The Moda Center is located in Portland, Oregon, and is home to the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers and the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. Its sponsor, Moda Health (formerly ODS Health), is a health insurance company based in Portland, Oregon, that provides medical and dental insurance in Oregon and Alaska.
Table of Contents
Arena Guide by Basketball Tripper
History
The Moda Center was built as a replacement facility to Memorial Coliseum; the arena didn’t officially break ground until July of 1993 and wasn’t finished until October of 1995. A major deciding factor in choosing the new arena’s location was its proximity to transit, with the MAX Light Rail and bus service at TriMet’s Coliseum Transit Center being next to the site.
The majority of the $262 million building costs were funded by a $155 million loan from a collection of lenders. The rest of the funds came from the City of Portland and Allen himself, with the last $10 million coming from a bond backed by parking revenues. With this financial agreement, the team will play all home games in Portland for 30 years.
The facility’s original name was “Rose Garden”; but was regularly known as the “Rose Garden Arena.” The name was chosen to display Portland’s reputation as the Rose City and reflect the importance to the basketball heritage of Boston Garden and Madison Square Garden arenas in Boston and New York City, respectively.
In 2007, the Trail Blazers and Vulcan announced that they were looking for a partner to sell the naming rights to, hoping that they would reach a deal by the Blazers’ 2008–09 season. In August 2013, the Trail Blazers announced a 10-year naming rights deal with Moda Health, an Oregon-based health insurance provider, and they would rename the arena to “Moda Center.”
Interior view of Moda Center
Seating Chart
Below is a seating plan of Portland Trail Blazers's Moda Center:
Matchday Experience
Best Bars Near Ground
Several popular bars are located within walking distance to the arena, with a few of the favorites being Upright Brewing, McMenamins Broadway Pub, Ex Novo Brewing Co., and Spirit of 77. Spirit of 77 is one of the best places in Portland to watch live sports. They have every sports package you can imagine, plenty of space, a tremendous local draft list, scratch recipe food, and incredible cocktails. With this place being a hotbed for Blazer fans, it will be a great spot to grab a drink before tip-off.
Food - Places to Eat
While several of the bars and pubs in the area offer several food options, a few other food options are a favorite of the locals and are right around the arena that you can stop at before tip-off. Some of the area’s choices include OX Restaurant, J Cafe, Frank’s Noodle House, Pine State Biscuits | Schuyler, Little Big Burger – Lloyd District, and many others. Since the Blazers are very popular in the area, there are several spots near the Moda Center that are sports-themed and will be great places to catch a bite to eat before the game or even watch the game while you eat.
Team Store
Portland Trail Blazers Team Store
Arena Tours
The Moda Center does not currently offer tours open to the public.
Ticket Information
Portland Trail Blazers Tickets
Typically, Blazers tickets vary on who they are playing on the given night, but tickets can be found for as low as $11, with an average price of $95. The Moda Center also offers a wide range of premium seating options, including Luxury Suites, Club Level, and Courtside. The Moda Center has a wide range of tickets scaling all ticket prices, so you will be able to find any seat in the building that caters to your taste.
Visiting the Arena - Travel
Stadium Map
Since the Moda is located near the heart of Portland, there are several travel options you can choose from. The most popular transportation methods would include the TriMet, which provides bus, light rail, and commuter rail transit services in the Portland, Oregon, metro area. There are also various forms of care services and thousands of parking spots if you chose to bring your vehicle.
Driving
The address for Moda Center is as follows:
• 1 N Center Ct St, Portland, OR 97227
While traffic during game nights will drive larger crowds than usual down to Portland, you should be in the clear of heavy traffic if you leave a few hours before tip-off. If you are coming from surrounding suburbs, you will most likely be coming into the city on one of the three major highways (I-205, Oregon 217, I-405, I-84, Washington 14, and Washington 500).
Parking
While there are public/paid parking options on any given game night, the location that the Moda Center sponsors is:
• The Garden Garage is attached to the arena and has 1038 total spaces, including 24 ADA accessible spaces.
• The Annex Garage with 350 total spaces, including 9 ADA accessible spaces.
• The West Broadway Garage with 554 total spaces, including 12 ADA accessible spaces.
• The East Broadway Garage with 533 total spaces, including 14 ADA accessible spaces.
• The Benton Surface Lot with 92 total spaces including 3 ADA accessible space
Public Transport
You are most likely looking to be on TriMet for public transportation, which provides bus, light rail, and commuter rail transit services in the Portland, Oregon, metro area. With the many public transportation methods, you should find reliable and comfortable public transit on game day.
Airports and Flying
If you are coming from out of state and flying, you will most likely fly into Portland International Airport. The drive from the airport to the arena is 1 mile and will roughly take 25-40 minutes to reach the arena. The most popular transportation methods to the Moda Center are by tram ($3), bus ($15-$24), taxi ($26-$34), or car.