New England Patriots · NFL · AFC East

Tailgating at Gillette Stadium

This week Packers at Patriots · Sun, Nov 8 · 4:25 PM ET

Lots open
4 hrs before kickoff
Grills
Yes · movable grills only
Alcohol
Not banned · no kegs

Checked Oct 29, 2026

Gillette Stadium entrance and lighthouse in Foxborough, Massachusetts
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

Thirty lobsters went into the pot at one season ticket holder's tailgate before the Patriots' 2026 home opener on Sept. 20. Another crew poured mimosas made with apple cider next to a tray of steak and cheese sandwiches, and a group that has tailgated together for 30 years forgave its lone Steelers-fan roommate: "great kid just wrong team." Plenty of people come for the lot alone. In December 2025 the Boston Globe found the air full of sausage, peppers and onions, and the Reverend Gerry McCarthy, who by then had spent 21 years climbing onto a cooler in front of the Tailgater2000 bus to give a team prayer.

The lot answer

Most of Foxborough tailgates in Gillette's general lots, 41 to 50B on the I-495 side and 51 to 55A on the I-95 side; the stadium-side lots are prepaid and sold out for 2026. The general lots are free with a game ticket and need no pass, so a crew that just shows up can set up in any of them. Come in on Route 1 even if your map app says otherwise, because local road closures don't always show up on it. Some fans have gone further: one host had boiled lobster in the lot since 1993 when NBC Boston visited in 2022, and that year fans were renting storage units down Washington Street and furnishing them as tailgate dens. Patriot Place is the calmer choice, with bathrooms and a bar stool.

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general lots across Route 1
Free
or outside catering
No kegs
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Rules checked Oct 29, 2026
Sources

Rules last verified Oct 29, 2026 against gillettestadium.com, Boston 25 News (Sept. 20, 2026), the Boston Globe (Dec. 22, 2025) and NBC Boston (2022).

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Can't miss

  1. Muskets after every score Colonial reenactors line the end zones and fire their muskets after every Patriots score. Don't jump.
  2. The Hall at Patriot Place The Patriots' hall of fame sits next to the stadium, and the Super Bowl trophies are inside. Walk through it before the game.

Quick answers

What time do the Gillette Stadium lots open?

4 hours before kickoff, and you can start tailgating in the general lots when they open. Lots close 2 hours after day games and right after night games.

Can you grill at Gillette Stadium?

Yes, in a movable grill. Open fires and open-flame fire pits aren't allowed, grills can't be left unattended, and used charcoal has to be disposed of properly, not left burning on the pavement.

Can you drink at Patriots tailgates?

Kegs are banned in the lots. Public intoxication is against the code of conduct. Inside, you need a valid ID to buy, it's 2 drinks at a time, and sales stop in the 3rd quarter.

Do you need a ticket to tailgate?

Plan on it. The stadium says general parking is free for ticket holders, and the stadium-side passes are tied to Patriots games.

How do you buy parking?

You don't have to for the general lots across Route 1. They're free, no pass needed. Stadium-side prepaid passes are sold out for 2026, and any released later are sold online through Ticketmaster.

Where to park

Most fans park free across Route 1 from the stadium. Come in on Route 1, because local roads may be closed in ways your map app won't show.

General lots
Free for ticket holders, no pass needed. Lots 41 to 50B are the I-495 side, Lots 51 to 55A the I-95 side.
Stadium side
Prepaid passes only, sold out for 2026. Any released later are sold online with a Visa card.
Be Paid to Park
Lots 45 and 55B. Free, first come, with a 75-minute delayed exit and a Visa gift card for each car. The lots lock 30 minutes after kickoff.
Oversize
Lot 52, entering at P10 North or P10 South. No trailers, 5th wheels, box trucks, tractor-trailer cabs or branded vehicles.
Limos
No drop-off or pickup at the stadium. Limos and town cars park on site.
Foxboro Terminals
208 North St, at North St and Route 1. Opens 4 hours before, about a 10-minute walk. Follow the purple line on the sidewalk.
Accessible
See the stadium's Accessible Services page, or call the Ticket Office.
Gillette Stadium parking lots, simplified
Gillette Stadium parking lots, simplified
 See the official Gillette Stadium parking map

A general space fits a vehicle about 9 x 18 feet. Staff can turn away anything they think is too big.
There's no parking lot re-entry. Bring everything the first time.
No car? Special event Commuter Rail trains run to Foxboro Station for 2026 Patriots games. Tickets are sold only in the mTicket app, and regular passes don't work. Rideshare drops off and picks up in Lot 16, by the CVS Health Gate.

The rules

Rules last verified Oct 29, 2026 against gillettestadium.com, Boston 25 News (Sept. 20, 2026), the Boston Globe (Dec. 22, 2025) and NBC Boston (2022).

Gillette's list is short. Most of it is about fire and keeping the lots homemade.

Grills
Fires only in a movable grill. No open fires or open-flame fire pits, and never leave a grill unattended.
Charcoal
Dispose of it properly. Don't leave it burning out on the pavement.
Alcohol
No kegs in the lots. Public intoxication is against the code of conduct. Inside: 2 drinks at a time, sales stop in the 3rd quarter.
Not allowed
Outside catering, professional tailgates, portable toilets not provided by the stadium, trailers and box trucks.
When it starts
Tailgating in the general lots can start when they open, 4 hours before kickoff.
When it ends
Lots close 2 hours after day games and right after night games. No parking lot re-entry.
Bags at the gate
One bag: clear up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or a small bag up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. No backpacks or umbrellas.
Gates open
2 hours before kickoff. No re-entry, and the stadium is cashless.
Compare the rules in all 173 guides →

Before you go

Gillette Stadium parkingPatriots game event guideEvent day transportationPatriots parking map

Official pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.

Pack for Foxborough

What we'd bring.

  • New England Patriots 3x5 Flag, Swirl pattern

    $24.79

    Ships free

    Your team's 3x5 flag with metal grommets. Hang it and your crew finds your spot in the lot.

  • Sampler, 8 Rubs

    $47.99

    Ships free

    Eight rubs in one box, so the grill gets a new one every Saturday. It's the seasoning we use.

More for this lot

  • Revo Dubler HEAT Chafer and Cooler$198.89 · Ships free

  • Monument G22 Tabletop Gas Grill, 2 Burners$199 · Ships free

  • The Game Day Starter, $556.99American Flag cornhole boards, a Taiga 27 qt hard cooler and a Whirl Pong set of 2, in one cart. Shop the kit

Late-season games can bring snow. In December 2025 the Boston Globe found a fan whose widescreen TV the snow and mist shut down mid-game; the friends watched the rest on a phone. Bring a cover for anything electric.

Shipping and returns

Get the Pregame for the Patriots. Your lot, your game and what to cook, every week. Free.Get the Pregame for the Patriots

Gear for Patriots fans

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Where the party is

The big, free lots across Route 1 are where Foxborough tailgates. The rules keep it homemade: no kegs, no caterers, no pro setups, just whatever your crew can cook in a movable grill.

The I-495 side

Lots 41 to 50B

Free general parking across Route 1 from the stadium.

The I-95 side

Lots 51 to 55A

The other half of the free general lots, with oversize parking in Lot 52.

The patient play

Be Paid to Park

Lots 45 and 55B trade a 75-minute delayed exit for a Visa gift card. If you were staying late anyway, it's free money.

Know a setup worth showing off? Nominate your tailgate.

What to eat

Didn't cook? Patriot Place, the shopping and dining strip next to the stadium, is the fallback.

Cook thisClam chowder

Getting out

Every car leaves on Route 1, and it shows. Your options, best first:

  1. Get paid to wait. Park in Lot 45 or 55B before they lock, 30 minutes after kickoff. You sit through a 75-minute delayed exit and drive off with a Visa gift card.
  2. Take the train. Event trains leave Foxboro Station 30 minutes after the game. Buy round trips in the mTicket app before they sell out.
  3. Rideshare from Lot 16. Leave through the CVS Health Gate and follow the pedestrian path to the pickup.

  4. Skip this

    Hit Route 1 with everyone else. You'll have plenty of time to talk about the game.

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