Chaifetz Arena

I have been to 2 concerts here. Very easy to get through security and have tickets scanned. Seats are comfortable. There really isn’t a bad spot to see a concert here, unless you are sitting directly at the edge of the stage in the stands (since you really cant see the front of the stage or the light show very well). I’ve been directly under a vent both times here and have been cold… so plan accordingly if you are one to get cold.
Parking: do not park in the Olive/​Compton garage, unless you are willing to sit not moving for a hour+. We were able to find a spot on Olive at a meter about 30 minutes prior to the show (plenty of meters were still open). We walked maybe one more minute than those parking in the garage, but I was in my car and on the road in 2 seconds. Metered parking on Compton is always taken or is not even available (red bags are placed over the meters).

Dont ever work in the concession stands! They never pay what they promise and treat you horribly. The staff are downright dishonest people who take advantage of their volunteers and event workers

I had never been to Chaifetz Arena until last week on a Wednesday night. I saw a Billikens game. Very nice venue. I’m not really a basketball fan but I would not hesitate to return if they have something I’m interested in.

Good concert… Keith Sweat, BBD, & Salt n Pepper gave a good show. The arena was clean. The seats are kinda small. The food was ok but, too pricey. I would visit again

Love this Place!!! Went here for the Valentine’s Day Music Festival 2015! Had a Great Time!

We just wasted $ 400 for 4 floor seats to see Cirque du Soliel at Chaifetz. When buying the seat the website indicated seats we bought were on the floor but teered. Not only were they not teered but they were flat, small, uncomfortable and locked together so you couldn’t move them to get enough room to move your arms. It was like sitting the bleachers for the World Series, but just for you and the people in your row were squeezed in. In addition we couldn’t see the show from the floor which is feet below the stage. We were suckers, you should beware.

Nice venue, but be ready to walk… parking is some distance away.

For basketball.
This is a fantastic arena. Every seat of 10.5 thousand has a good view. As a Catholic school, of course they sell beer!
I wish more schools would use this layout! It may not be the most profitable way however. If every seat is good, its that much harder to sell your expensive tickets. Usually the suites/​box seating are lower and closer to the court. At chaifetz, the donors are the furthest away. Really isn’t that how it should be? If they’re constantly going back for buffet/​drinks and just watching the TVs?
The screens are in the corners and there is no hanging score board that interferes with sporting events.
The only real down side is handicapped accessibility and parking. There is not a nearby drop off point for the games, but there are shuttles (extended golf carts) constantly running people to and from parking. They will comp you tickets (in exchange for whatever tickets you were holding) if you need a wheelchair accessible seat.
This year (not in the past?) the band as been so loud you can barely talk to the person next to you. Maybe as the SLU team is disappointing, the band is going to make all of the noise for a home court advantage? The fans sure aren’t cheering loudly or coming out in big numbers.
Anyway great arena. Better than Hinkle-​Butler, Cintas-​Xavier, UD arena-​Dayton, Fifth-​Third arena-​Cincinnati, Nutter Center-​Wright State, and Mizzou arena.

1ST time ever seeing a concert here & it was an excellent venue. A smaller venue so not a bad seat in the house. Sound quality was good & parking around the venue was fairly priced $ 10 for garage.

As a fan of live music, I have been to every sort of venue in the Midwest and many on the West Coast. But, until recently, it had been a long time since I’d seen music performed in a large arena.
I’m fortunate to live in a town whose shiny new basketball arena also sounds good because the venue was designed with sensitivity towards all aspects of fan experience, including sound. This is certainly not the case with Chaifetz Arena, which is all concrete and plastic and in no way designed with acoustics in mind.
Poor acoustic design didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the show I was here to see (Arcade Fire), but my impression of Chaifetz was ruined at the end by staff and «security.»
When the show ended, fans were greeted by an electrical storm (and lots of rain). Within 15 minutes, staff were pushing people (many of whom were waiting for rides from other fans sent out to retrieve said transport) out into the rain and doing it with attitude.
If you aren’t set to welcome fans, Chaifetz, and to protect them from harm by letting them linger a few extra minutes, then don’t host shows at all.
If your staff don’t like people, then don’t let them in to start, and don’t waste our time.

This is probably one of the worst arenas I have ever been to. Maybe the parking in the garage if you get there about 2 hours early for a venue for it to be open may be handicap accessible, however, the other two closest parking areas just are not friendly for those in wheelchairs. The lot in front of the arena has nothing but stairs to climb and no ramps. There is only one ramp to this place, and if you go down to willcall you better have been on the ramp and followed the side walk around the building, because you are not able to get to the actual will call section.
There is only one landing for wheelchair accessibility in this whole place, unless you pay the outrageous prices for floor seats, but then your fighting for elevator space as people don’t want to walk up stairs who are able.
If there are ever any more exciting events happening here, i will not be taking my wheelchair bound child, it is ridiculous to maneuver and I had to walk at least .25-.50 of a mile just to get to the building. This was after the security guard in the parking garage asked me if we were «really handicapped» so that we were able to park in an actual handicap spot on the ground floor.
As far as the seating, its not bad. We saw Disney on Ice and I think if you are sitting at the landing and below you have got some decent seats and you can see everything. If higher I wouldn’t recommend, you may miss alot of the detail on the costumes and what not.

Saw muse there. Pretty good concert venue. Options to sit in the bleachers or stand on the floor. Great views from most anywhere. Pretty limited food and drink.

Great spot for a high school graduation. I was kind a bummed when the school first announced that graduation would be held here. My dad has bad feet so I dreaded the parking, walking, climbing that I thought we would encounter.
Luckily, the adjacent parking structure was adequate for everyone and cost only $ 6. The walk was short, but pleasant, as we passed by a little man made lake and the baseball field. I even noticed that golf carts were shuttling people that couldn’t walk on their own.
The seats were not assigned and we scored nice comfy padded seats, which made a 2 hour ceremony pleasant. I liked how the jumbotron screens showed a dvd of school memories before the ceremony began and then focused on the graduates as they crossed the stage.
Everything was neat and tidy and fresh.

I’ve only been to Chaifetz once for a concert, so I can’t comment on how it is for sporting events. We saw Smashing Pumpkins here last year, and none of the experience was particularly pleasant. I still can’t say for sure if it was Chaifetz or just the band, but the sound was abominable. We were initially up against a wall & the vibration and feedback was unacceptable. We did move to a different spot (because there was a ridiculously small amount of people at the show & there were plenty of open seats), and found that the sound was improved when we were in front of the stage vs. off to the side.
And I just don’t like having to leave the show & go out to a vending stand to get my drinks. That’s always the moment that they play my favorite song. And speaking of drinks — I do not like beer, and their spirits selection was an offense to lovers of booze everywhere.
Oh, we had to walk about 5 miles to get to the venue, and it was damn cold. Uh, and Billy Corgan was a total asshat, but that didn’t really factor into this review… I just wanted to call him an asshat.
At any rate, not my fav. If a band I love plays here, I’ll probably go back, but reluctantly.

I have been to two concerts at Chaifetz, and have to admit that I actually like this venue. Seating is good, and there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. Also beverage selection is great, typical bud light, etc, but there are also several stands that offer Schlafly which is where I usually head for a beer. Lines can get long, but often move quick. Compared to the Family Arena, this is a major improvement however I will recommend NOT parking in the SLU garage nearby if you arrive late. You will be pretty much forced to park on the top, which is a real nightmare when trying to leave after any event.

This Ninja’s first time at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis to watch his favorite band Muse (3÷8÷2013). At first glance I was pleasantly surprised at the size of this venue. I last saw Muse perform in Vicente Calderón Stadium, Madrid to a sold out 60K fans. Imagine my shock walking into Chaifetz for the first time and seeing 9K fans for such a huge headliner like Muse. I am not going to compare apples to oranges, that’s for fruit Ninja’s. I will instead try to give an objective review of this venue.
Arriving at the stadium and this Ninja noticed right off the bat that there is no valet parking. For $ 20 you can park yourself at a convenient location across the street. Let me make sure I get that right. For $ 20 you can park your car yourself, my car which happens to be half the size of most cars does not qualify for half off the price. I had to park across the street and walk 5min. to the entrance. Luck just may have it I left my sword at home or you’ll be watching this Ninja in the news the following day.
My smoking hot date with big hooters, 4 inch high heels and I walked our way to the main entrance where we found a friendly group of people who efficiently guided as through the gates. I attracted the scrutiny of the local security and was gently patted down in search of weapons. Of course they failed to recognize I was a Ninja and completely ignored the fact that I alone am a deadly weapon. They let me in anyway. They then focused on my date where all it took was one Ninja stare and she was waived right through. That always comes in handy anytime I want to sneak a burger or bucket of chicken inside.
Speaking of food. The concessions were located all around the venue and was reasonably priced. You have your choice in Beer, Mixers and let’s not forget your favorite coronary blockage inducing comfort foods. The bathrooms were clean, stocked with plenty of TP, and was graffiti free. Seats came with convenient cup holders for your drinks which are not so convenient if the person in front of you decides to hang their coat over the their chair. Again, lucky for that person I left the sword at home and caught me in a really good mood.
It didn’t matter where you were sitting or standing for this concert because everywhere was a good view and the acoustics were just right. During the concert the crowd was well behaved. no comparison at all to 60K sweaty, screaming Spaniards.
After the concert, vacating the facility was painless and traffic control was handled very well. I just need to get past the 5min. walk across the street. Oh, did I mention my date had high heels? …and big hooters!
This Ninja gives Chaifetz 4 Ninja stars for an overall pleasant experience. If Chaifetz wants to earn the coveted 5 Ninja stars. Add valet parking, golf cart service and or those trams like Disneyland and you’ll get 5 stars. Looking forward to enjoying many more concerts at this venue.

I like Chaifetz Arena quite a bit! I visit a lot for SLU basketball, but I’ve been to a few concerts there as well. It’s an all-​around great venue.
For things like basketball games, you can try to park in the VIP lot right next to the arena. Sometimes there’s a list you have to be on, but other times they offer parking for $ 5 (depending on the event.) If you can’t park there, the best spot is the Compton Garage just down the street. With just a short walk, you’re there within a few minutes.
The staff is always very friendly, and I have to give big props to the concession stand food! It’s pretty good stuff, and I always appreciate a venue that has Dippin’ Dots (guilty pleasure.) The food seems better than other similar spots I’ve been.
Chaifetz is great for watching games, and you can see well from every seat. They also do a nice job with the video/​visuals that take place throughout play. Look forward to many more fun times here watching the Bills.

Meh.
As far as venues go, Chaifetz has very little going for it. Located in Midtown, this arena does not have the best parking situation. The parking garage isn’t necessarily close to the venue, and on a windy, cold night in St. Louis, my wife and I were jumping to stay cold on our long journey.
Do the Rams or Blues play here? Because beer prices are quite similar to the prices at Edward Jones and Scottrade. Don’t your students pay enough to attend your college that they don’t need to drop nine dollars for a watered down Bud Light draft?
We saw Smashing Pumpkins, which was just as disappointing as the venue itself. The crowd was dead, and I’m not sure if it was their fault, the band’s, or the venue’s for being so bland. It just seems like another cookie cutter, boring arena when there should be a greater sense of Billiken Pride when one steps foot inside.
I wasn’t at all impressed.

Saw the Black Keys here last week, the show and sound were amazing, it was rollicking and not too crowded.
I’m not sure when this started happening, but the last few arena shows I’ve seen have been very frustrating. At the Chaifetz, if you’re GA they make you go through 2 mazes, a stairwell, and finally force you to climb over a sea of people to get to the floor. They provided ONE bathroom and 1.5 concession stands for the entirety of the GA floor. One entrance and one exit. No hyperbole-​took my gf 30 minutes to get a beer and a soda. They did end up opening one other exit at the end of the show, thankfully.
I know I’m getting old and cranky when I complain about this, but some SUPERBRO burnout guys next to us were smoking joints and cigarettes literally the entire time. I’m completely fine w/​that at an outdoor venue, but I came home smelling like Willy Nelson’s tour bus.
I am also going to use this space to ask why go to a live concert if you’re going to videotape w/​your phone the entire time? Save $ 50 and just stay at home and watch it on youtube.

For a college arena this place is super nice. I’ve been here for sporting events, special event expos and now a graduation. It’s a very versatile space.
The only downer is the closest parking structure is a hike and a half away and not fun to run to in heals in the rain.