Tips for visiting fan to West Point

[collegefootballfan81]

Hey All,

My buddies and I are big college football fans, and we love traveling to new places for games. We’re working on a blog that gives tips to other football fans when they travel to away stadiums for games. I’m trying to hit all the Power 5 schools, and I was hoping you’d indulge me on some questions about ARMY football games. Basically, what I am asking is that if you and I met randomly on an airplane and I told you all about my trip to West Point for a football game, you wouldn’t have to say, “You did it all wrong, next time you should …”

Since you guys are the experts on a perfect trip to West Point, I wanted to see if you would answer a few questions. Feel free to answer any or all of them that you’d like, and if you can think of any other info I’ve overlooked feel free to throw that in there too!

TRAVEL

1. What’s the most convenient/cheapest airport to fly into? Is there a specific airline that is best/cheapest to fly on?

2. Suppose some travelers are a little more adventurous and don’t mind flying into an airport that’s a 3-4 hour drive away from the game if it would make for a cool drive or takes them by some cool sites/attractions – anything like that people should know about when they’re booking flights?

3. Is a rental car necessary? How is the public transportation system/Uber around West Point?

HOTEL

4. What’s the hotel situation like over the weekend of a game? How good is airbnb, vrbo, etc. around West Point? Are there any great resort towns nearby to stay at for a day?

FOOD

5. What are your favorite places to eat around West Point during the college football season? How is the food in the stadium (anything a one-time visitor can’t leave the stadium without eating)?

TICKETS

6. What is the best option for visiting fans to buy game tickets? School Ticket office? StubHub? Local Classifieds?

TAILGATING

7. Any general tailgating advice for a first-timer at an ARMY game? Specific areas for visiting fans?

TRADITIONS

8. Some schools have unique game day traditions – do you guys do anything that’d be worth a visitor planning their schedule around? Are there any buildings or sites near campus or the stadium that visitors should check out?

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

9. If fans decide to make this more of a family vacation, are there any local sites/attractions that they would need to make room for on their schedule? Any can’t-miss Historical/Educational or Fun/Entertainment sites?

SAFETY

10. Are there any general safety issues fans should be aware of? Any areas visitors should avoid for parking, walking, etc? I know every fan base has its share of bad apples, but would you classify your general fan base as hospitable/neutral/in-hospitable?

OTHER SCHOOLS

11. Lastly, since I'm trying to do this for all the Power 5 teams, I thought I'd ask if you have any experience traveling to other schools? Favorite/Least Favorite school to visit for games? Any horror or success stories or general advice you'd give from your experiences?

As mentioned, feel free to answer any/all/none of the questions, and throw on any extra info that I may have overlooked. I’ll be sure to report back when our blog is posted so that you can see the finished product!

 

[akaTheRifleman]

I have stayed at the Thayer Hotel (on the campus of West Point) and I would respectfully recommend, but probably more so if you are looking to spend a couple of days in the area. Meaning, it will allow you the opportunity to tour the campus while lodging on campus.

I will defer to others to chime in as well.

 

[goodknight65]

I think you would enjoy making the trip to West Point for an Army football game. Michie Stadium is considered one of the top sports venues in the country, not so much because of the stadium as for the overall experience. West Point itself is the main attraction, but New York City is about an hour away if you want something else to do while you're in the area.

If you're looking for more scenic routes, don't come up the NY Throughway, which is the high speed but boring route. The Palisades Parkway is more scenic and not open to bus or truck traffic, or you can be a bit more adventuresome and take US 9 up the east side of the Hudson River through several old historic towns and cross the Bear Mountain Bridge to 9W about 6 miles south of the Thayer Gate. That route works better from LaGuardia than from Newark. If you can get parking at Buffalo Field (across from the Thayer) it will be more convenient for sight seeing, but they usually have one-time visitors parking down below the field house along the Hudson. There are shuttle buses that run from all the parking areas up to the stadium, but if you're feeling energetic you can walk up and back and see a few sights along the way.

If you arrive early enough, you can catch the Saturday morning parade (weather permitting) which is a popular attraction. Most of the historic sites are located around the parade ground, which is known as The Plain, although you might also be interested in touring the cemetery if you're into historic grave sites. The protestant chapel is located close to the stadium and is another popular visitor attraction. There's also a museum located in Highland Falls right outside the gate.

I've never had to fly in for a game, but I would assume that either Newark or LaGuardia is your best bet. There are regular bus runs from Port Authority in NYC to West Point, but a rental car may be a better bet. Most fans that I know travel up by car or RV to enjoy the tailgating. There are several places to eat in Highland Falls, or you could stop at Bear Mountain Inn, which is located about 10 miles south of West Point. Home games almost always start at noon. We have a pretty good TV contract with CBS in that regard, because we can plan ahead more easily.

The Thayer is right on post and is steeped in historical ambience (aka campus) but there are other hotels in the area as well. Be aware, however, that it's fairly common for West Point classes to schedule reunions during football season, and they start booking their hotel rooms early.

If you book through the Army Athletic Assn ticket office, they'll also sell you a parking pass at the same time. The cadet seating is on the visitor's side of the stadium across from the press box.

The only security issue you might have is getting on post. Once inside the gates, it's probably one of the most secure places to be in the USA. The gate security is reduced on game days, which means they just ask to see your parking pass rather than show your ID. Normally, you have to show your ID and are subject to search to get on post.

Army fans are very hospitable, especially the cadets. They are de facto tour guides and part of the scenery at West Point.

 

[USMA74]

Information from last year on visiting West Point.