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The VIP Experience on an AT&T Stadium Tour

By Author Laura Longwell

Posted on Last updated: January 12, 2021

“Before we get started with the tour, I have a very important question to ask you,” my guide said. “Do you know why there’s a hole in the roof of the stadium?”

“So God can watch his team play,” I said, without missing a beat. My mom, who was along for the ride on our AT&T Stadium tour just stared at me. “I’ve been watching the Cowboys for 40 years, and I’ve never heard that,” she said.

The exchange tells you pretty much all you need to know about what it’s like to be a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. Growing up in Texas in the 1990s, the Cowboys were religion. After all, they won three Super Bowls in four seasons from 1992-1995. Though success in recent years has been a bit spottier, the team’s popularity is as high as ever, which was evident on my recent tour of the team’s stadium in Arlington, a suburb of Dallas, Texas.

AT&T Stadium, the official name of Cowboys Stadium, has all the grandeur you would expect from Texas. This mammoth space is way more than a football stadium, though. It’s an art gallery, an event space, a shopper’s delight, and, of course, a football lover’s paradise. A visit here is one of the most unique things to do on a visit to Dallas .

The first thing you see when you enter the building for the a stadium tour is the gift shop. Larger than some department stores, the two-floor shop offers pretty much everything you could imagine in the way of team merchandise, and much of it is customized on-site. The tributes to the Cowboys’ greats begin here, too, with photos of former coaches and players who are instantly recognizable to football fans.

The tour wastes no time in making an impression. Within just a few minutes in the largest domed stadium in the world, the field sprawls out before you, the Cowboys’ iconic blue and white star in the middle. Surrounded by 80,000 seats, you understand the meaning of “everything is bigger in Texas.” If you visit on a day the field is open to visitors, you can even throw the football around a little.

Leaving the field, you are enveloped by the maze of tunnels that runs through AT&T Stadium. There are passages where buses and cars can drive into the building, carrying players and other VIPs. There are enormous storage and staging areas for the equipment used for the events that happen nearly every day at the stadium. At times, it feels like an underground city as carts, supplies, and some of the stadium’s 7000 employees go past (of course there aren’t so many on non-game days).

Along the sides of the corridors, the tour stops in several other high-profile spaces. The players’ and cheerleaders’ locker rooms are big draws for fans wanting to get close to where their Cowboys idols spend time during the football season. (The rooms are the same, but the cheerleaders have mirrors.)

You also have a chance to walk through the ultra-exclusive Miller Lite Field Club, where the players enter the field. Nearby, you can step up on the podium where the players hold each of their post-game press conferences when they’re at home.

Above ground, the stadium features 58 works of art, 16 of which were commissioned especially for the stadium. You’ll pass a number of them on your walk, but there are also special tours available and an app to access more information about the pieces.

Tips for taking an AT&T Stadium Tour

• VIP tours are available, along with self-guided tours, and tours focused on the art of the stadium. The self-guided visit sticks primarily to the field and locker room, so you miss out on the owners’ suites, press room, and more.
• Availability is dependent upon events (and games, of course) at the stadium, so check carefully to ensure that the tour you want is available when you plan to visit. This is especially important if you want to visit the field, which is not open every day.
• If a photo on the field is a top priority, bring a football with you or buy one in the gift shop.
• Plan to buy tickets ahead of time as they do sell out, even at times you may not expect.

We were the guests of the Dallas Cowboys for our AT&T Stadium tour. As always, opinions of the enormous and sporty are our own.

Laura Longwell is an award-winning travel blogger and photographer. Since founding Travel Addicts in 2008, she has written hundreds of articles that help over 3 million people a year get the most out of their travel. In that time, she has visited nearly 60 countries on 5 continents, often returning to favorite destinations over and over again. She has a deep love of history, uncovering unexpected attractions, and trying all the good food a place has to offer.

In addition to Travel Addicts, Laura runs a site about her hometown of Philadelphia—Guide to Philly—which chronicles unique things to do and places to see around southeastern Pennsylvania. Her travel tips and advice appear across the web.

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Tuesday 17th of September 2019

I went to the tour yesterday vip and I was not able to do the green screen I am upset. I really wanted to do that?

Thursday 17th of January 2019

We took the VIP Tour a few days ago. Barbara. Our Tour Guide made Me feel like a "Kid in a Candy Store." I was allowed to ask all the silly questions I wanted. To see inside My Beloved Cowboy's AT&T Stadium. Was simply Magical! We like the way the Stadium was designed with the Fans in mind! Thank You Mr.Jones! You Did Good!

Ligeia and Mindy

Wednesday 27th of May 2015

We're not really football fans, but this seems like an amazing experience! Thanks for sharing. :)

Ryan Biddulph

Life-long Giants fan here and I gotta say, this place and the old Boston Garden are the 2 spots I'd love to visit, more than any. Amazing facility from your recount and oh yes, I know all about the God quote ;) My best friend grew up a Boys fan in NJ, and heck, whenever they come to town half the stadium roots for them. Truly America's team!

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VIP Dallas Cowboys Stadium Tour Review

Dallas Cowboys Stadium is the state of the art home to one of the most popular sports franchises in the world.  Going to a game or a concert is fun, but wouldn’t it be interesting to go on a Dallas Cowboys Stadium tour and learn more about the stadium and see parts that the general public doesn’t usually get to see?

You may be wondering if one of the Cowboys Stadium tours are worth it, especially if you are not into sports.

Read my detailed Dallas Cowboy Stadium tour review and find out what to expect.  I think you will enjoy the behind the scenes tour even if you are not a football or Cowboys fan.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. See disclosure for more information.

Building the New Cowboy Stadium

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Even though I now live in New York City,  I am still a Dallas Cowboys fan (and always will be).  I will go out of my way to see the Cowboys play, including the time I went to Wembley Stadium .  Growing up in Dallas, I have fond memories of going to the old Texas Stadium and watching Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith.  Texas Stadium was special, it had a hole in the roof so God could watch America’s Team play.  Well, at least that’s what some used to say.

But the time came when the old Cowboy Stadium needed an upgrade.  Jerry Jones wanted to host the Superbowl and the NFL wouldn’t allow it without a domed stadium.  Ironically, the week the Cowboys did host the Superbowl in 2011 it was icy and cold.  Why the NFL let the Giants host a Superbowl in their stadium, I can’t explain, luckily the snowstorm hit the day after.

Anyway, Jerry Jones jumped through some hoops and built a new stadium in Arlington, a suburb between Dallas and Fort Worth, right next to the Texas Rangers Stadium.   Jerry Jones went all out in the design of the stadium. 

The stadium is very impressive and a tourist attraction in its own right, even without a game going on.  It surprised me that people came from all over the country to visit Dallas Cowboys Stadium, also known as AT&T Stadium.  Some weren’t even Cowboy fans!

Just to give you an idea of how remarkable the Dallas Cowboys Stadium is I wanted to share some interesting facts:

• It’s the fourth largest stadium in the NFL by seating capacity.  It can hold 80,000 fans.  Technically, the stadium can hold 105,000 fans including the standing room areas, but the record attendance for an NFL game was  105,121 in 2009.
• The high definition video screen that runs from 20-yard line to 20-yard line is the 29th largest in the world.  There are also more than 3,000 Sony LCD displays throughout the stadium so fans never miss a minute of the action.
• In addition to being the home of the Dallas Cowboys, it also hosts the Cotton Bowl Classic and the Big 12 Championship Game.

My mom (who is not a football fan) agreed to take me to tour the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.  VIP Guided Tours and Self-Guided Tours  run daily with the exception of some blackout dates .  The first tour in the morning is at 10:00 am and tours of Cowboy stadium run until 4:30 pm.

On some days, they do also offer a tour that focuses on the museum-quality art that is inside the stadium.  The Jones family commissioned 18 contemporary artists to create artwork for the stadium.

I do recommend that you buy your tickets online here in advance as all the tours of Cowboys Stadium do sell out.

When we went, we did the VIP guided tour and we had to wait about 45 minutes because earlier tours were already sold out.  We passed the time looking around the Dallas Cowboy Store.  The Dallas Pro Shop has a lot of Dallas Cowboys merchandise, but it is pretty expensive so I didn’t buy anything.  I have found it is better (i.e. cheaper) to shop Dallas Cowboys gear online on Amazon .

Our Dallas Cowboy tour guide was very knowledgeable and added in jokes when he could.   He told us some interesting facts about the stadium.  Such as:

• The video board was the largest in the world at the time the stadium opened, and when they have basketball games the screen is bigger than the court.
• The retractable end zone doors are the largest in the world, and the retractable roof weighs about the same as 92 Boeing 777s and can open or close in 12 minutes.
• The stadium cost $1.15 billion to build, almost double the original estimate and Jerry Jones covered the overrun.

Even a non-sports fan has to appreciate that the stadium is an engineering feat!  Jerry (and his wife) put their heart and souls into making the stadium something special.

The first part of the Dallas Cowboys Stadium tour we explored the main seating area, the luxury suites, and the bars that are for standing room only tickets.  It was so special to go inside a Dallas Cowboys luxury suite and imagine watching a Cowboys game from one.

Last season, my niece and I went to a game with standing room only tickets because tickets for actual seats were too expensive.  We had a great time, it was nice to feel the atmosphere of the game even if we had to watch a tv screen to get a good view of the game.  For sold out games, check out StubHub for tickets.  StubHub backs every order so you can buy and sell tickets with 100% confidence.

After that, we went down to the floor level.  We got to visit the Dallas Cowboys and the Cowboys Cheerleaders locker rooms.  I didn’t even know the cheerleaders had locker rooms!  They had a couple of jerseys that you could use to take photos inside the Dallas Cowboys locker room.  I chose to take a photo at Tony Romo’s locker!

We also saw the field level bar that the Cowboys run through to enter the field.  I had seen it on TV so many times, so it was a bit surreal to be there myself. 

The Cowboys Stadium also has luxury suites that are field level.  I thought that these were pretty clever design features.  We also saw the media room, where the Cowboys hold their postgame press conferences.  It was fun to pretend to be Jason Garrett .

The final stop on the Cowboy Stadium tour is the field and you can enjoy it as long as you like.  The Dallas Cowboys self-guided tour also gets you access to the field.  Some kids brought footballs and were playing around on the field.  We just took pictures in the Cowboys end zone and by the star at midfield.

I thoroughly enjoyed the tour inside Cowboys Stadium.  It was worth the wait.  I learned a lot and the access we got was better than I expected.  Plus, I got pictures of myself on the Dallas Cowboys field.  So for all you Dallas Cowboys fans out there and anyone interested in engineering or architecture, I encourage you to take the Dallas Cowboys tour.

Note: I actually did this tour again so that Russell could visit the stadium too.

Dallas Cowboys Stadium is located in Arlington, Texas, which is between Dallas and Fort Worth.  Unfortunately, there is no public transportation that will take you directly to the stadium, so it is best to drive. 

Use GPS to find the best route from your location to the Stadium.  The address is 1 AT&T Way.  The closest freeways are Interstate 30 and Highway 360. 

Cowboy Stadium parking is free in Blue Lot 1 or 2 on the days that tours are available.

Yes! Being able to go behind-the-scenes to areas that the public normally can’t (i.e. the locker room, field, etc) is priceless.  Also, even as a long-time dedicated fans, I learn a few things on the tour.

Have you gone on one of the Cowboys Stadium tours or ever done a tour of another stadium? I would love to hear about your experience.

Pin for Later

• Buy your Dallas Cowboys Stadium Tour tickets in advance as the tours do sell out.
• If you like, bring a football on the Dallas Stadium tour and you can play on the Cowboys field.
• Don’t forget your camera, there are lots of fun photo opportunities.
• If you need more Dallas Cowboys gear, check out the options on  Amazon .  It will be cheaper than the Cowboys Stadium Pro Shop.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means we will receive a small commission for some purchases made using links in our blog with no additional cost to you. Please be assured we would not promote any product unless we believe that our readers will also benefit. The commission does not influence the editorial content of this site.

Two Traveling Texans is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca . Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Last Updated on July 20, 2023

About the Author

Anisa  

Anisa is an experienced international traveler with extra pages in her passport and stamps from 41 different countries across 5 continents (and counting). She was born and raised in Texas. After a 13 year stint in NYC, she moved to England to live with her husband.

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St. Petersburg City Council sets Rays stadium discussion for May

• Colleen Wright Times staff

The St. Petersburg City Council has set tentative dates to discuss terms of the deal for the Tampa Bay Rays to build a new stadium and redevelop Tropicana Field into the Historic Gas Plant District at two workshops in May.

Spokesperson Erica Riggins confirmed Tuesday that May 9 and 23 are target dates for workshops for the council to discuss the details. One meeting will focus on the stadium and the other on the greater Gas Plant redevelopment, which would include the sale of about 65 acres of public land.

Council member Ed Montanari in February sought those meetings, which were unanimously supported by his colleagues. The request required the city to provide all documents for the two presentations at least two weeks in advance. Financing is a highlighted topic for both meetings.

A vote on those documents is expected to take place after those meetings. Five votes are needed to make the project a go on the city’s side, which includes $287.5 million for the stadium, $150 million for things like surrounding roads and sewers and the sale of public land.

The Pinellas County Commission also needs to hold a vote on whether to contribute $312.5 million in tourist tax money toward construction of the stadium. It’s not clear which vote will take place first.

The City Council’s summer break runs from June 14 through July 7.

Times staff writer Jack Evans contributed to this report.

Colleen Wright is a reporter covering St. Petersburg. She can be reached at [email protected].

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