SportsQuest
All games

Week 17, Sun, Jan 3, 12:00 PM local

New York Giantsat Dallas Cowboys

AT&T Stadium, Arlington. Fly into DFW.

Build the quest

Kickoff slot

Early

Lots open before breakfast.

Lots open

7:00 AM

Local time on game day.

Where to stay

Near the stadium

Tailgate from 7:00 AM, then the game.

The matchup

Form, ESPN's model and the stat leaders
Form

The Giants are 2-1 after 3 games, 2nd in the NFC East.

They are 0-1 on the road.

The Cowboys are 1-2 after 3 games, 3rd in the NFC East.

They are 1-1 at home.

What we know about AT&T Stadium

Where visiting fans stay

Checked at the source
  • Arlington Entertainment District. 10 min by walk. This is the one good answer for fans without a car, and it flips the usual advice. No rail runs to Arlington at all. Staying in the city means a 20 to 40 minute rideshare each way, with heavy surge after the game. Live! by Loews sits inside Texas Live!, about 0.5 miles from the stadium, between Globe Life Field and Choctaw Stadium, across from AT&T Stadium. You walk to the stadium and walk back. Texas Live! is the bar and restaurant complex, so you walk to eat and drink too.
  • Downtown Fort Worth. 30 min by rideshare. If the Entertainment District is sold out or too pricey, pick Fort Worth over Dallas. It has a walkable downtown with a real bar scene. It sits closer to Arlington than downtown Dallas does. You still need a rideshare, about 25 to 30 minutes, to reach the stadium. Trinity Metro's TEXRail and the TRE serve Fort Worth, but neither line enters Arlington.
  • Downtown Dallas. 40 min by rideshare. Pick Dallas only if the trip is about the city, not the game. DART light rail works well inside Dallas but will not get you to the stadium. Budget a 30 to 40 minute rideshare each way. Expect the worst surge pricing of the three options, since everyone staying in Dallas needs a ride at the same time.

Around the stadium

Checked at the source
Texas Live! sits in the Arlington Entertainment District, a built dining and entertainment complex about 0.5 miles from the stadium, anchored by the 300-room Live! by Loews hotel. You can walk to the stadium, and the district has real bars. This is one of the few NFL stadiums where staying near the stadium actually works for fans without a car. One catch: it is a built district, not a neighborhood, and it empties out when there is no game.

Getting in from the airport

From a specialist guide
DFW Dallas/Fort Worth International sits 25 minutes from Arlington by rideshare or taxi. No rail runs to Arlington.

Getting to the stadium

Checked at the source
No rail service to Arlington. J. Gilligan's and Grease Monkey run shuttles from Downtown Arlington. Take Uber or Lyft to Lot 15 to Lot 15 is the official rideshare lot.

Tailgating

Checked at the source
Tailgating is allowed and widespread, but space is tied to vehicles. Spaces sit on the perimeter of each parking lot, for vehicles only, and every vehicle needs a valid parking permit. A fan arriving by rideshare has no spot to tailgate. The walk-up option is Miller Lite House, which the stadium describes as offering pregame tailgating and postgame celebrations. Miller Lite House opens before the game for pregame tailgating and reopens after for postgame celebrations. Texas Live! is free to enter. Food and drink are priced individually.

Getting in

Checked at the source
  • Bag policy: Bring one clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC tote up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches, or a clear one-gallon resealable freezer bag, plus a small clutch no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Backpacks, camera bags, cinch bags, fanny packs, binocular cases, briefcases, computer bags, coolers, luggage, and seat cushions are all refused. The only named exception is for medically necessary items. Bags that do not comply can be stored for a fee with The Mobile Locker Company.
  • Re-entry: Re-entry exists at AT&T Stadium but depends on the event and follows a set process. Leave through a designated exit gate, have your ticket scanned out, then clear security again to return. This is the only venue in this group that allows re-entry at all.
  • Prohibited items: Still cameras with a lens over 3 inches are not allowed, stricter than the 6 inch limit at Acrisure, Allegiant, and the Superdome. Video cameras, tripods, monopods, and selfie sticks are also barred, along with seat cushions, signs on poles, outside food and drink, bottles, cans, thermoses, noisemakers, and footballs. Strollers are allowed if they do not block aisles.

Touring the stadium

Checked at the source
Gameday Tours run before kickoff and offer real access: entry three hours before kickoff, the press conference room, views of the Cowboys and Cowboys Cheerleaders locker rooms, and a post-game field pass. There is no online checkout. The page routes you to Group Sales by email or phone, so budget time for a reply. Rally Days, presented by SeatGeek, run the day before each Dallas Cowboys home game. Each home game gets its own Rally Day page with a Ticket Info link. About five dates ran from September through December 2026. Pricing runs in tiers: Self-Guided Tour $25, VIP Guided Tour $45, VIP Guided Tour plus Locker Room $55, VIP Guided Tour plus Jerry Jones Experience $55.

One thing to avoid

From a specialist guide
Avoid two traps. First, do not book a Dallas hotel just because the team is the Dallas Cowboys. The stadium sits 20 miles away in Arlington, with no rail link. Second, do not book a cheap Arlington motel off Interstate 30. Most of Arlington's cheap lodging sits out by I-30, a mile or more from the stadium. Without a car, that is a paid ride for a distance too far to walk safely. If you book in Arlington, book inside the Entertainment District.

Bars near the stadium

Checked at the source

  • Texas Live!

    1650 E Randol Mill Rd, Arlington, TX 76011

    Texas Live! anchors Arlington's Entertainment District.

    Away fans: mixed crowd. It's neutral ground where visiting fans often end up.

  • Troy's at Texas Live!

    1650 E Randol Mill Rd, Suite 100, Arlington, TX 76011

    Troy Aikman owns Troy's. He's the Hall of Fame quarterback who won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys.

    Away fans: mostly home fans.

  • J. Gilligan's Bar & Grill

    400 E Abram St, Arlington, TX 76010

    Randy Ford, a UT Arlington business graduate, opened J. Gilligan's on July 12, 1979, with $10,000 of borrowed money.

    Away fans: mixed and welcoming. It's a downtown pub and university hangout, not a partisan room.

  • Division Brewing

    506 E Main St, Arlington, TX 76010

    Division is Arlington's first microbrewery. Visit Arlington's own gameday itinerary sends fans here before kickoff.

    Away fans: mixed crowd. It's a neighborhood taproom.

Sidequests in Arlington

In the order they happen. Each one earns points.

  1. Tour100 points

    Rally Days stadium tour

    Behind-the-scenes tours built around home-game weekends. Game-day versions exist, but they route through group sales with no online checkout.

    $$. The day before. Bookable

  2. Landmark65 points

    Fort Worth Stockyards the day before

    A daily cattle drive and the old West district, 25 minutes from the stadium. Better than anything in Arlington.

    $. The day before

  3. Landmark65 points

    National Medal of Honor Museum

    Museum on Medal of Honor recipients, opened 2025, a walk from the stadium in the Entertainment District. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., best saved for the day before an early kickoff.

    $. The day before

  4. Eat65 points

    Hurtado Barbecue, downtown Arlington

    Tex-Mex barbecue counter serving brisket and Mexican-leaning plates. Official barbecue of the Rangers, in downtown Arlington, a short ride from the stadium.

    $$. 4 hours before kickoff

  5. Eat65 points

    Irish Nachos at J. Gilligan's

    House specialty is Irish Nachos, fried seasoned potato slices piled with cheddar, bacon, jalapenos, onions and tomatoes. An Arlington original, not found at any chain.

    $. 3 hours 35 minutes before kickoff

  6. Drink25 points

    J. Gilligan's Bar & Grill pre-game

    Arlington bar running since 1979, sitting between UTA and AT&T Stadium. Regular game-day crowd, a classic stop before heading to the stadium.

    $. 3 hours 15 minutes before kickoff

  7. Tailgate65 points

    Miller Lite House pregame plaza

    Outdoor plaza on the stadium's west side, more than 50 screens and live music. Catch the 105.3 The Fan pregame show and play tailgate games on an 80-yard replica field, no car needed.

    $. 3 hours before kickoff

  8. Drink25 points

    Live! Arena at Texas Live!

    Multilevel sports bar with a 100-foot LED screen, between AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field and Choctaw Stadium. Mix of home and visiting fans, an easy walk to the gates.

    $$. 2 hours 45 minutes before kickoff

  9. Ritual25 points

    Mechanical bull at PBR Texas

    PBR's flagship bar inside Texas Live!, with two mechanical bulls, the largest PBR venue in the country. Quick stop on the way to the stadium.

    $$. 2 hours 20 minutes before kickoff

  10. Photo25 points

    Stadium view from Arlington Backyard

    Outdoor concert lawn at Texas Live! with a clear view of AT&T Stadium. Good spot for a group photo with the stadium at your back on the walk in.

    Free. 2 hours before kickoff

  11. Fan zone40 points

    Kids Zone on AT&T Plaza

    Free kids area on the plaza east of the stadium during Cowboys games. Stage, performances, food and drink stands, leading right into the gates.

    Free. 1 hour 30 minutes before kickoff

Seats and views

Where each part of AT&T Stadium sits, and what you see from it.

100 Level, end zone100 Level, corner, home side100 Level, home sideline100 Level, corner, home side100 Level, end zone100 Level, corner, visitor side100 Level, visitor sideline100 Level, corner, visitor side200 Level, end zone200 Level, corner, home side200 Level, home sideline200 Level, corner, home side200 Level, end zone200 Level, corner, visitor side200 Level, visitor sideline200 Level, corner, visitor side300 Level, end zone300 Level, corner, home side300 Level, home sideline300 Level, corner, home side300 Level, end zone300 Level, corner, visitor side300 Level, visitor sideline300 Level, corner, visitor side400 Level, end zone400 Level, corner, home side400 Level, home sideline400 Level, corner, home side400 Level, end zone400 Level, corner, visitor side400 Level, visitor sideline400 Level, corner, visitor sideHomeVisitors
100 Level101 to 150200 Level201 to 250300 Level301 to 350400 Level401 to 460Tap any part of the stadium to see its view.