As the fall season officially settles in, few places offer a better way to experience the seasonal change than New England, where Sundays and primetime kickoffs bring fans to Gillette Stadium for Patriots football.
Whether you’re making a day trip for a game or are a routine visitor familiar with the stadium, there is plenty to explore at Patriot Place and throughout the surrounding New England area. From weekend outings leading up to kickoff to weekday evening activities, the region offers plenty of options for visitors looking to make the most of their time in Foxborough, Mass.
Places to stay near Foxborough, Mass.
Patriot Place offers an on-site hotel at the Hilton Garden Inn, which sits between a row of shops and restaurants. With its close proximity to the stadium and other complexes at Patriot Place, its average nightly price is $155, allowing convenient access to the stadium at a reasonable price.
Additionally, about three miles from Gillette Stadium in the neighboring town of Sharon, the Best Western The Inn at Sharon/Foxboro is another option with nightly rates of roughly $104. The hotel provides an affordable alternative for visitors who want to stay a short drive away from the action.
However, if you’re planning to spend more of your time in Boston, there’s an array of staying options to suit your preferences. For reference, downtown Boston is a one-hour to one-and-a-half-hour long commute on the road to Gillette Stadium.
Things to do in New England
For those venturing into Boston, the New England Aquarium, located on the opposite side of Route 93 from the Boston Common, is a favorite local attraction while exploring the city.
Apple picking and visiting local orchards in the region are some of the best New England fall activities as well, with many locations offering fresh apple cider products and other popular fall snacks. And if your Patriots tickets are for a winter matchup, there are plenty of stunning holiday light displays to visit.
If you’re staying locally, a 15-minute drive will lead you to the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets for a diverse shopping experience, featuring over 170 brands. At Patriot Place, there’s also an abundance of accessible activities to check out, including the Patriots Hall of Fame, Showcase Cinema De Lux and the Bass Pro Shops.
Best places to eat in New England
Remaining local, Tavolino rests next to the Hilton Garden Inn as a mid-range-priced Italian restaurant. While the establishment is best known for its pizza, the pasta options are a close rival. Also at Patriot Place is The Harp, a sports bar with a broad menu.
Though for a quicker and more casual dining experience, Foxboro House of Pizza at 34 Central St. offers many combinations of slices and sandwich subs to order before or after a game.
But if you’re in Boston, FiRE+iCE is an all-you-can-eat dining experience for a one-time payment. Customers can fill an empty bowl with whatever Latin, Italian, American and Asian-inspired foods they’d like.
Gillette Stadium parking, rideshare, and transit options
Traffic can be congested after events, so there are two recommended ways to approach the game-day parking situation: Pay up to $50 for official stadium parking or settle in the free gravel and dirt lots situated across Route One from the stadium.
Fans using the free lot should expect a 10- to 15-minute walk to the ticket gates. After the game, traffic can cause delays of up to two or three hours. Leaving slightly before the game clock expires can significantly reduce that wait. On the other hand, official stadium parking allows a quicker walk and exit.
For fans traveling from Massachusetts or northern Rhode Island, the MBTA commuter rail offers another way to reach the stadium, with a stop on the east side of the Patriot Place complex. Typically, round-trip game-day tickets can be available for around $20 per person. To find a station near you and check schedules, you can visit the MBTA website.
Rideshare services also provide an alternative, though fares can rise as demand increases and drivers have to navigate stadium traffic.
Tailgating at Gillette Stadium
And finally, once it’s game day, fans can take part in the lively tailgating scene that fills the parking lots surrounding the stadium, with gatherings held in both stadium-side and off-site lots.
While Route One splits half of the crowd, fans still find ways to bring the pregame atmosphere to both sides of the road. Groups set up tables and grills, filling the air with the aroma of steak tips, sausages, clam chowder and other game-day favorites as visitors make their way to their parking spots. Those gatherings also often feature backyard-style games.
For fans planning to enjoy the pregame atmosphere, official lots open four hours before kickoff.
The Gillette Stadium Experience
Once fans pass through the gates, they can choose from a laundry list of concession stands located on every seating level of the stadium. Meal prices typically range from $10 and $12, with the cheesesteak and brisket sandwich among the venue’s most popular options.
But if you want to skip those busy lines, Gillette Stadium also offers checkout-free concession locations for faster service, such as the Pepsi Grab & Go line. Fans can simply grab what they want, tap their card to pay while exiting and quickly continue with their game-day experience.
There’s also the option of paying a more premium price to watch the game from the Cross Insurance Club, with lounges running along both sidelines. In the lounge, there’s a quickly accessible bar and stadium catering behind glass windows peering out to the field.
Finally, once seated, you can take in the fall football atmosphere in person with the roaring New England crowd while Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” echoes through the speakers as the Patriots exit the tunnel for game day.
