Upcoming games
Schedule data syncs from our events feed. Ticket links go to SeatGeek.
No upcoming games currently listed for Nationwide Arena.
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Parking
Reserve a spot in advance — game-day parking near Nationwide Arena fills early.
Getting there
Nationwide Arena sits in the Arena District of downtown Columbus, OH, on the western edge of the central business district along Nationwide Boulevard. There is no rail rapid-transit in Columbus, so driving, rideshare, and COTA buses are the dominant approaches. COTA bus routes serve downtown and the Arena District directly. Driving from I-670, I-71, or I-70 reaches the Arena District quickly via the downtown exits; arena-affiliated and adjacent garages ring the venue including the Arena District garages on Nationwide Boulevard, and reserving in advance via the parking link above typically beats event-night pricing. Rideshare drop-off zones are signed along Nationwide Boulevard. Confirm bag and entry rules on the Blue Jackets' official site before going.
The neighborhood
The Arena District is a master-planned mixed-use neighborhood that grew up around Nationwide Arena after the building opened in 2000 — restaurants, bars, the Huntington Park minor-league baseball stadium (Columbus Clippers), and the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion concert venue all sit within a walkable radius of the arena. Nationwide Boulevard itself functions as the pre-event spine. The Short North — Columbus's most concentrated bar, restaurant, and gallery district along High Street — sits a 15-minute walk or short ride north and is the canonical pre-event dinner detour. The German Village neighborhood (the historic 19th-century German-American quarter south of downtown) is a short ride south and pairs naturally with a quieter pre-event meal. The Greater Columbus Convention Center sits a short walk east of the arena and brings convention traffic into the district on event nights.
Where to eat & drink nearby
Walkable pre-event stops include R Bar (the canonical Arena District Blue Jackets game-day bar on Nationwide Boulevard), Boston's Restaurant Arena District (a pizza-and-sports-bar standby steps from the arena), and Gordon Biersch Columbus (the Arena District brewpub). For the canonical Short North detour, Northstar Cafe Short North is the Columbus institution for upscale all-day food and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams on High Street is the Columbus-founded ice-cream institution. Schmidt's Sausage Haus in German Village is the canonical Columbus German-American sit-down — a short ride south for a longer pre-event dinner. Thurman Cafe in German Village serves the canonical Columbus burger (the Thurmanator). Pre-event crowds at Arena District bars build quickly within an hour of puck drop.
First-timer tips
Use the Arena District before the game — Nationwide Boulevard's restaurants and bars are the canonical Blue Jackets pre-game spine and many run game-day food and drink specials. The Blue Jackets' Cannon Goal cannon (the 18th-century-style cannon fired after every Blue Jackets goal at home) is one of the most distinctive in-arena goal celebrations in the NHL — sit on the side of the ice with view of the cannon's firing platform for the best experience. The Arena District garage system fills up on event nights, especially when the convention center has overlapping bookings. Mobile-only tickets are the norm. The arena publishes current bag policy on its official site and the rules change — check before traveling.
Best games to catch
For the Blue Jackets, Metropolitan Division rivalry games against the Penguins, Rangers, Capitals, Flyers, Devils, Islanders, and Hurricanes are the marquee dates and consistently price above season average. Blue Jackets–Penguins is the closest geographic rivalry given the I-70 corridor between Columbus and Pittsburgh. Original Six visits from the Red Wings, Bruins, Maple Leafs, Canadiens, Blackhawks, and Rangers round out the heritage matchups — Red Wings visits historically pull strong Detroit-area expat crowds. Any playoff home games price as the hardest tickets of the year. The Blue Jackets' deepest playoff runs have come during the John Tortorella era — the 2019 playoff series sweep of Tampa Bay anchors the franchise's most-cited recent moment. The Blue Jackets' promotional calendar — heritage themed nights, Hispanic Heritage Night, military appreciation — is published on the team site and varies year to year.
What to know
Nationwide Arena opened in September 2000 as the home of the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets and anchored the Arena District redevelopment of the former Ohio Penitentiary site. The building has carried the Nationwide name continuously since opening under a long-term partnership with the Columbus-headquartered Nationwide insurance company. The arena was privately financed (highly unusual for a major-league sports venue at the time) and the Arena District developed around it as a master-planned mixed-use neighborhood through the 2000s and 2010s. The Cannon Goal cannon — an 18th-century-style cannon fired after every Blue Jackets goal at home — is the building's most distinctive in-game tradition. The Blue Jackets' Stinger mascot anchors the family-game experience. The Arena District has continued to expand with Huntington Park (the Columbus Clippers' MiLB stadium, opened 2009) immediately west of the arena, the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion concert venue, and additional residential and office development continuing into the 2020s.
Frequently asked questions
What time do doors open at Nationwide Arena?
Doors typically open about 90 minutes before puck drop for standard games, sometimes earlier for marquee events or concerts. Check the arena's official event page for the specific date's door time.
How do I get to Nationwide Arena without a car?
There is no rail rapid-transit in Columbus. COTA buses serve downtown and the Arena District directly. Most fans use rideshare or drive from elsewhere in Columbus.
Where can I park near Nationwide Arena?
Arena-affiliated and adjacent Arena District garages ring the venue. Reserving in advance via the parking link above typically beats event-night pricing. Convention center bookings can fill the district garages — check both calendars.
What's the Cannon Goal celebration?
The Blue Jackets fire an 18th-century-style cannon after every home goal — the cannon's firing platform sits at the upper concourse and the goal celebration is one of the most distinctive in-arena rituals in the NHL.
What's the bag policy at Nationwide Arena?
The arena enforces a small-bag policy with size limits and prohibits hard-sided coolers and most large bags. Specific dimensions and prohibited items change — check the arena's official bag policy page before heading in.
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