Van Andel Arena — Attraction in Grand Rapids

A Hero’s Journey to the Van Andel Arena: A Tale of Snow, Stuffed Animals, and Two-Dollar Hot Dogs

Our epic begins on a snowy, icy road, where I, an out-of-town traveler, embarked on a perilous quest to the Van Andel Arena, home of the Grand Rapids Griffins. The treacherous parking situation proved my first trial—locals, clearly seasoned in the art of arena navigation, zipped into spots while I, the hapless outsider, wandered like a hockey puck without a stick. Yet, I persevered, determined to witness the great battle on ice.

Entering the arena, I was greeted by friendly staff who must moonlight as cheerleaders, for their smiles could melt the iciest Michigan winter. My spirits were lifted. My bladder, however, demanded attention. I feared the worst—horrors of sticky floors and questionable cleanliness—but lo! The bathrooms were immaculate. It was a sign from above that this journey might not be so grim.

Suitably refreshed, I armed myself with provisions: hot dogs and beer, a mere $2 each on this magical night. Yes, you read that right. TWO DOLLARS. I questioned if I had stumbled into some alternate reality where concessions don’t require a second mortgage.

The game itself was a spectacle worthy of legend. The Griffins fought valiantly, dragging the battle into overtime and ultimately to the drama of a shootout. Victory! The arena erupted in cheers, and suddenly, the air was filled with flying stuffed animals. Yes, in a heartwarming twist, the locals hurled plush critters onto the ice, all in the name of supporting a children’s charity. It was chaos. It was joy. It was as if hockey and a toy store had collided in the best possible way.

The locals, I learned, hold no love for Green Bay or Wisconsin in general, a sentiment expressed in the grumblings of the fans. Their loyalty to their own, however, was unshakable. Families cheered, strangers high-fived, and even my crew of weary travelers felt like part of the community.

As the final horn sounded and we emerged victorious into the snowy night, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction. The arena was clean, the staff was delightful, and the Griffins had delivered a game for the ages. Parking challenges aside, it was a night of camaraderie, sportsmanship, and, most importantly, $2 hot dogs.

Would I return to Van Andel Arena? Absolutely. This was no mere hockey game—it was a hero’s journey, and I can’t wait to don my traveler’s cloak and do...

I never leave reviews. But this is bothersome. Extremely disappointed. I have been going to the Van Andel for years. Today I was taking my son to see Monster Truck Hot Wheels and they would not let me in due to my bag. I have a fanny pack purse that is smaller and I specifically got for events like this. I literally just used it at a concert 2 months ago at this same venue. I have photos of this purse on me multiple times for events here. The moment I got to the door the lady running the metal detector waved for security. The security lady was standing in the metal detector and said my bag is way to large and I can throw it away to get in. I explained to her I have been here multiple times and she said the only reason I got in those times is because I was lucky. I asked to put it in the bin to show that it fit, we put it in a bin and it fit.... nope she still said it's to large. This is her reasoning. The strap material transitions from fabric to the leather part like the purse and that makes it part of the actual bag and because I bunched up the strap and that folded I was disguising the actual size of the bag. I literally emptied my whole bag out just standing there and to show her there was no harm. I have a 4 year old and no pockets and they expected me to throw my bag away to gain entry. She said if I had at least 1 diaper in the bag then yes I could have brought it in. MEANWHILE, a lady in the door right next to us had a bigger purse than me and they let her through right next to me! He told her to just say it's a diaper bag, this was brought to their attention and they said they will search her bag over in the diaper bags. But they are aware mine is not because I showed them to contents of my bag. I was not allowed entry and had to figure out how I'm suppose to carry my things without my bag. Now my son is devastated crying at the doors because security won't let us in. I understand you need safety but for me to sit there and empty things out completely and when we bin it, it went through the detector no alarms there shouldn't be an issue. I showed you more of my belongings rather than what the diaper bag line was showing. That's what you get for being truthful. I honestly feel this security lady was on a power trip. And her power trip ruined a kids monster...

I took my two nephews and my sister to a recent Grand Rapids Gold game. I am an over planner, and looked at many maps Van Andel offered to find the best seats. The pricing of the seats are affordable, and I wished for floor seats but there was none available for the game. I located the closest seats to the court, there was no communication on the site stating any seats would hinder the view of the game or the court. When we arrived we saw many suites with fans seated in them in front of our row, the suites were on stage platforms which caused those seating in the suites who were all tall to hinder viewing the entire game. We were seated in section 107 and row A. If only the suites were leveled lower to not hinder two rows of fans trying to view the game. We used the screen to view the game the entire time, and that was not easy since the screen was to the left us and we were seated with a row of many people we were trying to view over. We ended leaving early. Here is why I reviewed with a 5 star rating. The communication I sent of my feedback of our recent experience not hoping for anything in return surprised me. I was given amazing quick customer service, they listened to my feedback and acknowledged a change to better help with those who purchase the same seats in the future, so they do not have their view of the game affected as well. They did not give excuses, but offered understanding and listened to all 4 of us who wanted an amazing experience. Trey was able to do that and help me feel better of our future visits with Van Andel with either viewing Grand Rapids Gold or any other event. I have been a loyal attendee at Van Andel since I was a kid myself, as an adult there are still many new updates needed for Van Andel but the customer service is gold like the Grand Rapids Gold. Thank you, for all the kindness and amazing customer service. Our family truly appreciates it, and we’re excited to attend another game...