Which sports teams use the United Center as their home venue?

The Chicago Bulls basketball team and the Chicago Blackhawks ice hockey team play home games at the arena.

How is the court converted from ice hockey to basketball?

Workers lay the hardwood basketball court directly over the ice rink and remove the sections when hockey matches occur.

The Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks own and manage the venue through a joint venture partnership.

Where are the team training facilities located?

The basketball practice facility is located east of the arena, and the ice hockey training facility is situated to the south.

Chicago · United States

United Center: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Near West Side residents plan their evening commutes around game nights when crowd traffic clogs Madison Street and fills local train platforms.

United Center · CC BY-SA 4.0

About the place

Now in the cityUnited Centerlocal time on site

Exchange rate$1.00per 1 $USD — the local currencyas of Nov 2, 2026

Within two hours

Willis Tower≈ 40 min 311 South Wacker Drive≈ 40 min Franklin Center (Chicago)≈ 40 min Trump International Hotel and Tower≈ 50 min Art Institute of Chicago≈ 55 min Aon Center≈ 55 min

About the place

The arena anchors the Near West Side as a dual home for professional basketball and hockey.

Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks share the building under an equal joint ownership venture. Arena crews assemble a hardwood basketball court directly over the ice rink like a puzzle, allowing the venue to switch between hockey and basketball on consecutive evenings. The structure stands west of the Loop and holds the largest spectator capacity in the National Basketball Association.

Read on

Architects installed angled steel panels along the upper bowl to reflect acoustic energy downward and recreate the loud roar of the predecessor arena. A replica theatre organ supplies traditional music during hockey matches. The exterior uses precast concrete rather than stone, and early street closures modified the local street grid by shutting a section of Monroe Street.

Dedicated team practice facilities operate adjacent to the main arena footprint. The Advocate Center hosts basketball operations just east of the main grounds, while Fifth Third Arena houses team ice rinks to the south. These companion sites concentrate professional sports operations and related media traffic across several blocks of the Near West Side.

Associations

Chicago BullsProfessional basketball team playing regular home games on the converted court.
Chicago BlackhawksNational Hockey League team utilizing the permanent ice rink beneath the court.
The RoarAcoustic design with angled upper steel panels directs crowd sound into the bowl.
Monroe Street closureStreet closure and perimeter footprint isolate the arena from adjacent blocks.

Facts

The venue operates as a joint partnership between the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Angled steel panels around the upper tier reflect sound downward to increase crowd noise.
The hardwood basketball surface is assembled over the hockey ice for alternating match days.
The building stands on the Near West Side as the largest arena by capacity in the NBA.

Updated September 10, 2026Source: Wikipedia

United Center: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

The arena anchors the Near West Side as a dual home for professional basketball and hockey.

Getting there and staying

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