Charter Bus Parking & Dropoff Guide to Lima Sports Venues & Arenas
Limacharterbuscompany.com helps you compare and book group transportation for sporting events in Lima, the cities around it, and all of Ohio in under 30 seconds! Because we are a bus rental comparison website and don’t own or operate any vehicles, you’re never stuck with whatever one single local bus company happens to have parked in its lot on game day. Instead, one quick form connects your trip to one of America’s largest national booking platforms, where independent operators compete for your business with 56-passenger charter buses, 15- to 35-passenger minibuses, 15- to 50-passenger party buses, and sprinter vans with a driver. Check your online charter bus prices with no account needed, and read on for exact drop-off and parking rules at Ohio’s biggest stadiums!
Ohio Stadium (Home of the Ohio State Buckeyes)
Get your fan club or alumni group from Lima to Columbus ready to cheer on the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium! Known as “The Horseshoe,” this 102,780-seat venue demands early planning for oversized vehicles.
Major Roadways to Ohio Stadium
Groups departing Lima typically take US-30 East to US-33 East, or head south on I-75 to SR-47 and US-33 before merging onto I-270 and SR-315 South into Columbus. On game days, exit SR-315 at Lane Avenue or Ackerman Road to approach the campus football district. Build in an extra 60 minutes of travel buffer, as SR-315 backs up heavily three hours before kickoff.
Charter Bus Drop-Off & Pickup at Ohio Stadium
Charter buses can drop passengers off along the north curb of Woody Hayes Drive near the Olentangy River Bridge or at designated zones near the Schottstein Center on Borror Drive. Because curbside idling is strictly prohibited, have your group gather all bags and coolers before stepping off, and coordinate a post-game meetup spot away from the immediate stadium gates.
Charter Bus Parking & Waiting at Ohio Stadium
Oversized vehicles, RVs, and motorcoaches park in the designated Buckeye Lots (Lots 1, 2, and 3) located just west of SR-315 at 2720 Fred Taylor Dr, Columbus, OH 43202, north of the Schottenstein Center. Day-of-game bus permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis upon entry via Ackerman Road. From the Buckeye Lots, fans can take a complimentary campus shuttle or walk about 20 minutes to the stadium.
Event-Day Closures & Traffic
Three hours prior to kickoff, Columbus Police and OSU Traffic Management close Woody Hayes Drive, Cannon Drive, Tuttle Park Place, and sections of Neil Avenue to regular through-traffic. Immediately after the fourth quarter, surrounding campus streets convert to outbound one-way traffic patterns to flush parking garages. Your driver will stay in touch by text and wait for your entire group to assemble before pulling up for departure.
Yager Stadium (Home of the Miami RedHawks)
Give your high school band, youth football roster, or alumni group a smooth ride down to Oxford for a MAC showdown at Yager Stadium! Located on the Miami University campus, this scenic venue is an easy day trip down I-75 from Lima. Renting a private motorcoach keeps everyone together with plenty of undercarriage bay space for tailgating tents and team equipment.
Major Roadways to Yager Stadium
From Lima, your driver will head south on I-75 to exit 63 for US-40 West, then connect to US-127 South and SR-73 West straight into Oxford. As you enter town, follow SR-73 (High Street) or US-27 (Patterson Avenue) north toward the athletic complex. Expect slower two-lane highway traffic on US-27 and SR-73 starting two hours before game time.
Charter Bus Drop-Off & Pickup at Yager Stadium
Visiting team buses unload directly outside the northeast gate along Sycamore Street, while private fan charter buses and 25-passenger minibuses typically unload near Millett Hall at the intersection of Sycamore Street and Tallawanda Road. Keep your group together for a fast five-minute curb drop so your driver doesn’t block campus shuttle lanes. After the final whistle, meet your driver back at the Millett Hall West Lot for easy boarding.
Charter Bus Parking & Waiting at Yager Stadium
Charter buses, minibuses, and oversized tailgating vehicles are directed to park in the Millett Hall West Lot off Bonham Road and Sycamore Street, just steps from the Cradle of Coaches Plaza. Oversized parking passes should be arranged in advance through the Miami Athletic Ticket Office at (513) 529-4295, though limited day-of-game bus spaces are also sold on site.
Event-Day Closures & Traffic
On RedHawks football Saturdays, Sycamore Street between Patterson Avenue and Oak Street and portions of Tallawanda Road restrict general vehicle access to permit holders and official shuttles. Arrive in Oxford at least 90 minutes before kickoff so your driver can clear the US-27 intersections and get your group settled before campus pedestrian crossings bog down traffic.
Doyt Perry Stadium (Home of the Bowling Green Falcons)
Start your trip up I-75 North right by booking a Lima group transportation service to Doyt L. Perry Stadium! Sitting less than an hour north of Lima, Bowling Green State University is one of the closest NCAA Division I venues for northwest Ohio sports fans and high school tournament teams. A private party bus or charter bus turns the quick freeway drive up to Wood County into a relaxed pre-game celebration.
Major Roadways to Doyt Perry Stadium
Your bus will travel straight north from Lima on I-75 North for about 50 miles and take Exit 181 (E. Wooster Street / SR-64) directly to the eastern edge of the BGSU campus. Doyt Perry Stadium and the Stroh Center sit immediately adjacent to the I-75 interchange at Wooster Street and Mercer Road.
Charter Bus Drop-Off & Pickup at Doyt Perry Stadium
Group charter buses and 18-passenger minibuses can pull in off East Wooster Street or Alumni Drive to unload passengers near the Stroh Center (Lot 24) or along the Stadium Drive loop on the west side of the football complex. Because Exit 181 funnels all stadium traffic onto Wooster Street, active unloading must be completed in under five minutes. Set a clear post-game meeting point near the Stroh Center falcon statue so your whole group can board at once.
Charter Bus Parking & Waiting at Doyt Perry Stadium
Oversized charter buses and RVs are assigned to Lot L (south of the stadium off Wooster Street) or the designated grass and paved tailgating zones in Lot 13 east of the field, depending on the event. Tailgating is welcomed in designated BGSU bus spaces, and parking passes can be purchased ahead of time through the BGSU Athletics Ticket Office at (877) BGSU-TICKET. If your driver is only dropping off and staging, they can also wait off-campus near the I-75 travel plazas and return 15 minutes before the game ends.
Event-Day Closures & Traffic
Expect heavy backups on the I-75 Exit 181 off-ramps and along East Wooster Street starting 90 minutes before kickoff or major BGSU graduation events. BGSU Police convert lanes around Alumni Drive and Mercer Road into dedicated outbound flow immediately following the game, so pad your return schedule to Lima by 30 minutes.
Historic Crew Stadium (Home of the Columbus Crew 2)
Don’t stress over navigating the Ohio Expo Center grounds on your own when heading to Historic Crew Stadium! As America’s first soccer-specific stadium, this venue hosts MLS NEXT Pro matches for Columbus Crew 2, OHSAA state high school soccer and lacrosse championships, and massive rock festivals like Sonic Temple. Whether you’re transporting a Lima high school varsity roster or 40 concertgoers in a party bus, our network has the right vehicle for your trip. Your driver will handle every highway merge and fairgrounds gate while your group relaxes in climate-controlled comfort.
Major Roadways to Historic Crew Stadium
Traveling from Lima via US-30 East to I-71 South or US-33 East to I-270 and I-71 South, your driver will take I-71 Exit 111 (East 17th Avenue) or Exit 112 (Hudson Street). Those exits feed directly into the northern gates of the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds complex.
Charter Bus Drop-Off & Pickup at Historic Crew Stadium
Charter buses enter the stadium grounds off East 17th Avenue or Velma Avenue and follow event staff directions to the passenger drop-off lanes along Black and Gold Boulevard near the main plaza gates. If you are bringing a school athletic team or marching band for an OHSAA tournament, check your packet for the dedicated team bus gate off Silver Drive. Always keep your group together inside the gate plaza after the event before texting your driver to pull forward. That way, everyone steps right onto the bus without holding up fairgrounds traffic lanes.
Charter Bus Parking & Waiting at Historic Crew Stadium
Unlike cramped downtown venues, Historic Crew Stadium is surrounded by the expansive Ohio Expo Center surface lots along Velma Avenue and East 17th Avenue, which easily accommodate full-size 56-passenger motorcoaches and 30-passenger minibuses. Bus parking is paid upon entry at the fairgrounds toll booths, and parking attendants direct oversized vehicles to wide perimeter rows where buses can remain parked for the entire match or festival. Please remember that venue parking fees are separate from your charter bus quote. If your group plans to tailgate before the match, let the parking staff know upon arrival so they can guide your bus to a tailgating-permitted section.
Event-Day Closures & Traffic
When a stadium match or concert overlaps with an event at the adjacent Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds, congestion along East 17th Avenue, Hudson Street, and the I-71 ramps can double your arrival time. Event staff frequently turn Black and Gold Boulevard and Velma Avenue into one-way directional lanes before and after large shows. Plan to arrive in the Columbus fairgrounds area at least 60 to 90 minutes ahead of gates opening.
ScottsMiracle-Gro Field (Home of the Columbus Crew)
Whatever your soccer fans or corporate guests have planned in the Arena District, ScottsMiracle-Gro Field delivers an electric match-day atmosphere! Taking a long-distance charter bus from Lima lets your whole group skip downtown Columbus parking garages and get dropped off right in the heart of the action.
Major Roadways to ScottsMiracle-Gro Field
From Lima, take US-33 East straight into Columbus and merge onto SR-315 South, exiting at Spring Street / Long Street or connecting to I-670 East (Exit 3 for Neil Avenue). Those downtown exits lead directly to West Nationwide Boulevard and the Arena District. Watch for heavy rush-hour slowdowns where SR-315, I-670, and I-71 converge near downtown.
Charter Bus Drop-Off & Pickup at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field
Because the stadium sits at the western end of the Arena District along the Scioto River, curbside space right on West Nationwide Boulevard is tightly controlled on match days. Charter buses and party buses typically drop passengers off along West Nationwide Boulevard near McFerson Commons Park ( the Arch) or along Neil Avenue and Brodbelt Lane, leaving your group a scenic five-minute walk down the Battelle Plaza promenade to the gates. Columbus city ordinances strictly prohibit commercial buses from idling at the curb or blocking COTA transit stops. After the final whistle, gather your entire party at McFerson Commons Park before calling your driver out of staging for a quick curbside pickup.
Charter Bus Parking & Waiting at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field
There is no dedicated motorcoach parking lot attached directly to ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, and Arena District garages like the Marconi Garage and Neil Avenue Garage have low height clearances that cannot fit full-size charter buses. Instead, oversized vehicles must use pre-arranged surface parking in the Arena District / Nationwide Arena surface lots (such as Lots W or B along Nationwide Blvd and Front Street when available) or relocate to commercial staging areas near the Greater Columbus Convention Center East Lot off Nationwide Boulevard and N. 4th Street. We strongly recommend contacting the Arena District parking office at (614) 857-2300 prior to your match to reserve an oversized surface space. After you book national booking platform, our confirmation department will also call you to verify your exact drop-off and staging locations.
Event-Day Closures & Traffic
Two hours before Columbus Crew kickoff, Columbus Police close West Nationwide Boulevard west of Neil Avenue (including Hocking Street and Nordecke Way) to accommodate the March to the Match and heavy pedestrian crowds. Traffic multiplies quickly if a game or concert is happening simultaneously at nearby Nationwide Arena or Huntington Park just blocks away. Always pad your departure from Lima by an extra 45 to 60 minutes for evening or weekend matches. Your driver will monitor live traffic along I-670 and SR-315 to keep your itinerary on schedule.
Quick Tips for Lima Game-Day Charter Bus Groups
Use these simple game-day habits to keep your group moving smoothly from pickup in Lima to the stadium gates and back home! Whether you book a 20-passenger minibus for a youth tournament or a 56-passenger coach for a big away game, a little preparation saves everyone time at the curb.
