Can't miss
- Cadets marching on The whole Corps of Cadets marches onto the field in formation before the game, and the stadium stands for it.
- A game ball from the sky The Black Knights parachute team jumps into the stadium with the game ball.
- Trophy Point The overlook above the Hudson is the view of the trip. Go before the game or after.
Quick answers
What time do the Army lots open?
For noon games, the lots open 6 hours before kickoff, and shuttles start 90 minutes before the cadet review. Army posts the times for each game in that week's gameday guide, so check it for later starts.
Can you grill at Army tailgates?
Army's parking and gameday pages don't post a grill rule. What they do say: keep your tailgate to a small area around your vehicle and never block traffic lanes or the spaces next to you.
Can you drink at Army tailgates?
Army's gameday pages don't post a lot alcohol rule. Outside alcohol, food and drinks can't go into Michie Stadium.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate at Army?
Army's pages don't say a game ticket is required to tailgate. They do say everyone 18 and older needs accepted ID to get onto West Point, and general parking passes are issued when you buy tickets through Army.
How do you buy parking at Army?
Buy your tickets through Army West Point Athletics and you get access to a general parking pass at checkout. Only A Club members, season ticket members and tailgate package buyers can request a specific lot. Each pass is good for 1 space.
The game-day timeline
- 6 hrs beforeParking lots open, for noon games
- 4 hrs 30 min beforeShuttles start, 90 minutes before the cadet review
- 3 hrs beforeBlack Knights Alley opens on Victory Plaza, and the cadet review starts on the Plain
- About 2 hrs 15 min beforeBlack Knights Walk through Black Knights Alley
- 2 hrs beforeStadium gates open
- About 25 min beforeThe cadets march on, and the USMA Band plays the anthem
- About 15 min beforeCadets parachute in with the game ball, weather permitting
- 90 min afterPostgame shuttles stop running
Getting in
At West Point, getting through the gate comes before parking. Bring the right ID and use the gate printed on your pass.
- ID, U.S. visitors
- Everyone 18+: a REAL ID-compliant or enhanced license, retired military ID, DoD CAC or a service-connected Veterans Card. Under 18 needs no ID but must be with an adult.
- No REAL ID?
- Bring a U.S. passport, Social Security card or birth certificate to the Visitor Control Center, 2107 New South Post Road, Highland Falls, first.
- International
- A valid foreign passport plus a visa or ESTA, or a Canadian enhanced license. Allow 30 to 45 minutes per person at the Visitor Control Center.
- Green pass
- Thayer Gate, 674 Thayer Road. AA Lot and F Lot pass holders enter here in 2026.
- Red pass
- Stony Lonesome Gate, 1 Stony Lonesome Road.
- Blue or Gold pass
- Washington Gate, 917 Washington Road.
- Accessible
- H Lot, through Stony Lonesome Gate only, with no advance pass needed. A shuttle runs to the parade ground and to Gates 1 and 3.
- RV / buses
- RVs park at North Dock and buses at the ski slope. Other vehicles can't be larger than 8 feet 4 inches by 20 feet. Call 1-877-TIX-ARMY.
Wrong gate? You can park where that gate sends you, or leave and drive to the right one.
Want to park with your crew? Arrive at the same time with matching passes. Saving spots isn't allowed.
No car? Short Line runs buses from the Port Authority in Manhattan to the West Point Visitors Center, and Metro-North runs to Garrison and Peekskill, about 20 minutes away by cab. Everyone 18+ still needs accepted ID to get on post.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against armygameday.com, goarmywestpoint.com and westpoint.edu.
Most of Army's rules are about getting onto post. Grill and alcohol rules for the lots aren't posted.
- Getting on post
- Everyone 18+ shows a REAL ID-compliant license or another accepted ID at the gate. No accepted ID means a stop at the Visitor Control Center first.
- Which gate
- The one printed on your parking pass. Accessible parking is through Stony Lonesome Gate only.
- Your space
- Keep your tailgate to a small area around your vehicle. Don't block traffic lanes or neighboring spaces.
- Saving spots
- Not allowed. Crews that want to park together arrive together with matching passes.
- Vehicle size
- Only RVs can be larger than 8 feet 4 inches by 20 feet. RVs go to North Dock, buses to the ski slope.
- Grills and alcohol
- Not posted on Army's gameday pages. Outside alcohol, food and drinks can't go into the stadium.
- Bags at the gate
- One clear bag up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches or a 1-gallon clear bag, plus a small clutch. No coolers, backpacks or umbrellas.
- Smoking
- Not within the stadium security footprint or 50 feet of an athletics facility.
- Gates open
- 2 hours before kickoff, through walk-through weapons screening. No re-entry, and concessions are cashless.
Before you go
Army Gameday: Florida Atlantic gameday guide (Oct 17, 2026)Army Gameday: parking, shuttles and directionsMichie Stadium clear bag and carry-in policy (Aug 25, 2026)West Point visitor access and directions2026 Army football parking mapOfficial pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for West Point
What we'd bring.
-
Opener & Shotgun Tool
$7.99
Free over $50 (our gear)
Our opener pops caps and clips to your keys, so it's never the thing nobody packed.
More for this lot
-
Taiga 27 qt Hard Cooler, 24 Cans$199 · Ships free
-
Tire Table Aluminum, Medium: Table That Mounts on Your Tire$199.95 · Ships free
West Point sits high above the Hudson, and in November the wind off the river finds you in the lot.
Where the party is
A tailgate at West Point runs on a military clock: the cadet review on the Plain, the Black Knights Walk and a parachute drop with the game ball. The lots are tight, so the setup stays small and the schedule does the heavy lifting.
The fan fest
Black Knights Alley
Army's fan fest on Victory Plaza, between Michie Stadium and Lusk Reservoir. It opens 3 hours before kickoff with music, a tailgate show, face painting and inflatables for kids, and runs until kickoff.
The tradition
The Plain
A full-dress cadet review takes place on the parade field before every home game, weather permitting, 3 hours before kickoff. The green shuttle stops at the Mid Lot by the parade ground.
The walk
The Black Knights Walk
About 2 hours 15 minutes before kickoff, the players, coaches, Rabble Rousers and spirit band walk through Black Knights Alley to the locker room.
What to eat
Black Knights Alley has vendors on Victory Plaza until kickoff.
Getting out
Getting off post takes patience after a full house. Your options, best first:
- Ride the shuttle back. Postgame shuttles run until 90 minutes after the game. Remember your lot and your route color before you head in.
- Retrace your route. Army's directions are set by pass color and gate, so the way you came in is the way you know.
- Train or bus home. Book a cab back to Garrison or Peekskill for Metro-North, or catch Short Line from the Visitors Center.
First time here?
Visiting? How to join a tailgate
Black Knights Alley is the easy first stop.
Free · one page · works offline
Your Michie Stadium game-day sheet, by email
One page for the lot: where to park, when it opens, what you can bring.
We don't sell your email.
