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The Milwaukee Admirals are
fortunate to play in one of the nation's best facilities that host minor league
hockey. The Bradley Center was a gift to the city of Milwaukee by the late
Jane Bradley-Pettit, a previous owner of the Admirals.
The building opened in the fall of 1988 and also hosts the NBA Bucks, the
Marquette University basketball games, and dozens of concerts and other
events each year. For hockey games, the building seats nearly 18,000,
although the Admirals seldom sell more than 10,000 tickets.
Click the picture above to view the Bradley Center and the surrounding area in Virtual Earth's bird's eye view. After it loads, use the compass points (N,E,S,W) to view different angles. Drag your mouse to view surrounding areas. Also, to enhance the view, toggle to full screen mode (F11 key) and hide the inset map by clicking on the arrow.
As you can see, the seating layout gives the fans a choice to sit next to
almost every pane of glass along the boards. There is a small gap
behind each goal (for Zambonis, etc.). The players have direct access
to their locker rooms behind each bench. The slope of the seats is
steep enough to provide a decent view from nearly every angle, although I
prefer to sit up high to see better over the glass.
This is the northeast corner of the building. Each corner of the building has an entrance, but if you do not have tickets in advance, you'll
want to enter on this side because it often is the only entrance
with an open ticket window. (Note - the Will Call window is located inside this entrance)
The upper level is only available if the team expects a large crowd (over
8,000). The lame "safety" nets that the world of hockey have to endure
nowadays obstruct the view behind the goals (sections 203-211 and 217-225).
Your best bet for a clean view of the game is
between the blue lines or in the first few rows below the eye level of the
"safety" nets. For those who want to sit near the visitors bench, get
a ticket in section 201. Ticket prices for 2007-08 are $21 on the glass, $18 along
the sides, and $16 on the ends.
Every season, the building adds a little bit here and there to help keep it
'modern' enough to keep their main tenant (the Bucks) happy. Besides
the four-sided Sony Jumbotron above center ice, there are also large
widescreen video screens on each end of the arena, high above each goal.
In 2003, they added a graphics board that runs along the edge of
the upper deck, which is used for slick advertisements as well as crowd
pleasing animations. In 2005, they extended the graphics board so that it
completely circles the lower bowl of seats.
The rink itself is named the Jane Bradley Pettit Rink in honor of the former owner of the Admirals who funded the construction of the Bradley Center.
Other nice features
- the sound and lighting inside the building is well done compared to other
arenas I've visited
- sports scores shown on the graphics board in the corners
- musicians occasionally perform on a small stage in the east atrium
- practice your slap shot behind section 219
- ask the folks at the Admirals information table behind section 225 how you
can sign up for the contests, ride the Zamboni, or be a 'Human Hockey
Puck'
- at select games, everyone can participate in a 'Chuck-a-puck' game in which you throw pucks that you purchase for a dollar onto the ice... closest puck to center ice wins prizes.
- listen to the radio broadcast of the game in the building on 105.1 FM
- decent wheelchair seating is available
- cameras are allowed to be used at Admirals games
More helpful tips
- ATM's are located behind section 211 and in the east atrium
- souvenir stores behind sections 200 and 214
- the lower level has four pairs of bathrooms (in each corner)
- mingle with the booster club at an information table behind
section 206
- smoking was banned from the building in the summer of 2005
- be prepared to have security search your bags when you enter the building
in a post 9/11 knee-jerk reaction to provide a terrorist-free enjoyable
evening
Food choices
In the fall of 2005, the Bradley Center debuted a new look to the menus around
the building's food stands. The stands are very colorful with a basketball
theme (Jam Session, Give'N'Go, Nothing But Nachos, etc.)
They also added a colorful beer stand behind section 210 which also features a widescreen TV monitor usually showing a televised sports event.
Behind section 221 - pizza, breadsticks, paninis, italian
sausage, salads, soda, beer
Behind section 207 - burgers, fries, BBQ pork, Buffalo chicken sandwich, cookies, soda, beer
Along the sides - hot dogs, brats, nachos, pretzels,
popcorn, candy, soda, beer
Kiosks around the building - (vary per event) beer, Dippin' Dots, soft custard, soft pretzels, and Saz's
Soda is limited to the major Pepsi products.
Beer choices are the main Miller brands as well as some imports.
Parking
Prices can vary if there are other events going on at the same time
across the street at the U.S. Cellular Arena. There are a few parking
garages and several outdoor lots within a block or two of the building.
Typical prices are in the $3-10 range, although you can find free spots if
you're willing to walk a few extra blocks.
Hotels
Visiting fans from out of town have a few basic choices for their overnight
stay.
The downtown area has a few nice options within a short walk of the
building, but the rates can be a little high.
Otherwise (assuming you are driving in from the south), several national
chains have affordable rooms located near Mitchell Airport on the far south
side of Milwaukee or near Kenosha at the highway 50 exit.
Official website:
Web cam link
Usually shows a view to the east from the roof,
but a few times, I've seen what's happening inside the building
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