beginning three hours before doors open and not reopening until one hour after the event ends. Any approach plan that routes to Chopper Circle during that window hits a closed road. The 5th and Walnut drop-off zone and the 9th Street roundabout for ADA service are the points that work.
Ball Arena Parking: Costs and Group Logistics
Ball Arena's Toyota-branded lots open three hours before every event, and they sell out on high-demand nights. Per the official parking page, here is what each lot runs on Avalanche and Nuggets game nights: the Toyota 4Runner Lot and Elitch's Lot are both $35; the Toyota Tundra Lot is the only lot that accepts cash, at $45, with a $5 discount to $40 for credit or debit card; the Toyota RAV4 Lot (Premier, closest to the main entrance) is $70; the Toyota Camry Lot (VIP, southwest side) requires a VIP parking permit for Avalanche and Nuggets games rather than being sold to the general public; and the TRD-Pro Valet Lot is reserved for permit holders and Club Lexus members on those same nights, running $85 for Mammoth games and $90–$95 for concerts and other events. Concert nights are typically a few dollars higher across the standard public lots.
Colorado Mammoth games come in lower across the board — the RAV4 drops to $60 and the 4Runner Lot drops to $25 — so the event type matters when you're doing the math.
On playoff nights and sold-out concerts, the premium lots — RAV4 and Valet — go fast, often days before the event. A group of 40 people driving separately needs roughly ten cars. At the standard $35 rate, that's $350 in parking alone.
One 56-passenger charter bus to Ball Arena handles the entire group in one vehicle, one park, one flat rate split across everyone. The per-head number gets better the bigger the group is, and for 40 people it's almost always decisive. Check the Denver party bus prices page to see how the numbers stack up for your specific headcount.
The Post-Game Exit and Why a Charter Bus Skips It
Here is how the end of a sold-out Nuggets game or Avalanche playoff night typically goes for groups without a bus. Nineteen-thousand people clear the arena at roughly the same time, all converging on the 4Runner West lot at 5th and Walnut to request rideshares. Surge pricing hits within minutes of the final horn — post-event tracking at Ball Arena puts the typical spike at 2x–4x standard rates for the first 20–30 minutes after the crowd clears, with pickup wait times running 15–35 minutes depending on event size and weather.
A ride to LoDo that cost $12 before the game can run $35–$50 on the way home, and everyone in your group is ordering separately, arriving at separate times, paying separately.
A Denver charter bus rental solves the exit the same way it solved the arrival. Your bus is staged nearby during the game, your group agrees on a pickup window before anyone splits up, and when you walk out together the bus is already there — no surge, no wait, no regrouping across a parking structure in the cold. The bus takes the fastest cleared route back toward I-25 while the crowd is still working through Speer.
We recommend checking the official Ball Arena parking and directions page before your event for any updated staging details.
Driving to Ball Arena: Routes, Timing, and Traffic
Ball Arena sits at 1000 Chopper Circle, accessible from I-25 in both directions. From I-25 northbound, take Exit 210B for Auraria Parkway and use 7th, 9th, or 11th Street to reach the arena. From I-25 southbound, take Exit 212B onto Speer Boulevard and turn onto Chopper Circle from there.
From downtown Denver, Speer Boulevard to Auraria Parkway to 9th Street is the natural route. Approximate drive times from common group pickup points before event traffic hits:
| From… | Approx. distance | Off-peak drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Denver / LoDo | ~1 mile | 5–10 minutes |
| Denver Tech Center | ~14 miles | 20–30 minutes |
| Aurora | ~10 miles | 20–25 minutes |
| Westminster / Broomfield | ~18 miles | 25–35 minutes |
| Boulder | ~30 miles | 40–55 minutes |
| Denver International Airport (DEN) | ~26 miles | 30–40 minutes |
Those numbers flip on event nights. I-25 southbound heading toward the Speer exits backs up well before tip-off, and Speer Boulevard itself — the main artery between the highway and the arena — clogs from both directions as game time approaches. On sold-out nights, building in an extra 30–45 minutes over the off-peak estimate keeps your group from arriving stressed at gate time.
The arena's own perimeter (Chopper Circle, 9th Street, Auraria Parkway) is always the tightest stretch regardless of which approach you take in from the north or south.
For groups flying in from out of town, the Denver International Airport bus guide covers DEN-specific pickup logistics in full — one bus collects everyone at the terminal curb and runs straight to the arena or the hotel, no transfer scramble with luggage.
What Size Bus Does Your Ball Arena Group Need?
Ball Arena draws everything from small corporate suite groups to fan parties of 50. The right vehicle comes down to headcount and pickup location. Here's how the full vehicle lineup maps to a Ball Arena run:
| Vehicle | Typical seats | Best for | Key amenities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van | Up to ~14 | Small corporate groups, VIP suite holders, executive shuttles from downtown hotels | Premium leather, USB charging, tinted privacy windows |
| 14-passenger Sprinter limo | Up to 14 | Birthday groups, anniversary game nights, smaller celebrations | Leather seating, privacy glass, premium sound |
| Party bus (15–50 passengers) | ~15–50 | Fan groups, concert nights, birthday runs, celebration groups | Built-in bar, color-changing LED lighting, Bluetooth sound, flat-panel TVs, perimeter seating |
| 15–35 passenger minibus | ~15–35 | Mid-size groups, corporate shuttles, company outing groups | Powerful A/C, plush reclining seats, overhead storage |
| 40–56 passenger charter bus | Up to 56 | Large fan groups, company events, convention shuttles from downtown Denver hotels to Ball Arena | Reclining seats, climate control, overhead bins, WiFi, power outlets, onboard restrooms, undercarriage storage bays |
For fan groups of 20–30 heading to a Nuggets game or an Avalanche playoff run, a 25-passenger party bus or 30-passenger party bus is the most common pick on the Denver network — the LED and sound setup makes the ride there feel like the night has already started, and the size is right for a group that would otherwise fill seven or eight cars. For larger outings — a company suite night or a 45-person birthday group — a 56-passenger charter bus handles everyone in one trip and brings the undercarriage storage bays for anything the group is hauling. ADA-accessible vehicles are available; note it in your quote request and it can be arranged.
Ball Arena Charter Bus and Party Bus Rental Prices
denverpartybus.org pulls quotes from a large network of bus companies serving Denver, so the price reflects your actual date and real-time availability rather than a generic rate sheet. To give you a planning range: a minibus in Denver typically runs $200–$250 per hour on weekdays and $200–$275 per hour on weekends. A 25- to 28-passenger party bus generally runs $250–$350 per hour on weekdays and $275–$375 per hour on weekends.
A full 56-passenger charter bus comes in at $200–$350 per hour, with per-day rates running $1,350–$2,850 for longer trips. Those ranges move with the specific date, total hours booked, and how far the pickup is from the arena — a sold-out Nuggets playoff night prices differently than a Wednesday Mammoth game.
Once you split any of those numbers across 25, 30, or 40 people, the per-head cost routinely undercuts what the group would have paid in parking alone. To give you a concrete idea: a 30-person fan group booking a party bus for a Nuggets playoff game — pickup at 6:00 PM from a LoDo hotel, at Ball Arena by 6:30, pickup again after the final buzzer — might run $1,300–$1,700 for a 4-hour block, or roughly $43–$57 per person, with zero parking math and no post-game surge fare in that number.
Call 720-597-7100 or fill out the quick online form — pricing comes back in under a minute, no account required, no obligation. The Denver party bus prices page also has current rate ranges by vehicle type.
RTD Light Rail and Public Transit to Ball Arena
Ball Arena has its own light rail station right on the arena's west side: Ball Arena–Elitch Gardens Station, served by the E and W lines of the RTD system. Confirm the current service map at rtd-denver.com before your visit. From Union Station — Denver's central transit hub about a mile east of the arena — the light rail ride is about 2 minutes, or a 10–15-minute walk west along Wewatta Street.
RTD also runs a bus stop at 9th Street and Auraria Parkway, adjacent to the arena grounds. The free MallRide shuttle currently operates on 15th and 17th Streets during 16th Street Mall reconstruction and connects to Union Station, which links to the light rail network and the University of Colorado A Line commuter rail to DEN. Light rail is a clean option for two or four people coming from a downtown hotel.
For a group of 25 heading to a playoff game, keeping everyone on the same car going and finding each other on the same post-game train home is a different kind of coordination problem. A private Denver party bus rental keeps the whole group together both ways, with an agreed pickup window after the game instead of a platform scramble.
What's On at Ball Arena in 2026
Ball Arena hosts more than 250 events a year, and the calendar rarely has a quiet stretch. The regular-season anchors are the Denver Nuggets (NBA, October through April — the Nuggets clinched a playoff berth in the 2025–26 season) and the Colorado Avalanche (NHL, October through April — the Avs won the Presidents' Trophy in 2025–26 with the best record in the league before a run to the Western Conference Final). The Colorado Mammoth (NLL lacrosse) fills the arena on its own December-through-May schedule.
Any of those playoff runs — Nuggets deep in May, Avalanche into June — drives significant demand for group transportation to Ball Arena on short notice, so locking in early on those dates matters.
The 2026 concert calendar at Ball Arena includes Kacey Musgraves in October, along with other major touring acts through the fall — a stretch where sold-out nights mean all the official lots are gone before showtime, and Speer Boulevard runs bumper-to-bumper from the interstate to the arena for two hours before doors. Concert nights and other high-demand dates are exactly when the right-size vehicle in the Denver network disappears fast. A Denver concert party bus rental for those nights should be booked as soon as the date is confirmed.
Call 720-597-7100 to check availability on your specific night. The full Ball Arena event calendar is at ballarena.com.
Ball Arena Guest Tips: Bag Policy, Entry, and What Surprises First-Timers
Ball Arena's bag policy catches more first-timers off guard than almost anything else about the venue. There is no clear-bag requirement — but that does not mean bags are welcome. Per the official prohibited items page: only clutches, wristlets, and fanny packs measuring no more than 4″ × 6″ × 1.5″ are permitted.
All other bags — purses, backpacks, totes, briefcases — are prohibited. Medical and diaper bags up to 14″ × 14″ × 6″ are allowed but go through X-ray screening at the gate. Ball Arena has no bag check and no lockers on-site.
If the bag does not clear the size limit, it stays outside — full stop.
A few other things worth knowing before your group arrives:
- Outside food and beverages are prohibited. For sports games, one empty metal or plastic water bottle up to 32 oz is permitted through the gate. Concerts are more restrictive — outside bottles are generally not allowed unless the specific event specifies otherwise. No cans, glass containers, or coolers make it through.
- The RAV4 Lot's $70 game-night rate surprises people. Many fans assume all official lots run the same price and discover the premium on arrival. The lots sell out on big nights — particularly the RAV4 and Valet — so any group planning to drive should buy parking well in advance, not count on day-of availability.
- Chopper Circle affects foot traffic, not just cars. If part of your group plans to grab food or a drink somewhere along Auraria Parkway before the game, coordinate the meet-up point before the closure goes into effect three hours before doors. A party bus picking everyone up from one location removes this variable entirely.
- ADA parking and access. ADA-accessible parking is available in the Toyota Camry North Lot (103 standard + 7 van spaces) and Toyota Tundra Lot (8 standard + 4 van spaces) with a valid state-issued permit, on a first-come, first-served basis. ADA rideshare drop-off and pickup uses the 9th Street roundabout.
Groups That Rent a Bus to Ball Arena
Nuggets and Avalanche fan groups. The most common Ball Arena bus request — 20 to 50 fans loaded from a hotel or a house in the suburbs, dropped at the arena, picked up post-game. The Denver sporting event transportation page covers game-day group runs across all Denver venues.
Corporate suite groups. Companies shuttling 15–30 clients or staff from downtown Denver hotels or the Denver Tech Center to a suite or club level at Ball Arena. A minibus is the right pick at that size — easy to stage near the arena, comfortable for an executive group, and right-sized so you're not paying for seats you don't need.
See the Denver corporate event transportation page for multi-stop itinerary options.
Concert groups from across the Front Range. Sold-out shows at Ball Arena draw groups from Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, and the mountain towns. The post-concert exit on Speer and I-25 is the last thing anyone wants to navigate after a three-hour show; a party bus has the whole group moving while the crowd is still working through the Chopper Circle perimeter.
Birthday and milestone groups. A game night that doubles as a 30th birthday or a company anniversary — Ball Arena is a frequent anchor for a Denver night out, and the party bus ride is part of the event, not just the commute. The Denver birthday party bus page has vehicle options for those occasions.
Planning a multi-venue Denver weekend? The Empower Field at Mile High guide covers Broncos game-day logistics and the Coors Field guide handles Rockies runs — both within a couple of miles of Ball Arena and easy to chain into a multi-stop trip through the Denver group transportation services page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does a charter bus or party bus drop off at Ball Arena?
As of September 15, 2024, the official Ball Arena drop-off and pickup zone for rideshares, taxis, and limos is the 4Runner West parking lot at the intersection of 5th and Walnut Streets, per the arena's event-day staging page. This location sits outside the Chopper Circle closure zone, which shuts between 9th and 11th Streets for every event. ADA-accessible drop-off and pickup uses the 9th Street roundabout.
Charter buses and large party buses approach via the perimeter streets that remain open — the exact staging point for your event date is confirmed when you book.
Is Chopper Circle open on event days?
No. Chopper Circle is closed between 9th and 11th Streets for every Ball Arena event, starting three hours before doors and not reopening until one hour after the event ends. This applies to all events year-round — Nuggets, Avalanche, Mammoth, and concerts alike. Any drop-off plan that routes to Chopper Circle during this window hits a closed road.
How much does Ball Arena parking cost?
On Nuggets and Avalanche game nights, the Toyota 4Runner and Elitch's lots both run $35. The Toyota Tundra Lot is the only lot that accepts cash, at $45, with a $5 discount to $40 for credit or debit card. The Toyota RAV4 Premier Lot runs $70.
The Toyota Camry Lot (VIP) and the TRD-Pro Valet Lot are reserved for permit holders and Club Lexus members on Nuggets and Avalanche nights rather than sold to the public. Lots open three hours before events and sell out on high-demand nights. See the official Ball Arena parking page for current event rates.
What light rail lines serve Ball Arena?
The Ball Arena–Elitch Gardens Station on the arena's west side is served by the E and W lines of RTD's light rail network. From Union Station, it's a 2-minute ride or roughly a 15-minute walk west. Confirm the current service map at rtd-denver.com before your visit.
RTD also runs a bus stop at 9th Street and Auraria Parkway adjacent to the arena grounds.
What is Ball Arena's bag policy?
There is no clear-bag requirement, but almost no bags are permitted. Per the official prohibited items page: clutches, wristlets, and fanny packs no larger than 4″ × 6″ × 1.5″ are allowed. All other bags — purses, backpacks, totes — are prohibited.
Medical and diaper bags up to 14″ × 14″ × 6″ are permitted with X-ray screening. There is no bag check or locker storage on-site.
How much does a party bus or charter bus rental to Ball Arena cost?
Pricing depends on vehicle size, total hours, the date, and pickup location. To give you a planning range: minibuses run roughly $200–$275 per hour; party buses in the 25–30 passenger range run $275–$425 per hour on weekends; a 56-passenger charter bus generally runs $200–$350 per hour. The fastest way to get an accurate number for your specific date is to call 720-597-7100 or use the online form — pricing comes back in under a minute, no account needed.
Can the bus wait during the game and pick us up after?
Yes. When you find and book a bus through denverpartybus.org, the vehicle is reserved for a block of hours — it drops your group at Ball Arena, stages nearby during the event, and is positioned at the agreed pickup point when the game or concert ends. Setting that post-game window in advance means the bus is already there when you walk out, instead of your group waiting on a rideshare surge at 5th and Walnut with everyone else.
Is there public transit from the airport to Ball Arena?
Yes, with one transfer. From Denver International Airport, the University of Colorado A Line commuter rail runs to Union Station (about 37 minutes), where you connect to the E or W light rail line for a 2-minute ride to Ball Arena–Elitch Gardens Station. Total transit time is roughly 45–55 minutes.
For a group flying in with luggage, one bus at the terminal curb avoids the transfer entirely — the Denver airport bus guide covers the DEN pickup process in detail.
How far in advance should I book a Ball Arena bus?
For playoff games and sold-out concerts — Nuggets and Avalanche playoff nights, multi-night concert weekends — book as soon as your date is confirmed. The right-size vehicle in Denver disappears fast on those dates. For regular-season games and most other events, two to four weeks of lead time is workable.
The earlier you call, the better the selection. Call 720-597-7100 to check availability now.
Book Your Ball Arena Bus Today
Whether it's a Nuggets playoff game, an Avalanche championship run, a Colorado Mammoth Saturday night, or a sold-out fall concert at 21,000 capacity, denverpartybus.org makes it fast and easy to compare charter buses, party buses, minibuses, and Sprinter vans through a large network of bus companies serving Denver. Fill out one quick form and get pricing in seconds — no account, no obligation, any time of day. Or call 720-597-7100 and a support team will pull a quote for your exact date and headcount in under a minute.
Your group arrives together, skips the Chopper Circle scramble, and walks out after the final buzzer with a bus already waiting — not a surge-priced rideshare and a 20-minute wait.
Ball Arena: 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver, CO 80204
