Gaining Access to the underbelly of the Spurs' Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Gaining Access to the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas during Spurs games
First, a few things to get out of the way - this is my first guide entry, so excuse the quality. Next, what I say here may or may not be legal... hell, I've never been caught, so I wouldn't know. Use common sense. Also, since this all this was collected during the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 spurs seasons, it will be very different in the future and for different events.
The Alamodome is divided into 5 levels, all accessible through the stairs and elevators. The 3rd level and most of the 1st are restricted, and small parts of each level are locked, secured, and under video surveillance and armed guard patrol. As soon as I get into any of these portions, I'll tell you about it once I post bail.
Getting into the alamodome itself is the hardest part here... the easiest way is just to buy a cheap ticket and get in the 'legal' way. Since I've collected all this data as a season ticket holder, I can't help you much.
1st level – Floor level
Access is simple here… nobody will stop you, except maybe in the elevators during non-fan fiesta games. A lot of stuff is on this floor – locker rooms, the fan fiesta area, meeting rooms, and a high-security area, which I have never seen beyond.
Fan Fiesta area
The fan fiesta area ends with 2 large halls. One of these is large enough to drive a convoy of stuff into the alamodome, and will occasionally have workers scurrying back and forth – relatively low security. The other, however, intersects with a redsuit-manned desk (all alamodome ushers wear red suits and black ties). Whatever’s back there, they won’t let you see it – it’s pretty tightly secured. I’ve tried getting around to the high-security area through the convoy zone, but so far, no luck. Other items of interest - Going under and around the curtain that separates the court area from the fan fiesta site, an always-locked supply room (a rarity), and control switches underneath the unused bleachers.
Meeting Rooms
Some of my favorite rooms in the alamodome, the meeting rooms are often empty and full of fun stuff. The meeting rooms all branch off of the corridors that connect the fan fiesta zone with the court area, and are labeled A – R. They are never under surveillance. While about half are locked, this is pretty much useless, since you can connect from one to the other via the concrete hall in the back. Dry erase boards, chairs, microphones and podiums are common in meeting rooms. I’ve even seen unattended laptops lying around. More control panels can be found at the end of these halls, as well as open bags of ticket stubs (?) and tables in various stages of assembly. When going from court-to-fiesta, the meeting rooms to your left apparently connect to something important – they have extra, locked doors. I’ll keep you informed.
The Locker Rooms
The main 1st floor path only gives one entry to the court area, and along this entry is the entrance/exit of the locker rooms. Forget about ever getting in - the line between the locker room entrance to the court is protected by a cloth cover and the locker room itself has an armed guard outside it. I haven't noticed any other ways into the locker rooms, so I'd bet this is the only one. If there's an away team locker room area, tell me about it... I haven't found one yet.
2nd floor - Main floor
Because it's so commonly used and patrolled, I can't think of anything useful to a hitchhiker here. There's overpriced ice-cream stands and crappy fast food, nasty ushers and entrances to the stands. This floor is referred to as the 100's, as in *Section 143*.
3rd floor - Administrative offices
Not a true floor in my opinion, the 3rd floor is on the same height as the very top of the 1st floor stands. It is simply one long corridor accessible by the stairs and the doors at the wheelchair-accessible top of the 1st floor stands, underneath the balcony. The three important parts of the 3rd floor are the press box, the branching offices, and the vending machines.
Press Box
The press box, if you're lucky enough to not run into the patrolling guard, is a pretty cool place to be. It's got a great view of the game, refreshments on the table, free nametags (just say your in PR, they never know) and is usually full enough to just blend in. Often they sell or (as I was lucky enough to experience on one occasion) give away alcoholic beverages up here. It's fun, if you're able to pretend to be a member of whatever company/organization/mob group has purchased the box for the night.
Offices
Haven't been in one yet. MORE ON THIS LATER.
Vending Machines
Located at one of the ends of the floor, these babies sell you candy and soda for about $2.40 less than you can buy it at the stands on the second level. Just drop by like you know who you are, and get what you want for the prices you deserve.
4th Floor - Club level
Limited to those with Club Level tickets, the easiest way to get here is to take the stairs into an uninhabited area of the 4th floor, exit through the 4th floor doors and go around to the left. From there, walk along the empty seats until you're into seats with people in 'em. Nobody bothers you once you're in, but getting in can be a problem. The 4th floor is called the '200' floors in the seat numbering system.
Because it's supposed to be open to the public, the 4th floor is similar to the 2nd - overpriced merchandise, high traffic, and ushers with only one eyebrow. The only places of interest I've found is the uninhabited side above the fan fiesta area... there is some useful stuff lying around, and, if you're resourceful enough, control boxes and circuit breakers.
A note - you can take the carpeted stairs from the 4th level TOP OF THE DOME CLUB to the stuffed-shirt diner above. See the 5th floor to learn about this area...
5th Floor - Nosebleed seats
This includes the nosebleed seats, the prestigious TOP OF THE DOME CLUB and the some of the most interesting rooms in the entire alamodome. Simply take the stairs up to an uninhabited side of the 5th floor and explore. The 5th floor is the '300' level in the seat numbering system.
Top bleachers
The nosebleed seats are open to the public in only about 3/5 of the games, and even then, it's only 1 out of the 6 nosebleed sections. On the fan fiesta side seats, The very top and center of the seats has a ladder reaching to the catwalk above. Often left unlocked, the ladder can reach the rafters above the alamodome and is probably the only entrance to the roof. So far, I haven't been gutsy enough to ascend the ladder, and if you want to, you never heard it from me.
TOP OF THE DOME CLUB
The 4th floor club is open to all season ticket holders, and is generally nothing special, but the 5th floor CLUB is much more noteworthy. Just take the carpeted stairs up from the 4th floor CLUB, sample the caviar, and no one will be the wiser. The 4th floor entrance is much easier than trying to get in through the main entrance, where important people sit in fluffy chairs waiting to be called on. Also, this way, you don't have to deal with pesky security guards...
The Rooms
In the 5 uninhabited sections of the 5th floor, there exist several storage rooms that contain anything from mops and duct tape to several gallons of paint and (no joke) the building plans for the alamodome. While only 1 half are usually unlocked, I've found several useful things in these rooms. They can be found all along the inside of the main 5th floor hall and behind the empty concession stands everywhere on the 5th floor. When you open the door, it'll probably be dark and you'll have to find the light switch. Honestly, they leave some of the most intriguing stuff up here... flashlights, magazines, and jagged pieces of metal. Have fun.
One of these days I'm gonna wear a red coat and black tie, and really probe the depths of the alamodome. Until then, this is all you have... an admittedly incomplete resource. Be careful, smart, and resourceful, and you'll do fine.
First, a few things to get out of the way - this is my first guide entry, so excuse the quality. Next, what I say here may or may not be legal... hell, I've never been caught, so I wouldn't know. Use common sense. Also, since this all this was collected during the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 spurs seasons, it will be very different in the future and for different events.
The Alamodome is divided into 5 levels, all accessible through the stairs and elevators. The 3rd level and most of the 1st are restricted, and small parts of each level are locked, secured, and under video surveillance and armed guard patrol. As soon as I get into any of these portions, I'll tell you about it once I post bail.
Getting into the alamodome itself is the hardest part here... the easiest way is just to buy a cheap ticket and get in the 'legal' way. Since I've collected all this data as a season ticket holder, I can't help you much.
1st level – Floor level
Access is simple here… nobody will stop you, except maybe in the elevators during non-fan fiesta games. A lot of stuff is on this floor – locker rooms, the fan fiesta area, meeting rooms, and a high-security area, which I have never seen beyond.
Fan Fiesta area
The fan fiesta area ends with 2 large halls. One of these is large enough to drive a convoy of stuff into the alamodome, and will occasionally have workers scurrying back and forth – relatively low security. The other, however, intersects with a redsuit-manned desk (all alamodome ushers wear red suits and black ties). Whatever’s back there, they won’t let you see it – it’s pretty tightly secured. I’ve tried getting around to the high-security area through the convoy zone, but so far, no luck. Other items of interest - Going under and around the curtain that separates the court area from the fan fiesta site, an always-locked supply room (a rarity), and control switches underneath the unused bleachers.
Meeting Rooms
Some of my favorite rooms in the alamodome, the meeting rooms are often empty and full of fun stuff. The meeting rooms all branch off of the corridors that connect the fan fiesta zone with the court area, and are labeled A – R. They are never under surveillance. While about half are locked, this is pretty much useless, since you can connect from one to the other via the concrete hall in the back. Dry erase boards, chairs, microphones and podiums are common in meeting rooms. I’ve even seen unattended laptops lying around. More control panels can be found at the end of these halls, as well as open bags of ticket stubs (?) and tables in various stages of assembly. When going from court-to-fiesta, the meeting rooms to your left apparently connect to something important – they have extra, locked doors. I’ll keep you informed.
The Locker Rooms
The main 1st floor path only gives one entry to the court area, and along this entry is the entrance/exit of the locker rooms. Forget about ever getting in - the line between the locker room entrance to the court is protected by a cloth cover and the locker room itself has an armed guard outside it. I haven't noticed any other ways into the locker rooms, so I'd bet this is the only one. If there's an away team locker room area, tell me about it... I haven't found one yet.
2nd floor - Main floor
Because it's so commonly used and patrolled, I can't think of anything useful to a hitchhiker here. There's overpriced ice-cream stands and crappy fast food, nasty ushers and entrances to the stands. This floor is referred to as the 100's, as in *Section 143*.
3rd floor - Administrative offices
Not a true floor in my opinion, the 3rd floor is on the same height as the very top of the 1st floor stands. It is simply one long corridor accessible by the stairs and the doors at the wheelchair-accessible top of the 1st floor stands, underneath the balcony. The three important parts of the 3rd floor are the press box, the branching offices, and the vending machines.
Press Box
The press box, if you're lucky enough to not run into the patrolling guard, is a pretty cool place to be. It's got a great view of the game, refreshments on the table, free nametags (just say your in PR, they never know) and is usually full enough to just blend in. Often they sell or (as I was lucky enough to experience on one occasion) give away alcoholic beverages up here. It's fun, if you're able to pretend to be a member of whatever company/organization/mob group has purchased the box for the night.
Offices
Haven't been in one yet. MORE ON THIS LATER.
Vending Machines
Located at one of the ends of the floor, these babies sell you candy and soda for about $2.40 less than you can buy it at the stands on the second level. Just drop by like you know who you are, and get what you want for the prices you deserve.
4th Floor - Club level
Limited to those with Club Level tickets, the easiest way to get here is to take the stairs into an uninhabited area of the 4th floor, exit through the 4th floor doors and go around to the left. From there, walk along the empty seats until you're into seats with people in 'em. Nobody bothers you once you're in, but getting in can be a problem. The 4th floor is called the '200' floors in the seat numbering system.
Because it's supposed to be open to the public, the 4th floor is similar to the 2nd - overpriced merchandise, high traffic, and ushers with only one eyebrow. The only places of interest I've found is the uninhabited side above the fan fiesta area... there is some useful stuff lying around, and, if you're resourceful enough, control boxes and circuit breakers.
A note - you can take the carpeted stairs from the 4th level TOP OF THE DOME CLUB to the stuffed-shirt diner above. See the 5th floor to learn about this area...
5th Floor - Nosebleed seats
This includes the nosebleed seats, the prestigious TOP OF THE DOME CLUB and the some of the most interesting rooms in the entire alamodome. Simply take the stairs up to an uninhabited side of the 5th floor and explore. The 5th floor is the '300' level in the seat numbering system.
Top bleachers
The nosebleed seats are open to the public in only about 3/5 of the games, and even then, it's only 1 out of the 6 nosebleed sections. On the fan fiesta side seats, The very top and center of the seats has a ladder reaching to the catwalk above. Often left unlocked, the ladder can reach the rafters above the alamodome and is probably the only entrance to the roof. So far, I haven't been gutsy enough to ascend the ladder, and if you want to, you never heard it from me.
TOP OF THE DOME CLUB
The 4th floor club is open to all season ticket holders, and is generally nothing special, but the 5th floor CLUB is much more noteworthy. Just take the carpeted stairs up from the 4th floor CLUB, sample the caviar, and no one will be the wiser. The 4th floor entrance is much easier than trying to get in through the main entrance, where important people sit in fluffy chairs waiting to be called on. Also, this way, you don't have to deal with pesky security guards...
The Rooms
In the 5 uninhabited sections of the 5th floor, there exist several storage rooms that contain anything from mops and duct tape to several gallons of paint and (no joke) the building plans for the alamodome. While only 1 half are usually unlocked, I've found several useful things in these rooms. They can be found all along the inside of the main 5th floor hall and behind the empty concession stands everywhere on the 5th floor. When you open the door, it'll probably be dark and you'll have to find the light switch. Honestly, they leave some of the most intriguing stuff up here... flashlights, magazines, and jagged pieces of metal. Have fun.
One of these days I'm gonna wear a red coat and black tie, and really probe the depths of the alamodome. Until then, this is all you have... an admittedly incomplete resource. Be careful, smart, and resourceful, and you'll do fine.
