FAQs

You must be 21 years of age to purchase and consume alcohol products. The Sanford Center will not serve alcohol to anyone who appears intoxicated and reserves the right to refuse service to anyone. The Sanford Center reserves the right to refuse admittance to intoxicated patrons upon entry to the building.

The Sanford Center welcomes guests that are accompanied by approved service animals. All other animals are prohibited. No Exotic Pets.

All bags brought into The Sanford Center are subject to be searched. The Sanford Center will not hold any bags during an event, bags must be returned to the guest’s vehicle. Guests are permitted to bring in only (1) bag. A clear, stadium bag that is no larger than 12″x6″x12″. Clutch bags (5″x9″ or smaller) that have a single over the shoulder or cross body strap made of canvas, nylon or leather materials are permitted. Diaper and medical bags are allowed and are subject to inspection by Sanford Center Staff or Security when entering the Sanford Center or at any time while inside the facility. Bag policy subject to change based on event.

Banners and signs are not permitted at The Sanford Center.

Glass bottles are not allowed inside the Sanford Center. Cans are allowed throughout the building. No outside food or beverage is allowed inside the Sanford Center.

Tickets are available through ticketmaster.com and at the Sanford Center Box Office.

Handheld point and shoot still cameras are permitted in the Sanford Center on an evevent-by-eventasis. Cameras with large detachable lenses are not permitted. Flashes are not permitted for any event. Video cameras are not allowed and will be confiscated if brought into the Sanford Center.

Any child that is younger than two years of age will be admitted to most events for free. Anyone two years of age and older will be required to have a ticket before admittance to an event. Any questions about this can be fielded by the Sanford Center Box Office Manager at 218-441-4031.

There are three concession locations in the Sanford Center offering food of different types. The main concourse has 3 concession stands offering a variety of food. For information on concessions at the Sanford Center, please call Dan Week, the Food and Beverage Director, at (218) 441-4014.

Please call Ethan Rogers, Director of Sales at (218) 441-4003 to book your event or convention today!

Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover & American Express are accepted as payment in the Box Office, on convention rentals, and at concessions & bars.

Diaper changing stations are available in every concourse restroom within the arena. There is also a family restroom at the west end of the concourse.

Visit our Directions and Parking page for more information.

Disabled access into the Sanford Center may be found at the Main Entrance, West Entrance, and Student Entrance. Access to the Convention Center may be found at the Convention Center Entrance and hotel. The Sanford Center accommodates disabled guests by providing reserved parking, wheelchair ramps, wider doorways, and grab bars in restroom stalls. There is special ADA seating rink side in the designated areas AA and AB. We will make any accommodation we can to make your visit to the Sanford Center an enjoyable one. For further information on ADA seating, please call (218) 441-4031 or email akadrlik@thesanfordcenter.com.

There is one public elevator located just inside the Main Entrance for access to the suite level and club lounge.

The Medical/First Aid Office is located in the North West corner of the concourse near section T & U.

See the upcoming events page for game information.

For all group sales and tickets, please call our Ticket Office at 218-441-4031.

Guest services is located in front of the Administrative Offices between the Main Entrance and the West Entrance.

For an up-to-date list of lodging in the area, go to the Visit Bemidji website. 

Lost & Found is located at Guest Services in the administrative offices between the Main Entrance and the West Entrance. If you have something to turn in, it can be brought to a Sanford Center Usher or Sanford Center Security. Please contact guest services if you have lost an item at 218-441-4000.

Guests are encouraged to report a missing person(s) to anyone on the Sanford Center event staff. Sanford Center staff will work closely with BPD and Sanford Center Security to help locate any missing children or individual(s).

Live or dead animal mascots are not allowed inside the Sanford Center. Anyone caught with such items will be removed from the facility.

Merchandise stands for most concert events are located on the main concourse level inside the Main Entrance. BSU merchandise can be purchased at the Beaver Dam Store located in the Sanford Center during all BSU Men’s & Women’s Hockey Home Games.

The Sanford Center Administration Offices are open Monday-Friday by appointment and may be found by the Main Entrance. Tours are available by appointment. For ticketed events, all entrances in use are open 60-90 minutes prior to the starting time of the event. Tickets are available through www.ticketmaster.com and on the day of the event at the Sanford Center Ticket Office.

The Sanford Center has approximately 1200 public parking spaces available for hockey, concerts, and convention center events. There are also 170 parking spaces reserved for event employees & production staff. On occasion, family shows will charge a $5.00 parking fee on the lot. For all Men’s & Women’s Hockey Games, VIP parking is available only through Beaver Pride – Call Kari Kantack Miller at (218) 755-2827 for details.

Payment Options for all the Sanford Center events include cash, debit, and credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express). The Sanford Center does not accept checks at the Ticket Office.

The Sanford Center offers Premium seating on the Suite/Club level. For more information on how you can become a suite holder or purchase a club-level seat at the Sanford Center, please contact Heidi Neese our Ticket Office Manager at 218-441-4031.

The Sanford Center prohibits entry with the following items:

• Backpacks, bags & purses (Diaper bags permitted, but subject to search)
• Weapons, guns, knives, sticks, poles (any dangerous items as determined by the Sanford Center staff)
• Alcohol
• Glass Containers
• Outside food & beverage
• Recording devices
• Aerosol spray canisters of any kind
• Laser pointers
• Studded jewelry
• Unauthorized signs
• Bicycles, roller blades, skateboards, hover-boards
• Fireworks
• Cameras – policy varies by event
• Non-Service animals dead or alive (this excludes licensed service animals)
• Other items may be prohibited for specific events. Such changes will be indicated to patrons on an event-by-event basis.

People wishing to listen to the radio broadcast while at a BSU event are welcome to do so. The radio being used may not be any bigger than a hand held radio and must be equipped with earphones.

Once you are admitted into the Sanford Center, there is no re-admittance if you choose to leave. (See smoking policy)

For your convenience, restrooms are located in the convention center hallway, the North Concourse, South Concourse, East concourse, West concourse, and both North and South sides of the suite level.

All guests may be subject to search upon entry. Any person refusing search will not be admitted (No refund).

The Sanford Center works closely with the Bemidji Police Department to provide a safe and secure environment for all guests.

There is absolutely no smoking permitted anywhere inside the Sanford Center or under any roofed area around the building in compliance with Minnesota state law. As per city ordinance, there is no smoking allowed within 10 feet of the Sanford Center.

Strollers are welcome inside the facility for young children and infants but are subject to search and they must be left on the concourse during events. Please see our guest services staff for assistance. Car seats may not be stored in aisles or at the feet of guests. A child’s car seat may occupy a seat, but a ticket must be purchased for doing so. Please see the guest service staff for storage of car seats during an event.

The Sanford Center houses 25 private suites available for annual lease or event-by-event purchase. For information regarding suites and suite tickets, please contact Adam our Ticket Office Manager at (218) 441-4031. 

There is no tailgating on the Sanford Center property.

Tickets are available through www.ticketmaster.com, charge by phone 800.745.3000, and the day of the event at the Sanford Center Ticket Office.

Tickets that are either lost or stolen are the ticket holder’s responsibility and cannot be refunded or replaced. Any questions should be directed to the Sanford Center Ticket Office at (218) 441-4031.

The Sanford Center Ticket Office at the Sanford Center are located inside the Main Entrance. The ticket office is open by appointment only. On event days the Box Office opens two hours prior to the event on event days. Tickets are available through www.ticketmaster.com, charge by phone 800.745.3000, and the day of the event at the Sanford Center Ticket Office.

GATES: For ticketed events, all gates are open 1 hour prior to the starting time of the event.

ENTRANCES: For ticketed events, all entrances in use are open 60-90 minutes prior to the starting time of the event.

To book a tour of the Sanford Center, please contact Heidi Neese by phone at 218-441-4007 or email hneese@thesanfordcenter.com. 

ASM Global is the official management company of the Sanford Center. Please visit www.asmglobal.com for more information. 

Will Call is available for various events per request of the ticket purchaser.

Tickets can be picked up at the Administration Office 9:00am-5:00pm, Monday-Friday after the purchase is made.

The individual picking up the tickets must present his/her picture ID and the credit card used.

Questions? Call the Administration Office: (218) 441-4000