Abstract: An armrest for a stadium chair. The armrest is connected to a stanchion by a bolt which extends through a slotted oblong lug carried by the armrest. The lug and armrest cooperate with a lobular bearing surface in the stanchion. The lug fits into lobes of the bearing surface in such a way as to retain the armrest in a raised position and a lowered retracted position. Movement of the armrest from the raised position requires a user to first lift the armrest without rotating, and then rotate the armrest to the lowered position. A polymeric bearing plate held between the armrest and the stanchion acts as a guide keeping the movement of the armrest in a single plane.