MetLife Stadium Guide: Parking, Bag Policy, Seating & Getting There (Plus NJ’s Big Venues)

Both of New York’s NFL teams play their home games in New Jersey, which surprises plenty of first-time visitors. MetLife Stadium sits in the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, about 8 miles west of Midtown Manhattan, and it’s home to the Giants and the Jets, stadium-size concert tours (12 shows played here in the eight weeks after the World Cup) and, on July 19, 2026, the World Cup final. It holds 82,500 for football, the largest capacity in the NFL, and the hard part of a visit is everything around the game: there’s no subway, there’s no paying at the gate for parking on NFL days, the bag rules are strict, and everyone wants to leave at the same moment.

This page is the independent visitor’s version of the stadium rulebook: how the Secaucus train and the 351 bus work, what parking and tailgating involve, what you can carry in, where the seats and the food are, and every Giants and Jets home game left in 2026. After that it covers the rest of New Jersey’s big venues the same way, from Prudential Center and Sports Illustrated Stadium to NJPAC, the summer amphitheaters, the racetracks and the theaters, with what’s on this fall and how to get there.

Quick answer: From New York, take NJ Transit from Penn Station to Secaucus Junction and change to the Meadowlands shuttle train ($6.60 each way from Penn Station in 2026; trains run only for events expected to draw more than 50,000), or ride Coach USA’s 351 bus from Port Authority ($18 round trip). On Giants and Jets game days you can’t pay to park on arrival: buy a parking permit ahead or use the $65 off-site lot. Carry a clear bag no bigger than 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or nothing, and leave the cash at home; the stadium doesn’t take it.

Last updated October 4, 2026. Parking, transit, bag and entry rules, schedules and prices were checked on October 3, 2026, against the stadium’s, the teams’, NJ Transit’s, Coach USA’s and each venue’s own websites, and every price is dated in the text. Drive times are light-traffic routing estimates from Times Square and Philadelphia City Hall.

• Free: bag check outside the gates at NFL games ($5 at other events), entry for children up to 34 inches tall who share a ticketed adult’s seat, water fountain refills for an empty bottle of 20 ounces or less, and the Giants Legacy Club museum on Giants game days.
• Book ahead: NFL parking permits, event-specific NJ Transit tickets in the app, 351 bus tickets online (online buyers board first) and public stadium tours, which are sold only on Ticketmaster.
• Banned or changed: backpacks, umbrellas, strollers, seat cushions and cash at the concession stands; train riders now need a wristband from Secaucus; and the World Cup’s “New York New Jersey Stadium” name is gone. See What’s changed.
• Costs to expect (2026): $6.60 each way by train from New York Penn ($5 more if you buy on board), $18 round trip on the 351, $65 at the off-site NFL lot, concert parking priced event by event, and a 3% Meadowlands assessment on top of the usual hotel taxes nearby.

On this page: At a glance | Getting there | Parking and tailgating | Bags and rules | Seats | Food | 2026 home games | Big nights | Game-day timeline | Stay and next door | Other big venues | More stages | Teams | Golf | What’s changed | What to skip | FAQ

MetLife Stadium at a Glance

What	The details (checked October 3, 2026)
Address	One MetLife Stadium Drive, East Rutherford, NJ 07073; about 8 miles west of Midtown Manhattan and 10 miles north of Newark airport
Opened	April 10, 2010, at a cost of $1.6 billion
Capacity	82,500 for football and soccer, the most in the NFL; about 50,000 for most concerts
Home teams	The New York Giants and the New York Jets
Biggest nights	Super Bowl XLVIII (February 2, 2014) and the World Cup final (July 19, 2026)
By train	NJ Transit to Secaucus Junction, then the Meadowlands shuttle; $6.60 each way from New York Penn (2026), big events only
By bus	Coach USA 351 from Port Authority Bus Terminal, $18 round trip (2026)
NFL parking	Pre-paid permits only; off-site lot at 20 Murray Hill Parkway, $65 with a shuttle (2026)
Hours	Lots open 5 hours before an event and close 2 hours after; gates open 2 hours before most events
Bags	One clear bag up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches
Paying	Cash-free; free reverse ATMs turn cash into a prepaid card
Drive	15 min from Times Square with no traffic (budget much longer on event days), 2 hr from Philadelphia

Getting to MetLife Stadium by Train, Bus or Car

There are three ways in: NJ Transit’s event trains through Secaucus, Coach USA’s 351 bus from Port Authority, or a car (yours, a taxi or a rideshare). From Manhattan the train is the most predictable, because it doesn’t sit in the traffic of a 27,500-space parking lot emptying at once. From most of New Jersey, driving is the realistic choice.

By train: NJ Transit via Secaucus Junction

Take any NJ Transit train to Secaucus Junction, go down to the lower level and change to the Meadowlands shuttle, which runs straight to Meadowlands Station beside the stadium. Shuttle trains also run from Hoboken Terminal; there’s no direct train from anywhere else. The ride from Secaucus takes 10 to 15 minutes, and you get off by the HCLTech Gate, between Lots A and B.

Three rules catch people out:

• It only runs for big events. NJ Transit runs Meadowlands trains only for events expected to draw more than 50,000 people. As of October 3, 2026, service is scheduled for every Giants and Jets home game through Week 18, plus Usher and Chris Brown on October 15 and the Army-Navy Game on December 12. For anything smaller, there’s no train.
• You need a wristband. New in 2026, riders get a wristband at Secaucus Junction by showing a ticket to Meadowlands Station, and only wristband wearers can board the trains to the stadium and back. If you arrived another way and want to ride back to Secaucus, tents by the stadium station sell wristbands from 2.5 hours before kickoff, good only for the Meadowlands-Secaucus leg.
• Buy before you board. The 2026 fares (since July 1) are $6.60 each way from New York Penn Station or Newark Penn, $3.65 from Hoboken and $2.65 from Secaucus, with reduced fares of $2.90, $1.55 and $1.20 for children 5 to 11, seniors 62 and older and riders with disabilities. A ticket bought on the train costs $5 more. The NJ Transit app now sells event-specific tickets that are good only on your game day and activate on their own. PATH isn’t cross-honored, so if you go home through Hoboken, PATH is a separate fare.

For a 1 p.m. kickoff the timetable looks like the one for the Giants’ October 4 game against Arizona: the first train leaves New York Penn at 9:14 a.m., shuttles leave Secaucus from 9:41 a.m. until the last stadium-bound train at 2:15 p.m., and return trains start at 10:42 a.m. and keep going after the final whistle, with the last one leaving no earlier than 6:15 p.m. Every game gets its own timetable on njtransit.com/meadowlands. One more wrinkle for this fall: from October 11 to November 14, 2026, NJ Transit runs special Portal Cutover schedules on nearly every rail line while Amtrak finishes the new Portal North Bridge, with fewer trains through Secaucus, so check the trip home before a game in that window.

By bus: the 351 from Port Authority

Coach USA’s 351 Meadowlands Express runs from the Port Authority Bus Terminal to the stadium for NFL games and other large events. The round trip costs $18 (2026): buy online (online ticket holders board first), at the South Wing main floor ticket windows 11 to 15, or with exact fare on the bus. Buses leave from the South Wing’s third floor, Gates 411 to 414, or from a street stop on 41st Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues, depending on the event, and there’s a newly added pick-up at the George Washington Bridge (Rockland Coaches, Gate 4). Service starts 2.5 to 3 hours before the event (Coach USA says three, the stadium says two and a half), the ride takes about 20 minutes when traffic cooperates, and the last bus back leaves about an hour after the event ends. At the stadium, buses load next to Lot K; leave by the MetLife Gate. For some fall games, a Megabus partnership sells reserved seats on premium coaches at a time you pick. No alcohol on the buses.

NJ Transit’s local 703 bus serves the area around the complex, and routes 85, 703 and 772 stop at American Dream, but on major event days the 703 stays out of the complex from two hours before the event until an hour after it ends and stops on request along Paterson Plank Road instead.

By car, taxi or rideshare

With no traffic, the drive is about 15 minutes from Times Square and 2 hours from Philadelphia; on an event day, those numbers are fiction. The complex has about 27,500 parking spaces (see parking below). If you’d rather drive part of the way, the ParkFast lot at Secaucus Junction (off New Jersey Turnpike Exit 15X) has 1,100 spaces, is open 24 hours and connects with the event trains; reserve ahead and make sure trains are running for your event.

Rideshare drop-off is on the roadway between Lots D and E. Pick-up is the Rideshare Zone in Lot E, off West Peripheral Road outside the Verizon Gate, and the stadium itself warns that surge pricing is common after events and waits can run past two hours. Taxis and limos drop off and pick up for free at the curb between Lots D and E. Every vehicle entering the complex can be searched by the New Jersey State Police, sometimes with a dog, and anyone who parks on the nearby roads, medians or shoulders gets ticketed and towed.

Parking and Tailgating at the Meadowlands

How you park depends on who’s playing. Giants and Jets games run on pre-paid permits; concerts and everything else work more like a normal stadium lot. On every event day the lots open 5 hours before the start and close 2 hours after the finish, drivers who show up before the lots open are turned away from the complex, and overnight parking isn’t allowed.

NFL game days: permits only

Every vehicle entering the complex on a Giants or Jets game day needs a pre-paid parking permit; there’s no pay-on-arrival parking at the stadium lots on NFL days (as of October 2026). Permits are sold through Ticketmaster and the NFL Ticket Exchange in two tiers. Gold covers Lots B, D, J, K, L, M and P, Deck A and all the lots near American Dream; Platinum covers Lots E, F and G, the ones next to the stadium (the Jets add Lot S). The number on a permit doesn’t reserve a space, one permit is good for one space, and lost or stolen permits aren’t replaced. They come as hang tags, printed barcodes (on the dashboard) or QR codes shown on a phone. Neither team posts a single-game price in advance; the Jets say theirs is set the week of the game.

No permit? The stadium’s fallback is an off-site lot at 20 Murray Hill Parkway in East Rutherford, open for both teams’ home games, at $65 (cash or card, as posted in October 2026) with a shuttle to and from Lot G. Or take the train, which costs a lot less than $65 for two people.

Concerts and other events

For concerts, college games and everything else, you can prepay through ParkWhiz for most events or pay when you arrive. Prices change from event to event and the stadium doesn’t post them, and the toll plazas take cash or chip cards (American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Discover; no swiping). Charter buses go to Lot L, and oversized vehicles can’t use the enclosed American Dream deck.

Accessible parking: on Jets game days, drivers with a valid disability plate or placard and a pre-paid permit are sent to accessible spaces in Lots E, F and G, and the person the placard belongs to has to be in the car. The 2026 maps mark accessible spaces in those three lots for every event, plus shuttle stops for remote Lot P (to the Moody’s Gate) and the lots and decks by American Dream. At the gates, any staff member can call an Accessibility Assistant to take a guest to their seat by wheelchair.

Tailgating rules

Tailgating is a Meadowlands institution, and it’s allowed in every lot unless signs say otherwise, under a strict “one car, one space” rule: your setup stays in your own lined space and the area directly in front of or behind your car. Extra permits can’t be used to claim more spaces, saving spaces isn’t allowed, and patrols enforce it, with towing, ejection and lost permits (or season-ticket licenses) as the penalties. The rest of the rulebook:

• Grills are fine at a safe distance from cars, but open fires, deep fryers and anything frying in oil are banned, and no grills at all are allowed in the parking decks. Dump hot coals only in the orange “hot charcoal” bins on the islands between lots. The stadium recommends keeping a Class 2A-10B:C fire extinguisher handy.
• Tents and canopies can’t be bigger than 8 by 8 feet. Vehicles longer than 18 feet or wider than 8 feet can’t park in a lined space.
• Music can’t go above 65 decibels and has to face your own car.
• No drones, kites, fireworks, bicycles, skateboards, scooters or ball playing, no selling food or tailgate access, and no outside caterers: Delaware North, which runs the stadium’s food, is the only caterer allowed on the complex.
• On NFL days you need a parking permit to tailgate. If you came by train or bus, the pre-game plazas by the stadium and the Bud Light Beer Garden in Lot F (open for Giants and Jets games) are your tailgate.
• For Jets games, there’s no tailgating in the parking garages on the American Dream side or in the marked no-tailgating area of Lot G.

Check your event’s page for a separate tailgating cutoff (the only posted hours are the lots’ 5-hours-before, 2-hours-after window) and for any rule on kegs or glass in the lots. New Jersey’s alcohol laws are enforced there, and glass can’t come inside the stadium, so leave the bottles at home and check your event’s page for anything concert-specific.

Bag Policy, Tickets and Stadium Rules

MetLife follows the NFL’s clear-bag policy for every event. You can carry one clear bag no bigger than 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus one small clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. Medically necessary items are allowed after inspection. Anything bigger can be checked outside the gates: free at NFL games (between the Verizon and HCLTech gates) and $5 at other events. Backpacks, fanny packs and diaper bags don’t get in.

The banned list is longer than most people expect. Besides backpacks, leave behind seat cushions (unless they’re medical), umbrellas, strollers, coolers, thermoses, glass, any alcohol, signs and banners, laser pointers, balloons, noisemakers, whistles and air horns, balls of any kind (footballs included), drones, GoPros, selfie sticks, cameras with lenses longer than 6 inches, and adult football helmets with face masks. Flags are banned at every event except international soccer, where they can be up to 3 x 5 feet. Umbrellas and strollers are the easy ones to forget; a stroller can go back to the car or to bag check, and on an NFL day the car might be a long walk away.

What you can bring: food in a clear plastic bag, factory-sealed plastic bottles or cans of water or soft drinks of 20 ounces or less, and an empty reusable plastic or aluminum bottle of 20 ounces or less to fill at the water fountains.

Tickets, gates and security

• Tickets are mobile only, in the Ticketmaster app; they can’t be emailed or printed. Add them to your phone’s wallet before you reach the line. Giants games have self-scan pedestals at every gate.
• Gates open two hours before most events (11 a.m. for a 1 p.m. kickoff). Concert door times vary; for Usher and Chris Brown on October 15, doors open at 6 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. start.
• Security is walk-through metal detectors: put your phone and anything metal on the table and carry your bag through.
• Re-entry: none at most events, including every Giants game. At Jets games you can leave and come back until one hour before kickoff.
• Payment: the stadium is cash-free. Cards, tap-to-pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay work everywhere, and free reverse ATMs in MetLife West Hall and Sections 118, 128, 149, 220a, 245, 322 and 347 turn cash into a prepaid debit card.
• Alcohol: anyone who looks 40 or younger gets carded, and international visitors need a passport (a foreign driver’s license won’t do). The limit is two drinks per person at a time, and at football games the stands in the general seating areas stop selling at the start of the third quarter.
• Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is allowed only along the fence line on the Plaza Level.
• Kids up to 34 inches tall get in free if they share a ticketed adult’s seat (some non-NFL events differ).
• Help: call Guest Services at 201-559-1515, or text “Alert MLS” to 848261 to report a problem from your seat.

The five gates are named for sponsors in 2026 (AMEX, HCLTech, Verizon, MetLife and Moody’s), and the names change when the sponsors do, so an old seat map may call your gate something else. Ticket windows are in the West VIP Lobby through the MetLife Gate, open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays without events.

Seats, Sections and Clubs

The numbering is simple once you see it. The lower level runs from Section 101 to 149, the mezzanine (the 200 level) from 201 to 250 with “a,” “b” and “c” subsections, and the upper level from 301 to 350. The Giants call the three levels Lower, Mezzanine and Terrace. The stadium is open-air, so a December game means layers and a September concert means sunscreen; none of the official seating pages lists covered seats.

There are five premium clubs with more than 10,000 seats between them, and their names follow the sponsors. The EY Coaches Club is at field level on the east sideline; the Moody’s Commissioners Club and the MetLife 50 Club are at field level on the west sideline; the Corona Beach Club is on the east side of the 200 level and the Miller Lite MVP Club on the west. More than 200 suites ring the building on four levels. Wheelchair-accessible and companion seats are on every level and marked on the official seating chart; buy them through Ticketmaster (800-877-7575).

Because two teams share one building, the stadium changes its look between home games. The Giants have described crews swapping the end zones, which roll out in panels, and changing more than 1,200 items, from the field wall and plaza banners to the colored lights that wash the stadium blue or green. For the 2025 season the stadium added four new cornerstone video boards and a sound system with more than 1,000 loudspeakers.

Food and Drink at MetLife Stadium

Delaware North runs the food, drink and merchandise, and the menu goes well past hot dogs. The stands worth finding, from the stadium’s own dining guide:

• A Cut Above by Against the Grain for a filet mignon sandwich (Sections 108, 210 and 244).
• Nonna Fusco’s Kitchen for fresh pasta and chicken vodka parm (118, 215, 239 and 335).
• Fuku for spicy fried chicken (330, with carts at 117 and 224).
• Boardwalk Fryer for fried clams and chicken tenders, Thumann’s hot dogs, Premio sausage, Taco’s Raqueros and Mr. Tot, with Carvel and Mrs. Fields for dessert.
• Kosher stands at Sections 123, 144, 206, 209, 243, 309 and 334, and Shah’s Halal gyros and platters at 126, 314 and MetLife West Hall. Gluten-free buns, salads and beer and vegetarian choices are around the concourses too.
• Beer: the 109 Pub (Section 109), the Modelo Cantina (144) and the Craft Beer Zone (147 and 323). New for 2026, Athletic Brewing’s non-alcoholic Run Wild IPA and Upside Dawn are sold in 19.2-ounce cans around the stadium.

Stands and menus change, and a few close during concert season, so treat section numbers as a starting point. Prices aren’t posted online; expect stadium prices and remember it’s cards only.

Giants and Jets Home Games Left in 2026

The Giants have nine home games in 2026 and the Jets eight (their Week 18 game is in Buffalo). These are the ones left as of October 3, all at MetLife, with NJ Transit trains scheduled for every one. The NFL can flex kickoff times for Weeks 5 to 17, so check the team’s site in the week of the game.

Date	Home team	Opponent	Kickoff (TV)
Sunday, October 4	Giants	Arizona Cardinals	1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, October 11	Jets	Cleveland Browns	1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, October 18	Giants	New Orleans Saints	1 p.m. (FOX)
Sunday, October 25	Jets	Miami Dolphins	1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, November 1	Jets	Las Vegas Raiders	1 p.m. (FOX)
Thursday, November 12	Giants	Washington Commanders	8:15 p.m. (Prime Video)
Sunday, November 15	Jets	Buffalo Bills	1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, November 22	Giants	Jacksonville Jaguars	1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, December 6	Giants	San Francisco 49ers	1 p.m. (FOX)
Sunday, December 13	Jets	Denver Broncos	1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, December 20	Giants	Cleveland Browns	1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, December 27	Jets	New England Patriots	1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, January 3, 2027	Jets	Minnesota Vikings	1 p.m. (CBS)
January 9 or 10, 2027	Giants	Philadelphia Eagles	To be set by the NFL

The stadium’s other dates this season: Usher and Chris Brown on Thursday, October 15 (7:30 p.m.); the New Jersey high school football championships on November 28-29, when all seven state title games are at MetLife for the first time; and the 127th Army-Navy Game on Saturday, December 12, at 3 p.m. on CBS, only the second Army-Navy in the stadium’s history (the first was in 2021). Into 2027, Monster Energy Supercross races here on April 17 (tickets go on sale October 13), and Kenny Chesney, with Eric Church and Sheryl Crow, plays August 7, 2027, the only 2027 concert on the stadium’s calendar so far.

Tours run on select weekends: public tours, sold only through Ticketmaster, usually start at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. or 4 p.m., last 90 minutes to two hours and can include the press box, the Commissioners Club, the Giants’ Legacy Club, a suite and the field. Ticketmaster lists tour dates on October 17, November 8 and 14, and December 5, 19 and 26. Tours start at the MetLife Gate, parking in Lots F or G is free, and they go rain or shine. Groups of 10 or more can book a weekday private tour at $20 for adults, $15 for children 5 to 12 and seniors, and free for children 4 and under (2026 prices).

Concerts, the World Cup and Other Big Nights

MetLife has had a remarkable run of big nights for a building only 16 years old. It hosted Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014, which it calls the first outdoor, cold-weather Super Bowl. In summer 2026 it hosted eight World Cup matches, drawing 645,186 fans, more than any other venue in the tournament, and on July 19 Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the final, with Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute in front of 80,663. The stadium now bills itself as the only venue in the world to have hosted both a World Cup final and a Super Bowl. (For the tournament it went by “New York New Jersey Stadium,” a temporary name that’s already gone.)

Concerts are the other half of the calendar. Most stadium shows hold about 50,000, and after the final, MetLife fit 12 of them into eight weeks before the NFL home opener: BTS (two shows), Chris Brown and Usher (two), Guns N’ Roses, Bruno Mars (four), Ed Sheeran (two) and BIGBANG, with Karol G and AC/DC following. Concert rules can differ from football rules (door times, bag check fees and where you can tailgate), so read your show’s page on metlifestadium.com the week of the concert, not the season before.

A Game-Day Timeline for a 1 p.m. Kickoff

Put together, the official times give you a simple plan for a Sunday game:

• 8 a.m. The parking lots open (5 hours before kickoff). Tailgaters arrive now; arrive earlier and you’ll be turned away.
• 9:14 a.m. The first event train leaves New York Penn Station (October 4 timetable), and the 351 buses start rolling from Port Authority around 10 to 10:30 a.m.
• 11 a.m. The gates open. The Giants Legacy Club museum, on the 100-level concourse above the MetLife Gate, is open to every fan on Giants game days from now until halftime.
• Noon to 12:30 p.m. Aim to be through security; walk-through detectors and an 82,500-seat crowd add up.
• 1 p.m. Kickoff. The last stadium-bound shuttle leaves Secaucus at 2:15 p.m.
• Third quarter. Beer sales in the general seating areas stop.
• After the game. Trains run frequently, with the last no earlier than 6:15 p.m. on October 4; the last 351 bus leaves about an hour after the game; the lots close two hours after the final whistle. If you’re in no hurry, let the first rush go by: the trains keep coming, and it beats a two-hour wait for a rideshare.

Where to Stay, and What’s Next Door

The stadium sits in a sea of parking lots and highway ramps, so “near MetLife” means a short drive or shuttle, not a stroll. Most visitors do one of two things. Stay in Manhattan and use the train or the 351, which makes the rest of the weekend easy. Or book a chain hotel in East Rutherford, Rutherford, Carlstadt, Lyndhurst or Secaucus, which makes the game easy, especially if your hotel is close to Secaucus Junction and the event trains. If a hotel advertises a game-day shuttle, confirm it’s running for your date.

Budget for taxes. A New Jersey hotel room carries the 6.625% sales tax and a 5% State Occupancy Fee in most towns, plus a municipal occupancy tax of up to 3% where the town has one. Hotels in the 14-town Meadowlands District, which covers East Rutherford, Secaucus, Lyndhurst, Rutherford, Carlstadt and North Bergen among others, add a 3% Meadowlands Regional Hotel Use Assessment on top.

The rest of the Meadowlands complex

• American Dream, the giant mall across the lots at 1 American Dream Way, packs an indoor theme park (Nickelodeon Universe), a water park, the Big SNOW indoor ski slope, an NHL-size skating rink and a SEA LIFE aquarium under one roof, each with its own ticket. On NFL days, a Gold parking permit is good in Deck A and the lots near American Dream, and a shuttle on the 2026 maps links that side of the complex with the stadium.
• Meadowlands Racetrack, the oval on the same complex, runs harness racing (see the racetrack below). The Hambletonian, its famous August race, is leaving for Indiana from 2027 to 2029.
• The old arena next door, where the Devils and Nets used to play under three different names, no longer hosts public events. The state’s sports and exposition authority now rents it out for film and TV shoots and concert rehearsals; scenes for Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere and Marty Supreme were filmed there.
• Bananas Comedy Club is a few minutes’ drive away inside the Renaissance Meadowlands Hotel in Rutherford, if you want a laugh on a non-game night (see comedy clubs).

New Jersey’s Other Big Venues

MetLife gets the headlines, but most of New Jersey’s big nights out happen somewhere smaller and much easier to reach. These are the state’s major arenas, stadiums, amphitheaters, racetracks and theaters, roughly from the biggest crowds down, with what’s on this fall and the easiest way in. Atlantic City’s casino arenas, such as Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, belong with the city’s own guides.

Venue	Town	What’s there	Size or entry	Easiest way in
Prudential Center	Newark	Devils, Seton Hall basketball, the Sirens, arena concerts	16,514 for hockey	10-minute walk from Newark Penn Station
Sports Illustrated Stadium	Harrison	Red Bull New York, Gotham FC, rugby	25,000	PATH to Harrison
NJPAC	Newark	The New Jersey Symphony, jazz, concerts	2,868 and 511 seats	Light rail or a walk from Newark Penn
PNC Bank Arts Center	Holmdel	Summer concerts, a winter light show	Up to 16,800	Garden State Parkway Exit 116
Freedom Mortgage Pavilion	Camden	Summer concerts	25,000	PATCO from Philadelphia
Meadowlands Racetrack	East Rutherford	Harness racing, and Monmouth’s fall turf meet	Free admission	NJ Transit bus 160 from Port Authority
Monmouth Park	Oceanport	Thoroughbred racing in summer	$7 admission (2026)	NJ Transit on race days
State Theatre New Jersey	New Brunswick	Touring Broadway, concerts, comedy	1,806 seats	Train to New Brunswick
Count Basie Center for the Arts	Red Bank	Concerts, comedy, film	1,568 seats	Train to Red Bank
The Stone Pony	Asbury Park	Rock club with a summer stage	About 850 inside, 4,500 outside	Train to Asbury Park
Paper Mill Playhouse	Millburn	Musicals	Orchestra level only in 2026-27	Train to Millburn
McCarter Theatre Center	Princeton	New plays, A Christmas Carol	Two stages	Train and the Dinky

1. Prudential Center, Newark

Arena (Devils hockey, Seton Hall basketball, the Sirens and big concerts). If MetLife is the venue you have to plan around, Prudential Center is the one you can simply go to. It sits two blocks from Newark Penn Station, where NJ Transit, Amtrak and PATH all stop, and NJ Transit puts the walk at 10 minutes. The arena opened in October 2007, when the Devils moved down from the Meadowlands, and seats 16,514 for hockey and 18,711 for Seton Hall basketball.

Three teams call it home in 2026-27. The Devils opened their 84-game season here on October 1 with a 3-2 overtime win over the Flyers, and they play 42 home games through April 10, 2027. Seton Hall’s men’s basketball team plays most of its home schedule here, starting November 2 against Saint Peter’s, with two games back on campus in South Orange. The PWHL’s New York Sirens, a professional women’s hockey team, open at home on Sunday, December 6, at 3 p.m. against the Boston Fleet; 10 of their 15 home games are listed here so far. Between games the calendar fills with tours: Journey on October 25, Rock the Bells on November 29, the Jonas Brothers on December 21 and 22 and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on December 26, with Disney On Ice around Halloween and again over New Year’s.

Plan it: the arena is cashless (cards and mobile pay only, with kiosks that turn cash into a prepaid card), allows bags no bigger than 14 x 12 x 6 inches and no backpacks of any size, and has no re-entry. Four official lots and garages sit within two blocks and can be booked ahead through ParkMobile; rates aren’t posted, so check when you book, or better, take the train. Drive: 25 min from NYC, 1 hr 50 min from Philadelphia. Best for: a hockey night that doesn’t need a car.

2. Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison

Soccer stadium. Harrison’s 25,000-seat stadium opened in March 2010 as Red Bull Arena and has been Sports Illustrated Stadium since December 2024, under a 13-year naming deal. It was built for soccer rather than football, so the stands sit close to the field, which is the whole appeal if you’ve ever watched a game from MetLife’s upper deck. Two clubs play here: the MLS team, which now calls itself Red Bull New York on its own website (most fans, and plenty of the stadium’s own pages, still say New York Red Bulls), and Gotham FC of the NWSL.

The rest of 2026 is busy. Red Bull New York’s last regular-season home games are on Saturdays: October 10 against San Diego FC (7:30 p.m.), October 17 against Toronto FC (7:30 p.m.), October 24 against Inter Miami (late afternoon; the club and the league list different kickoff times, so check) and November 7 against Atlanta United (4 p.m.). Gotham hosts Angel City FC on Sunday, October 4, at 1 p.m. and the Utah Royals on Sunday, November 1, at 5 p.m., with a home playoff date possible after that. Rugby gets two turns: a USA Rugby international doubleheader on October 30 and the HSBC SVNS sevens tournament on March 13-14, 2027. MLS is also changing its calendar, so 2027 starts with a short “Sprint Season” from February to May (seven home games a team) before a new 2027-28 season begins in July.

Plan it: take PATH to Harrison, on the Newark-World Trade Center line, and walk a few blocks; the club’s directions also cover NJ Transit to Newark. The club says Harrison’s public lots charge $15 to $30 (as of October 2026), lots A, B and C are cashless, and tailgating isn’t allowed in them. Bags can be up to 14 x 14 x 6 inches, backpacks can’t come in, and a limited number of $5 lockers sit by Gate B1. Gates open at least an hour before kickoff. Drive: 25 min from NYC, 1 hr 50 min from Philadelphia. Best for: soccer fans, and a big game you can reach on PATH.

3. NJPAC, Newark

Performing arts center (orchestra, jazz, dance and big-name concerts). The New Jersey Performing Arts Center opened in downtown Newark in October 1997 and says it has drawn more than 13.3 million people since. Its main room, Prudential Hall, has 2,868 seats; the 511-seat Victoria Theater takes dance, jazz, chamber music and film. It’s the home of the New Jersey Symphony, which opens its 2026-27 season here on October 24 with Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto and Schubert’s “Great” Symphony. Fall is its strongest stretch: the Dodge Poetry Festival runs October 15-17 (Patti Smith gives a night of songs and stories in Prudential Hall on October 16), and the TD James Moody Jazz Festival fills November 6 to 22, with Gregory Porter and Madeleine Peyroux on November 13.

Plan it: the campus is a construction site in 2026 (a new arts education center is due to open in 2027), but the theaters are open. Park in the Military Park Garage across the street ($10 to $28 as listed in October 2026, $1 less if you book by the day before). By train, it’s about a 10-minute walk from Newark Penn Station, or one stop on the Newark Light Rail to NJPAC/Center Street; NJPAC’s own page still quotes an old light rail fare, so check NJ Transit’s. Drive: 25 min from NYC, 1 hr 50 min from Philadelphia. Best for: the symphony, jazz and a night out in downtown Newark.

4. PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel

Outdoor amphitheater (summer concerts). Right off Exit 116 of the Garden State Parkway in Holmdel, the Arts Center is where Central Jersey sees a summer tour without the MetLife logistics. Live Nation runs it, and it holds up to 16,800 people between the covered seats under its round roof and the general-admission lawn behind them, where the rule is first come, first served.

The 2026 season ended on October 3 with Logic and G-Eazy. As of early October, one 2027 show is on the calendar (Ashanti and Trey Songz, August 28, 2027), and more will be added. In winter the site hosts Magic of Lights, a drive-through holiday light show, from November 20, 2026, to January 3, 2027, open 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. It’s priced per car: $22 online for a November visit ($30 at the gate), or, if you buy before November 19, $29.99 for any day and $25.99 for Monday to Thursday, against $39.99 and $35.99 later (2026-27 prices).

Plan it: bags must be clear and no bigger than 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or a clutch up to 6 x 9. You can bring food in a clear one-gallon zip bag, plus one factory-sealed water bottle or an empty one. Blankets are fine on the lawn; outside lawn chairs aren’t, though you can rent one. Lots open an hour before doors, and premium, reserved and “Easy Out” parking are sold as upgrades. Drive: 1 hr from NYC, 1 hr 40 min from Philadelphia. Best for: a summer show on a blanket.

5. Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, Camden

Outdoor amphitheater (Philadelphia’s big summer stage). Philadelphia’s big summer amphitheater is actually in New Jersey, on the Camden Waterfront directly across the Delaware River. The 25,000-capacity amphitheater opened in 1995 and has worn a string of corporate names since; it has been Freedom Mortgage Pavilion since May 11, 2022, so a 2019 ticket stub that says BB&T Pavilion is from the same place. The 2026 season closes with Steve Lacy on October 15, and the first 2027 show announced so far is A Perfect Circle on April 30, 2027.

Plan it: from Philadelphia, ride PATCO to City Hall station in Camden, 0.7 miles from the venue, or (May to September) take the RiverLink Ferry from Penn’s Landing, about 15 minutes across the river. From South Jersey, NJ Transit’s River LINE stops at the waterfront. Clear bags up to 12 x 12 x 6 inches, food in a clear one-gallon bag and one sealed water bottle are allowed; lawn chairs aren’t, but blankets up to 3 x 5 feet are. Parking prices vary by event and lot. Drive: 10 min from Philadelphia, 2 hr 5 min from NYC. Best for: Philadelphians and South Jersey summer nights.

6. Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford

Free (racing, with a sportsbook). The harness track that shares the sports complex with MetLife is one of the cheapest nights out in North Jersey: general admission is free every day, parking is free except on stadium event days, and the race-night program costs $2 (as of October 2026). Until Friday, October 16, the Friday and Saturday cards belong to Monmouth Park’s thoroughbreds, running a short all-turf meet with a 7 p.m. first race. Harness racing returns on Saturday, October 17, with a 6:20 p.m. first post on Friday and Saturday nights through November 28, Thursday to Saturday in three December weeks (December 3-5, 10-12 and 17-19) and a last 2026 card on December 26. October 31 is Kindergarten finals night for 2-year-olds (the track lists both 6:20 and 7 p.m., so check the program).

The big change is the Hambletonian, the trotting classic the Meadowlands hosted for 46 years: the August 8, 2026 race was the last here for now, and it moves to Harrah’s Hoosier Park in Indiana for 2027 to 2029. The track’s answer is a new $1 million Meadowlands Trot, with finals on Saturday, July 31, 2027, a few weeks after the Meadowlands Pace on July 10. The FanDuel Sportsbook inside is open every day (10 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays as of October 2026). On NFL Sundays there’s no simulcast racing, you need a home-team parking pass to drive in before kickoff, and this fall a free shuttle runs from Redd’s Restaurant to the FanDuel entrance every 20 minutes from 10 a.m.

Plan it: the track is at 1 Racetrack Drive. NJ Transit’s 160 bus runs from Port Authority (buy a ticket to “Meadowlands Sports Complex”), but it stays out of the complex around big stadium events. The 2027 race calendar isn’t out yet. Drive: 15 min from NYC, 2 hr from Philadelphia. Best for: a cheap Friday night, and anyone who has never seen harness racing up close.

7. Monmouth Park, Oceanport

Paid ($7 admission in 2026). The Shore’s summer racetrack runs thoroughbreds from spring to September. Its 2026 meet, the 81st, ran from May 9 to September 13; 48 of the 50 scheduled days were raced after extreme heat and Canadian wildfire smoke wiped out the July 3 and 4 cards. The big day is the $1 million Haskell (July 18 in 2026, when it drew 35,608). In 2026, general admission was $7, the Clubhouse cost nothing extra, general parking was free and valet was $20, and the track filled summer weekends with food festivals, from a Memorial Day food truck festival to a Labor Day barbecue and craft beer weekend. The 2027 dates haven’t been announced.

Out of season, the Clubhouse side’s new Caesars Sportsbook takes sports bets and simulcast racing bets seven days a week (the Grandstand is closed), and on October 31 the track throws a Breeders’ Cup viewing party in its Turf Club ($69.95 in 2026, with buffets, a program and a $5 betting voucher). Don’t go looking for Freehold Raceway, the old harness track in western Monmouth County: it held its last races on December 28, 2024, and the land has been sold for redevelopment.

Plan it: the track is at 175 Oceanport Avenue, off Garden State Parkway Exit 105 and Route 36 East. NJ Transit’s North Jersey Coast Line stops at Monmouth Park station on live racing days only. In 2026 the gates opened at 11 a.m. and the first race went off at 12:50 p.m. on weekends. Drive: 1 hr 15 min from NYC, 1 hr 40 min from Philadelphia. Best for: a summer Saturday at the races, especially Haskell Day.

8. State Theatre New Jersey, New Brunswick

Historic theater (touring Broadway, concerts and comedy). Built as a silent-film and vaudeville palace and 100 years old in December 2021, the State Theatre on Livingston Avenue reopened as a nonprofit arts center in 1988 and finished a major renovation in time for its centennial. Its auditorium seats 1,806, and it calls itself the largest performing arts center in Central New Jersey. The 2026-27 Broadway series is all national tours: Jersey Boys (October 16-17), A Christmas Story: The Musical (November 20-22), Water for Elephants (January 15-17, 2027), The Wiz (March 6-7), A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical (March 19-21) and Shucked (June 4-6). The Temptations and the Four Tops play October 18, and Aziz Ansari’s October 29 show is billed as a Netflix special taping.

Plan it: the theater has no lot of its own; use the New Brunswick Parking Authority decks (some bookable through ParkMobile), metered streets, or the valet at The Heldrich across the street ($20 for three hours as of October 2026). The New Brunswick train station on the Northeast Corridor is a few blocks away, and NJ Transit riders get 20% off select shows. Don’t confuse it with Paper Mill Playhouse, which a governor proclaimed the “State Theatre of New Jersey” in 1972. Drive: 55 min from NYC, 1 hr 25 min from Philadelphia. Best for: touring Broadway shows and dinner downtown.

9. Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank

Historic theater (concerts, comedy and film). Red Bank’s 1,568-seat theater opened in 1926 as Reade’s Carlton Theatre and was renamed in 1984 for Count Basie, who grew up in town. It turns 100 on November 11, 2026, in the middle of a 16-month centennial celebration that includes a new Walk of Fame. The old room now carries a sponsor’s name (the Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre, not a new building), and the Basie has added The Vogel, a two-level hall with balconies for a few hundred people (more standing than seated), plus a cinema around the corner on White Street. Coming up: Paul Anka on November 1, Dweezil Zappa on the birthday itself and Darlene Love’s Christmas show on December 23.

Plan it: Red Bank’s NJ Transit station on the North Jersey Coast Line is three blocks west, about an hour from New York. Everyone goes through a metal detector, and on show days the box office opens an hour before doors. Two River Theater, a nonprofit stage with free parking a block from the station, is close by; its fall show, Stir, runs October 31 to November 22. Drive: 1 hr 10 min from NYC, 1 hr 45 min from Philadelphia. Best for: a concert and dinner in a walkable downtown.

10. The Stone Pony, Asbury Park

Rock club (with an outdoor summer stage). The Stone Pony opened on February 8, 1974, at 913 Ocean Avenue, steps from the boardwalk, and its own history ties it to Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (its early house band), Steven Van Zandt and the “Sound of Asbury Park.” It hasn’t run nonstop since: it closed in 1991 and again in 1998, and reopened for good on Memorial Day weekend 2000. Inside holds about 850, mostly standing; the outdoor Summer Stage next door holds about 4,500 and wraps up in early October (Turnpike Troubadours and Lucero play it on October 4). Indoor shows run all year, including Michelle Branch on November 6 and Marky Ramone on November 21.

Two bigger Asbury Park stages are off the table for now. Convention Hall and the Paramount Theatre on the boardwalk have been closed since about 2021 over structural safety; a $130 million restoration began in April 2026 on an expected 34-month timeline, helped by up to $75 million in state tax credits approved in August 2026, and no reopening date has been set. The town’s big beach festival, Sea.Hear.Now, sold out on September 19-20, 2026; 2027 dates aren’t out.

Plan it: shows are general admission and mostly standing, all ages unless noted (21 and up, with ID, to drink), with no re-entry; buying at the box office skips Ticketmaster’s online fees. The train station (North Jersey Coast Line) is downtown rather than by the water, so it’s a walk or a short ride, and the club suggests checking the last train home before the encore. Parking is metered or in paid lots on Fourth, Second and Lake avenues, and in summer, as the club itself warns, it’s hard to find. Drive: 1 hr 20 min from NYC, 1 hr 40 min from Philadelphia. Best for: rock history and a small-club show by the beach.

11. Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn

Musical theater. Paper Mill opened in 1938 in a former paper mill, was rebuilt after a 1980 fire and won the Regional Theatre Tony Award in 2016. It’s known for musicals, from pre-Broadway tryouts to big revivals. This is a construction year: front-of-house work runs from July 2026 to August 2027, the mezzanine is closed all season, and the season is four shows instead of the usual five: Mary Poppins (November 18 to January 3), Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor (January 27 to February 21, 2027), Million Dollar Quartet (March 17 to April 25) and Dear Evan Hansen (May 19 to June 27).

Plan it: the theater’s lots cost $12 ($5 for children’s shows) as of October 2026. Parking is free, with a free shuttle loop, at the Millburn train station’s Lot 7 (after 6 p.m. on weekdays, all day on weekends) and the Essex Street garage. The station, on NJ Transit’s Morris & Essex line, is a 5- to 10-minute walk. During construction you enter from the Brookside Drive side through an enclosed walkway, with portable restrooms and reduced concessions. Drive: 35 min from NYC, 1 hr 55 min from Philadelphia. Best for: a big musical close to New York.

12. McCarter Theatre Center, Princeton

Theater (new plays and a long-running Christmas Carol). McCarter is an independent nonprofit on the Princeton University campus. It holds a Regional Theatre Tony, won the Best Play Tony for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and premiered Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. Its Matthews Theatre dates from 1930 and got all-new seats in summer 2026 (the restored 1930 seat ends went back on), and the 360-seat Berlind Theatre takes smaller shows. The 2026-27 season starts with A Beat of Our Own, a bhangra musical comedy (October 7-25), and runs through Purpose (January 21 to February 13, 2027), Emma Rice’s North By Northwest (March 10-21) and True Marriage (May 8-30). A Christmas Carol returns December 8-27.

Plan it: the university’s Theater Drive Garage is free after 4 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends (as of October 2026), about a five-minute walk away. By train, take NJ Transit’s Northeast Corridor to Princeton Junction and the 4-minute Dinky shuttle to Princeton station, steps from the theater. The Matthews balcony is reached by stairs only. Drive: 1 hr 20 min from NYC, 1 hr 5 min from Philadelphia. Best for: new plays and an evening in Princeton.

More Stages and Comedy Clubs

The numbered list covers the big rooms. These are the next tier down, every one with fall 2026 shows on its own calendar:

• Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown. A 1,319-seat 1937 movie palace, 0.4 miles from the train station. A $65 million expansion broke ground on May 6, 2026, and the season carries on around it: The Music Man (October 16-17), Bernadette Peters (January 8, 2027) and Audra McDonald (April 9, 2027).
• bergenPAC, Englewood. A restored 1926 movie house with 1,371 seats, booking violinist Joshua Bell on November 3 and Vanessa Williams on November 13. Street and metered parking are free after 6 p.m. on weekdays and all day Sunday.
• The Wellmont Theater, Montclair. A concert hall on downtown Montclair’s main drag with a full calendar: Dark Star Orchestra on November 19-20 and They Might Be Giants on December 30.
• George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick. New plays in the arts center at 11 Livingston Avenue, a few doors from the State Theatre: The Unexpected 3rd runs October 13 to November 1, and 2 Pianos 4 Hands December 1-20. Reserved parking in the city decks costs $15 for up to six hours (as of October 2026).
• Two River Theater, Red Bank. Two stages a block from the train, with free parking; Stir runs October 31 to November 22.

Comedy clubs. Three clubs have full fall calendars. The Stress Factory at 90 Church Street in New Brunswick books national names Thursday to Sunday, usually at 7 and 9:30 p.m. on weekends (Russell Peters plays October 8-10). It’s 16 and over, with a two-item minimum, a photo ID that matches the name on the ticket, and tickets sold only on its own site. Bananas Comedy Club has left its old Hasbrouck Heights home and now runs inside the Renaissance Meadowlands Hotel in Rutherford, the town next to East Rutherford, with the same 16-and-over rule, a two-item minimum and free parking; headliners play Friday to Sunday, and some Thursday shows are entirely in Spanish. Uncle Vinnie’s in Point Pleasant Beach, open since 2004, has Pete Davidson on October 7, Adam Carolla on October 8 and Chris Kattan on October 9-10.

Pro Teams, College Sports and Minor-League Baseball

Between them, New Jersey’s venues host two NFL teams, an NHL team, two pro soccer clubs, a pro women’s hockey team, Big Ten football and five minor-league or independent baseball teams. Here’s who plays where and when to catch them:

Team	League	Home	When to go
New York Giants	NFL	MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford	Home games through January 9 or 10, 2027
New York Jets	NFL	MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford	Home games through January 3, 2027
New Jersey Devils	NHL	Prudential Center, Newark	42 home games, October 1, 2026 to April 2027
New York Sirens	PWHL (women’s hockey)	Prudential Center, Newark	Home opener December 6, 2026
Seton Hall	College basketball	Prudential Center, Newark	Home games from November 2, 2026
Red Bull New York	MLS	Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison	Home games to November 7, then a Sprint Season from February 2027
Gotham FC	NWSL	Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison	October 4 and November 1, 2026
Rutgers football	Big Ten	SHI Stadium, Piscataway	October 31, November 14 and November 28, 2026
Somerset Patriots	Double-A (Yankees)	TD Bank Ballpark, Bridgewater	Opening Day April 2, 2027
Jersey Shore BlueClaws	High-A (Phillies)	ShoreTown Ballpark, Lakewood	Opening Night April 2, 2027
Trenton Thunder	MLB Draft League	Trenton Thunder Ballpark, Trenton	Opener June 2, 2027
New Jersey Jackals	NAPB (formerly the Frontier League)	Hinchliffe Stadium, Paterson	Home opener May 7, 2027
Sussex County Miners	NAPB (formerly the Frontier League)	Skylands Stadium, Augusta	Home opener May 18, 2027

Minor-league baseball is the easiest family outing on this list, and its season fits a summer trip. The Somerset Patriots, the Yankees’ Double-A team, and the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, the Phillies’ High-A team, both open on April 2, 2027. (The BlueClaws’ ballpark is ShoreTown Ballpark now, though one of the team’s own pages still calls it FirstEnergy Park.) The Trenton Thunder haven’t been a Yankees farm team since 2020: they play in the MLB Draft League, a six-team amateur-professional league whose season starts in June, at a ballpark on the Delaware River. The New Jersey Jackals play at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, one of the last surviving Negro Leagues ballparks and the onetime home of the New York Black Yankees, the New York Cubans and the Newark Eagles; they won their division in 2026, a year after finishing last in the league. Up in Augusta, the Sussex County Miners play at 4,200-seat Skylands Stadium. The Jackals’ and Miners’ league, long the Frontier League, plays 2027 as the National Association of Professional Baseball.

College sports fill the cold months. Rutgers plays Big Ten football at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, which seats 52,454; the rest of the 2026 home schedule is Michigan on October 31, Nebraska on November 14 and Michigan State on November 28, with kickoff times still to be set as of October 3. Rutgers basketball plays at 8,000-seat Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway (the old RAC), and Seton Hall’s men play most home games at Prudential Center.

Golf: Public Courses and Big Championships

New Jersey’s most famous courses are private, but the public ones are strong, and the county-run courses keep the price of a round reasonable. A short list of public courses worth the drive, each taking tee times this fall:

• Ballyowen, Hamburg. A treeless, links-style course at Crystal Springs Resort in Sussex County, designed by Roger Rulewich, and one of the few public courses in the state with forecaddies.
• Seaview, Galloway. Two courses near Atlantic City: the Bay Course (1914), with a links feel, and the Pines Course (1929). Sam Snead won the 1942 PGA Championship here, his first major.
• Neshanic Valley, Neshanic Station. The Somerset County Park Commission’s 27 championship holes plus a 9-hole Academy Course; it hosted the 2012 USGA Women’s Public Links.
• Galloping Hill, Kenilworth. Union County’s 18-hole course, renovated by Rees Jones in 2014, with a learning center and a 9-hole practice course.
• Hominy Hill, Colts Neck. A Robert Trent Jones design run by the Monmouth County Park System. In 2026 a non-resident walking round costs $68 Monday to Thursday and $87 at weekend peak times, and the tee sheet runs through December 31 (closed December 25).
• Twisted Dune, Egg Harbor Township. A links-style course near Atlantic City built on two million cubic yards of moved earth, about 7,200 yards long with more than 100 bunkers.

For spectators, the big dates are a little way off. Liberty National in Jersey City hosts the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship, a FedExCup playoff event, on August 16-22, 2027, and Baltusrol in Springfield hosts the 2029 PGA Championship, its third after 2005 and 2016. The LPGA Tour visits twice a year: the Mizuho Americas Open at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell (May 13-16, 2027) and the ShopRite LPGA at Seaview’s Bay Course, renamed the ShopRite LPGA Powered by Wakefern in 2026, when Celine Boutier won it for the second time. Its 2027 dates aren’t out yet.

What’s Changed at New Jersey’s Big Venues

Venue names, homes and calendars have moved around a lot in the last few years, and plenty of older guides haven’t caught up. These are the changes most likely to send you to the wrong place.

Place or event	What changed	What it means for you
The World Cup at MetLife	MetLife hosted eight matches from June 13 to July 19, 2026, including the final, under the temporary name “New York New Jersey Stadium”	It’s over, and the stadium is MetLife again
Red Bull Arena	Renamed Sports Illustrated Stadium in December 2024; the MLS club now brands itself Red Bull New York	Same stadium in Harrison, same PATH stop
The Hambletonian	The 2026 race (August 8) was the last at the Meadowlands for now; it moves to Harrah’s Hoosier Park in Indiana for 2027 to 2029	The new $1 million Meadowlands Trot takes its place on July 31, 2027
Freehold Raceway	Held its last races on December 28, 2024; the land was sold for redevelopment in 2025	For harness racing, go to the Meadowlands
Monmouth Park’s 2026 meet	48 of 50 scheduled days were raced; heat and wildfire smoke canceled July 3 and 4	2027 dates aren’t announced yet
Meadowlands Arena (Izod Center)	No longer hosts public events; it’s rented for film, TV and concert rehearsals	Indoor arena shows in North Jersey are at Prudential Center
The Devils and the Nets	The Devils moved from the Meadowlands to Newark in 2007; the Nets played their last New Jersey game in April 2012 and moved to Brooklyn	Hockey is in Newark; there’s no NBA team in New Jersey
Camden’s amphitheater	Freedom Mortgage Pavilion since May 2022 (formerly BB&T Pavilion, and several names before that)	Same waterfront venue across from Philadelphia
Asbury Park’s Convention Hall and Paramount Theatre	Closed since about 2021 over structural safety; a $130 million restoration began in April 2026 on an expected 34-month timeline	No shows inside; no reopening date yet
Paper Mill Playhouse	Front-of-house construction from July 2026 to August 2027; mezzanine closed and a four-show season	Enter from Brookside Drive; orchestra seats only
NJPAC	Its campus is a construction site, and its old Lot A is being built on	Park in the Military Park Garage across the street
Bananas Comedy Club	Moved from Hasbrouck Heights into the Renaissance Meadowlands Hotel in Rutherford	Use the new address, 801 Rutherford Avenue
The RAC at Rutgers	Renamed Jersey Mike’s Arena in November 2021	Same 8,000-seat arena in Piscataway
Trenton Thunder	No longer a Yankees affiliate; in the MLB Draft League since 2021, under new owners since April 2026	A June-to-August season, opening June 2, 2027
The Frontier League	Renamed the National Association of Professional Baseball for 2027	Same Jackals and Miners, new league name
The ShopRite LPGA Classic	Renamed the ShopRite LPGA Powered by Wakefern in 2026	Still at Seaview’s Bay Course in late spring
MLS’s calendar	A short Sprint Season from February to May 2027, then a 2027-28 season starting in July	Expect soccer in Harrison in the spring and again from summer 2027
NJ Transit trains	Special Portal Cutover schedules on nearly every line from October 11 to November 14, 2026, with fewer trains through Secaucus	Check event trains before any game or show in that window

What to Skip

• Driving to an NFL game without a parking permit. There’s no paying at the gate on Giants and Jets days. Your fallback is the $65 off-site lot and its shuttle, and at that price the train looks very good.
• A backpack, an umbrella or a stroller. None of them gets into MetLife, and Prudential Center and Sports Illustrated Stadium turn away backpacks too.
• Assuming there’s a train. NJ Transit runs Meadowlands trains only for events expected to draw more than 50,000, so a smaller concert or a college game can mean a car, a bus or a rideshare.
• Buying your train ticket on board. It costs $5 more than the app or a ticket machine, and you still need the wristband from Secaucus.
• The rideshare line right after the final whistle. The stadium itself warns of surge pricing and waits that can top two hours. If you’re going back to Manhattan, the train or the 351 is the saner choice.
• Cash. MetLife and Prudential Center are both cash-free inside, and Harrison’s main stadium lots are cashless too.
• Old guides. Anything that sends you to Red Bull Arena by that name, the Izod Center, Freehold Raceway, Bananas in Hasbrouck Heights, a show at Asbury Park’s Paramount Theatre or Convention Hall, or the Hambletonian at the Meadowlands in 2027 is out of date.

MetLife Stadium FAQ

Is MetLife Stadium in New York or New Jersey?

New Jersey. MetLife Stadium is at One MetLife Stadium Drive in East Rutherford, in the Meadowlands, about 8 miles west of Midtown Manhattan and 10 miles north of Newark airport. The New York Giants and New York Jets both play their home games there, and it hosted the 2026 World Cup final.

How do I get to MetLife Stadium from New York City?

Take NJ Transit from Penn Station to Secaucus Junction and change to the Meadowlands shuttle train, $6.60 each way from Penn Station in 2026, with a wristband from Secaucus. Trains run only for events expected to draw over 50,000. Otherwise, take Coach USA’s 351 bus from Port Authority, $18 round trip.

Does MetLife Stadium have a roof?

No. MetLife Stadium is open-air, and Super Bowl XLVIII there in 2014 was billed as the first outdoor, cold-weather Super Bowl. The official seating pages don’t list any covered seats, so dress for the weather: layers for December games, sunscreen for early-season games and summer concerts, and a rain jacket, because umbrellas aren’t allowed.

How many people does MetLife Stadium hold?

MetLife Stadium holds 82,500 for football and soccer, the largest seating capacity in the NFL, and about 50,000 for most concerts. The 2026 World Cup final drew 80,663, and the stadium’s eight World Cup matches drew 645,186 fans in all, the most of any venue in the tournament.

Can you tailgate at MetLife Stadium?

Yes. Tailgating is allowed in the lots unless signs say otherwise, under a strict one-car, one-space rule. Grills are fine away from cars, but open fires and deep fryers aren’t, and grills are banned in the parking decks. On Giants and Jets days you need a pre-paid parking permit to tailgate, and lots open five hours before kickoff.

What bags are allowed at MetLife Stadium?

One clear bag up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus a small clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. Backpacks, diaper bags, seat cushions, umbrellas and strollers aren’t allowed. You can check an oversized bag outside the gates, free at NFL games and $5 at other events.

Can you pay with cash at MetLife Stadium?

No. MetLife Stadium is cash-free: concessions and shops take cards, tap-to-pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Free reverse ATMs in MetLife West Hall and several sections turn cash into a prepaid debit card. At non-NFL events the parking toll plazas take cash or chip cards, but NFL parking is pre-paid only.

Can I park at American Dream for a MetLife event?

On Giants and Jets game days, a pre-paid Gold parking permit is good in Deck A and the lots near American Dream, and a shuttle on the 2026 maps links that side of the complex with the stadium. For other events, oversized vehicles can’t use the enclosed American Dream deck, so check your event’s parking page first.

Sources and How We Checked

We checked every price, schedule, rule and closure on this page on October 3, 2026, on the stadium’s, teams’ and venues’ own websites, on NJ Transit’s and Coach USA’s service pages and fare tools, and on the leagues’ official schedules, with News 12 New Jersey’s reports for Freehold Raceway’s closing and sale and NBC10 Philadelphia’s for the Camden pavilion’s 2022 renaming. We did not visit for this update, and nothing here is sponsored. Drive times are light-traffic estimates from the OSRM routing engine, rounded to five minutes.

• MetLife Stadium: A-Z guide, with its NFL parking, tailgating and dining pages
• NJ Transit: Meadowlands rail service and the Portal Cutover
• Coach USA: 351 Meadowlands Express
• New York Giants schedule and New York Jets schedule
• Prudential Center, Sports Illustrated Stadium, PNC Bank Arts Center and Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
• NJPAC, State Theatre New Jersey, Count Basie Center for the Arts, The Stone Pony, Paper Mill Playhouse and McCarter Theatre Center
• Meadowlands Racetrack: racing dates and Monmouth Park, with the teams’ schedules on MiLB.com, the NAPB and Rutgers Athletics

New Jersey Tourism Guide is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with Visit New Jersey or the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, MetLife Stadium, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, the Giants, the Jets, NJ Transit, Coach USA or any team, venue or club listed here, and no one paid to be included.

Photo Credits

• MetLife Stadium from the plaza: photo by Thecoolone1223, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
• Meadowlands station platform: photo by Transpoman, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
• Meadowlands Sports Complex from the air: photo by ZappaOMati, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Copa America semifinal crowd: photo by Sebas, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
• Springsteen banners at the stadium: photo by Kenneth C. Zirkel, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Prudential Center: photo by Andrew nyr, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• PNC Bank Arts Center: photo by Clyde Charles Brown, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• NJPAC: photo by Kenneth C. Zirkel, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Meadowlands Racetrack grandstand: photo by Meadowlandsracetrack, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• TD Bank Ballpark, Bridgewater: photo by Zeete, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)