Last updated: March 2026
Belmont Park parking in 2026 is really a split-decision problem. If you are going to UBS Arena, you need to choose the right lot and the right highway exit before you get near Hempstead Turnpike. If you are looking ahead to the Belmont Park reopening on September 18, 2026, you also need to know that the old assumptions about race-day parking are outdated.
Compare bookable airport and event-adjacent parking options before you commit to the wrong campus approach.
Compare Parking OptionsAt Belmont, the first bad decision is usually made before the venue is even visible.
Best if you want the most predictable arrival and already know your parking area.
Use when: you can buy parking in advance and follow the correct Cross Island exit.
Best for avoiding the whole campus traffic trap.
Use when: you are coming from the city or western Long Island and care more about the exit than the car.
Simple on the way in, shakier on the way out.
Use when: you do not want to park, but you can tolerate a slower pickup after the event.
| Option | How It Works | Reality Check |
|---|---|---|
| Emerald Parking | General paid parking for many arena events, accessed only via Cross Island Parkway Exit 26D. | Usually the default answer if you just need a bookable event-day lot. It is a short walk or free shuttle ride, not the closest option. |
| Belmont Park Garage | Garage option accessed only via Exit 26A, with a pedestrian walkway across Hempstead Turnpike. | Good if you want the garage format, but you need to commit to that route before you arrive. Do not improvise from another exit. |
| Silver / Diamond / Ruby | Premium-style campus parking accessed only via Exit 26B. | Do not take Exit 26B unless you already have the correct prepaid pass. Diamond and Ruby are not general-purchase fallback lots. |
| Elmont-UBS Arena LIRR | Direct train service from Penn Station and Grand Central, then a short walk or free shuttle. | This is the local stress-reduction move for many sold-out arena nights because it removes the post-event lot purge. |
| Rideshare | Pickup/drop-off on the north side of the arena, accessed via Exit 26D and Green Road. | Fine on arrival. Much more fragile after the event, when everyone wants the same pickup zone at once. |
For current Belmont-campus events, the LIRR is often the cleaner move if you are coming from Manhattan, Queens, or any route that already feeds Penn Station or Grand Central. UBS Arena’s own guidance says direct service to the Elmont-UBS Arena Station is available from both, with total travel time around 30 minutes. There are also regular pre- and post-event shuttles between the station and the arena, with the trip taking about 5 minutes.
Driving still makes sense if you have a group, need the car afterward, or do not want to depend on train timing. But if you drive, the parking choice is really an exit choice. The campus uses separate entry routes for Emerald, Belmont Park Garage, and Silver/Diamond/Ruby, and the venue tells drivers to leave the same way they entered.
Belmont Park is not operating as a normal public race-day venue for most of 2026. NYRA says the property is closed to the public until September 18, 2026 while the redevelopment finishes, and the 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival is at Saratoga. That matters because older Belmont Park parking advice is not reliable for current searches.
The useful version of this page today is: if you are searching “Belmont Park parking,” you are usually solving one of two problems. Either you mean UBS Arena parking on the Belmont campus right now, or you are planning ahead for Belmont Park’s reopening and need to know that the old race-day assumptions are in transition.
Rideshare pickup and drop-off is on the north side of the arena and is accessed via Exit 26D and Green Road. That makes it cleaner than random curb pickup, but you should still expect congestion after the event.
For accessible parking, UBS Arena lists ADA spaces in Emerald, Silver, Diamond, and Belmont Park Garage. ADA shuttles run while the parking areas are open, and Emerald in particular has dedicated accessible shuttle vans.
If you are flexible, the most forgiving plan is usually this: train in, train out. The walk from Elmont-UBS Arena Station is manageable, the shuttle exists if needed, and you avoid the “wrong lot, wrong exit, wrong lane” problem that makes Belmont-campus driving feel worse than it looks on the map.
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