Raleigh, NC · Capacity: 19,722
Home of the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team and NC State Wolfpack basketball with a 19,722 capacity. A major concert venue and the center of Raleigh's sports scene.
Raleigh's arena is the home of the Hurricanes — the “Caniacs” and their post-win “Storm Surge” celebrations — proof that hockey thrives in the South, shared with NC State Wolfpack basketball.
It's beside Carter-Finley Stadium west of downtown Raleigh, in the heart of the Research Triangle.
Below are the Raleigh stays, restaurants and bars fans use around the arena.
Hotels, bars, restaurants and things to do near PNC Arena in Raleigh — every pick web-researched and source-cited, closest to the arena first.
Energetic modern hotel in downtown Raleigh with a lively lobby bar and rooftop pool. Carolina Hurricanes fans and NC State Wolfpack supporters enjoy its walkable location near PNC Arena shuttle routes and Glenwood South nightlife.
A stylish downtown Raleigh boutique hotel that celebrates North Carolina design, local art, and Southern hospitality. The on-site Longleaf Lounge serves craft cocktails and small plates in a warm, modern setting. Its walkable downtown location puts guests close to Raleigh's best restaurants and bars, with PNC Arena just a short drive away for Hurricanes games.
The Sheraton Raleigh Hotel in the heart of downtown puts visiting fans minutes from the Glenwood South scene and a short ride to PNC Arena. The hotel's bar becomes a lively pregame gathering spot on Hurricanes and Wolfpack event nights. Comfortable rooms and a central location make it the top choice for sports travelers visiting Raleigh.
Locally owned boutique hotel in a renovated mid-century building on Morgan Street with a ground-floor cocktail bar and Southern hospitality. Hurricanes fans and ACC sports visitors use it as a stylish home base in Raleigh's growing downtown.
The Triangle's only Five-Star hotel, nestled in a serene lake setting in Cary. World-class spa, an impressive art collection, and Herons restaurant. Visiting ACC basketball teams, tech executives, and celebrities attending games at PNC Arena and Carter-Finley Stadium stay here.
A massive downtown arcade bar with over 100 classic and modern games, plus a huge craft beer selection and full cocktail menu. Boxcar is where Hurricanes fans warm up before heading to PNC Arena, battling each other at pinball and Skee-Ball over local IPAs. The energetic atmosphere and free-to-play games make it Raleigh's most fun sports night starter.
A one-of-a-kind Raleigh destination combining a craft brewery, dim sum restaurant, book bar, and flower shop under one roof. Hurricanes and NC State fans love this eclectic spot for its creative beers and dumplings, making it an essential stop on any Raleigh fan trip.
Open since 1951 near the NC State campus, Player's Retreat is one of the oldest and most cherished sports bars in Raleigh. The walls are plastered with Wolfpack memorabilia spanning decades of ACC championships and bowl games. Its unpretentious atmosphere, cheap pitchers, and deep local following make it essential for any fan wanting to drink where Raleigh sports history was made.
Located in the heart of Raleigh's downtown, Tobacco Road Sports Cafe is the go-to headquarters for watching ACC basketball rivalries, with dozens of screens and a passionate crowd debating the merits of the Wolfpack, Tar Heels, and Blue Devils. The bar's name perfectly captures the legendary college basketball culture of the Research Triangle.
Raleigh's most celebrated craft brewery pairs its award-winning beers with outstanding wood-fired pizzas across multiple locations. The Morgan Street taproom in the Warehouse District is a Hurricanes fan hub, buzzing with energy on game nights. Trophy's Trophy Wife blonde ale has become the unofficial beer of Canes tailgates.
A massive downtown Raleigh beer emporium with over 200 draft selections and wall-to-wall screens. Located near PNC Arena, it's the pre-game headquarters for Carolina Hurricanes fans and packs out during ACC Tournament basketball games.
Chef Ashley Christensen's beloved downtown Raleigh fried chicken restaurant serves crispy, honey-drizzled bird alongside Southern sides like pimento cheese and collard greens. Located near the convention center and a quick drive from PNC Arena, it's where Hurricanes fans gather for pre-game comfort food. Christensen's James Beard Award pedigree elevates every bite.
Award-winning Laotian restaurant in downtown Raleigh that put North Carolina's food scene on the national map. Handmade noodles, Lao sausage, and creative cocktails in a stylish space. College basketball coaches, visiting ACC analysts, and food-obsessed celebrities seek it out.
A vibrant downtown food hall a short walk from PNC Arena, Morgan Street features over a dozen local vendors serving everything from Korean BBQ to North Carolina BBQ and craft cocktails. It's become the premier pregame destination for Hurricanes fans, with the communal energy rivaling the arena itself on game nights. Grab a bite from multiple vendors and settle in at the communal tables for the perfect fan pregame ritual.
The Pit Authentic Barbecue is a Raleigh institution serving slow-smoked Eastern-style NC pork to locals and visiting fans fueling up before Hurricanes games. The rustic dining room and fall-apart pork shoulder are a perfect match for a hungry sports crowd. It's the kind of pregame meal that North Carolina locals insist out-of-towners must experience.
A stylish downtown Raleigh oyster bar serving Gulf and East Coast oysters alongside Southern-inflected seafood dishes. Hurricanes fans make it a pregame ritual, slurping oysters and sipping craft cocktails before heading to PNC Arena for Canes hockey.
A vibrant food hall in a converted warehouse featuring local vendors — the trendy refueling stop for Hurricanes and NC State fans.
Carter-Finley Stadium is the Wolfpack's beloved home for college football, where the Red and White faithful gather in one of the ACC's spirited game-day atmospheres each fall Saturday. The stadium's Fairgrounds location gives it a classic state-fair feel that perfectly matches NC State's working-class, passionate fan identity.
Glenwood South is Raleigh's premier entertainment strip and the unofficial pregame headquarters for Hurricanes fans heading to PNC Arena. The stretch of bars, restaurants, and patios fills with red sweater-vested fans on Carolina home game nights. A bar crawl down Glenwood has become a beloved ritual for the Canes faithful.
The PNC Arena corridor and surrounding Glenwood South district make up Raleigh's most electric sports fan zone — bars, restaurants, and live music venues that collectively create an all-day fan experience around Carolina Hurricanes NHL games and NC State Wolfpack events. The Canes' passionate fan base — built during their 2006 Stanley Cup win — makes PNC Arena one of the NHL's loudest buildings, and the post-game energy on Glenwood South rivals any sports city in the Southeast. The walk from Glenwood South to PNC Arena on a playoff night is genuinely spine-tingling.
Running along the northern edge of NC State's campus, Hillsborough Street is Raleigh's college entertainment corridor packed with sports bars, restaurants, and music venues that fill with Wolfpack red before and after every home game. The strip has been the heartbeat of NC State fan culture for generations.
After every Carolina Hurricanes home win, the Storm Surge brings players back onto the ice in a themed postgame challenge that has become one of the NHL's most beloved fan-engagement traditions. Staying for the full Storm Surge is considered mandatory for any first-time visitor to PNC Arena.
Walk the NC State Wolfpack campus from the historic Brickyard plaza through the Talley Student Union to the Carter-Finley Stadium tailgate lots, one of the best game-day scenes in the ACC. Fans can see the iconic Belltower, the Wolfpack statues, and soak in the red-clad pregame energy.
PNC Arena in Raleigh is tracked across 0 events and seats 19,722 fans. Here's how fans build a trip around it:
Structured facts on this page (capacity, opening year, architect, ownership) are compiled from public reference databases and verified against venue coordinates.
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PNC Arena has a capacity of 19,722 people.
PNC Arena opened in 1999.
Carolina Hurricanes, NC State Wolfpack men's basketball play home games at PNC Arena in Raleigh.
Check our events page for upcoming events at PNC Arena.