Stadium · Tennis
Arthur Ashe Stadium
Arthur Ashe Stadium is the main court of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, and the largest tennis venue in the world. It is genuinely enormous, to the point that the upper tiers are a long way from the court and many regulars prefer the smaller show courts and the grounds passes. A retractable roof was added in 2016, which ended the tournament’s long history of rain chaos. The wider site holds dozens of courts, and wandering between them during the early rounds is the best way to experience it.
Approximate. This is the largest purpose built tennis stadium in the world by some margin.
What happens here
The teams and events that put this venue on a fan travel itinerary.
Home teams
No permanent club tenant. This venue operates on an event calendar, so what is on depends entirely on the date you are travelling.
Major events
- us-open-tennis
How it got here
The history that still shapes what you see on a visit.
The tennis centre sits in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the site of two World’s Fairs, and the US Open moved there in 1978 from Forest Hills. Arthur Ashe Stadium opened in 1997, named for the player who won the first US Open in 1968 and who was a significant figure in American civil rights. The roof was completed in 2016 after years of rain delayed finals, and the site has been progressively rebuilt around it since.
Getting there
Including what changes on the way out, which is usually the harder half.
Transit summary
The 7 train to Mets-Willets Point drops you a short walk from the gates and is the standard route, taking roughly half an hour from midtown Manhattan. The Long Island Rail Road also stops at Mets-Willets Point during the tournament and is faster from Penn Station. Both get extremely busy at session changeover, which is the main crowd pinch point of the day.
Parking and rideshare
There is parking on the surrounding park land but it is expensive during the tournament and the exit onto the local road network is slow. Rideshare pickup is staged at designated points in the park and surges hard at the end of a night session. The 7 train is faster than any alternative and runs late.
Where to stay, eat and drink
Nearby hotel areas
- Midtown Manhattan (best base overall, 30 to 40 minutes on the 7 train, widest hotel range)
- Long Island City (closest good stock, direct on the 7, much better value than Manhattan)
- Flushing (closest of all, excellent food, basic hotel stock, one stop away)
- Jackson Heights and Astoria (best neighbourhood food in Queens, direct subway, good value)
- Brooklyn around Williamsburg (good base for the evenings, longer journey to the grounds)
Bars and restaurants nearby
- Flushing, one subway stop away, which has the best Chinese food in New York and is worth a dedicated trip
- Jackson Heights for South Asian and Latin American food, a few stops back toward Manhattan
- Corona for Italian ices and the neighbourhood classics on the walk from the park
- Astoria for Greek food and a proper night out after a session
Tours and visits
The tennis centre is a public facility for most of the year and its courts can be booked by the public outside the tournament, which is unusual for a venue of this profile. There is no conventional stadium tour, but playing on the grounds is possible when the site is not in tournament use.
Practical tips
Planning a visit to Arthur Ashe Stadium
- Grounds passes during the early rounds are the best value in tennis. You get access to the outer courts and can watch top players up close without a stadium ticket.
- Day and night sessions are sold separately in the main stadium. Work out which one your ticket covers before planning the rest of the day.
- The upper tiers of Arthur Ashe are very high and very far from the court. The smaller show courts often give a better view for less money.
- Late August and early September in New York are hot and humid. The roof covers rain, not heat, and the upper deck gets full sun.
- Fan Week and qualifying before the main draw are free or cheap and much less crowded, which is the insider way to see the site.
Bags, security and accessibility
Bag size limits are enforced and there is a published list of prohibited items, with screening at the grounds perimeter rather than at each court. The site is cashless. Accessible seating and transport around the grounds are available and should be arranged in advance, which matters because the site is large and involves long walks between courts.
Related teams
Clubs that play here, and others we cover in the same city
Related destinations
The wider city guide around this venue
Related events
Major events staged at or around this venue
Where to go next
Frequently asked questions
Does Arthur Ashe Stadium have a roof?+
Yes, a retractable roof was completed in 2016. It ended the tournament’s long run of weather delayed finals, though it covers rain rather than heat and the venue can still be uncomfortable in late summer.
Is a grounds pass worth it?+
For the early rounds, yes, and it is arguably the best value ticket in tennis. It gives access to the outer courts where you can watch leading players from a few metres away rather than from the upper tier of a 23,000 seat stadium.
How do I get to the tennis centre?+
The 7 train to Mets-Willets Point, about half an hour from midtown Manhattan. The Long Island Rail Road also stops there during the tournament and is faster from Penn Station.
Last updated August 19, 2026
Sources and verification
- MTA subway and Long Island Rail Road service information
- US Open official grounds, ticket and access information
Capacity figures are approximate and configuration-dependent. Transit routes, bag policies, and tour access change around fixtures and construction. Verify before travel.
FanForged is an independent sports travel and fan guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any event organiser, league, federation, team, venue, or rights holder. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
FanForged has no affiliation with Arthur Ashe Stadium, its operator, or any team or event staged there. Venue names are used descriptively and no venue marks are reproduced here.