Wells Fargo Center is the home of the Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia Flyers and is also used by the Villanova Wildcats. It is an indoor arena primarily used for basketball and hockey games with a seating capacity of up to 20,000. Located in the heart of Philadelphia, about 6 kilometres from the city centre. In the lower concourse of the arena you can find memorabilia from past greats of the city, like Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley or Dr. J.
Safety at Wells Fargo is fine and there are always people around the arena. There are also plenty of police officers and security for those that might be drunk and obscene. However, this sports complex is in a pretty good spot and there arent too many crazies outside the stadium.
The Sixers and Flyers give t-shirts, hockey towels, miniature basketballs and hockey pucks, hats, bags, and the ever popular bobble head.
There is plenty of parking by the stadium which can run you at $16. A pretty good value is a $7 lot on the opposite side of Lincoln Financial Field. It is a quick walk to the Wells Fargo center and allows you easier access out after the game.
The fans at Sixers and Flyers game are much tamer than say an Eagles game. They still are rowdy but they are there to have fun and mess around rather than truly being angry. They like to tell the opposing teams and fans that they "suck" but other than that they are good sports. The fans here are very passionate and love their sports.
The Wells Fargo Center have exhibits of the glory days around the main level concourse. The "Remember The Spectrum" wall exhibit displays the history of the old arena and the amazing history that occurred there in sports and entertainment. They have the championship season of 1983 with Dr. J. They have Charles Barkley's shoes and uniform. They have Allen Iverson's A1 shoes and stuff from his MVP season.
The sports complex is located right off of I-95. There are alot of signs directing you to the Wells Fargo Center. It is pretty hard to get lost if you are on one of the two freeways going around Philly.
The best seats are of course on the first few rows. However, those are expensive and probably not worth the money. I like to sit in the corner sections because you aren't behind the basket and you pay about half the price of being center court. This is definitely the best sections in the Center.
I would not deal with scalpers outside the stadium and its better to deal with the ticket event center since they use a variable style pricing system where you pay more for in demand games and less for ones that people don't want to watch.
47 Brand Store is the Wells Fargo Center's flagship retail store and is located in the Main Level of Wells Fargo. The store features lifestyle apparel for men, women and youth but it is quite expensive. In addition, there is a Reebok/Adidas Fan Zone store which features licensed apparel for Flyer and Sixer fans. There are also a bunch of retail locations which sell team merchandise throughout the stadium.
The cheerleader squad is called the Dream Team and they entertain the crowd during timeouts and at halftime of each game. There are also some exhibits that show the 1983 championship season and some of the great players liek Eric Lindros, Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, the Legion of Boom, and Moses Malone.
Even with big crowds there should be no problem with access. The weekday games have a little more traffic than weekend games but overall they designed the stadiums in a sports complex that allows for people to avoid traffic. Some of the big ticket games against the Spurs, Heat, and other big teams sometimes cause a little traffic jam but nothing too bad.
When you go inside the Wells Fargo Center, look for the huge banners that hang in the rafters that honor Billy Joel's 48 Philadelphia sellouts and Bruce Springsteen's 53 Philadelphia sellouts. They truly love the entertainers that sell out every time they come to town. If you get a chance I would suggest seeing a concert here because its a rocking atmosphere.
Another local sports bar Chickie's and Pete's also has great cheesesteak and you must try their Crab Fries, which cost $10.50. You must try them at least once in your life. They have a wide selection of drinks and wines. This massive sports bar has numerous smaller bars inside, hundreds of screens, video games and some great philly food that I wish they had in DC. McFaddens is also another popular bar that offers specials for food and drink before and after games. If you cannot get inside the stadium try to watch the game here and experience the Philadelphia bar scene.
There really is a huge selection of food and drinks in the Wells Fargo Center. However, I usually gorge myself at Chickie and Pete's that I really don't eat in the stadium. The Sodas are expensive and are $6 and $7.50 throughout the Center. Most stands sell nachos, popcorn, pizza, and chicken sandwiches from around $7-$10. There is also the ever popular Philly Cheesesteak as well inside but they are not as good as the places outside the stadium.
When in Philadelphia you must try out Campos which is a cheese steak restaurant in the Philadelphia area. They have a dynamite cheese steak for under $10. Another local sports bar and restaurant is Chickie's and Pete's. They have my favorite cheese steak and you must try their Crab Fries with their homemade cheese sauce, which cost around $10.50. You must try them at least once in your life.