When Cleveland hosted the NFL Draft just a few years back, it was a reminder of the city's strong football culture and beautifully-architected lakefront.
But, the Browns haven't given the NFL much of a reason to be regularly featured in prime time and, for that reason, their home base is often overlooked at the national level. With Cleveland's convenient downtown layout, wide array of dining options and long-standing history in the league, it's one of the more underrated NFL destinations.
Opened: 1999
City: Cleveland, Ohio
Capacity: 67,431
Last Visited: Aug 2024
Location
The stadium is tucked along the Lake Erie waterfront on the north end of downtown. It’s just a 15-minute walk from the action on 4th Street, which includes a host of hotels, restaurants and bars that straddle Cleveland’s two other pro sports venues: Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena.
If you have time before the game, it’s worth a stroll along the lakefront and stopping by the Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame that flanks the stadium's east side. There are several great breweries along 13th Street downtown, including Masthead Brewing and Noble Beast Brewing Co.
On gameday, Cleveland PD deliberately steers foot traffic to the adjacent 3rd and 9th streets as a means of decongesting the stadium premises. This makes for a great excuse to explore the relatively new East Bank neighborhood, which is only about 10 minutes west of the stadium. Here you’ll find a number of restaurants and bars that overlook the Cuyahoga River, including Collision Bend Brewing Company.
Score: 4/5
Venue
The stadium’s location along Lake Erie creates a unique gameday experience.
Firstly, it’s a rare example of the east-west playing orientation, presumably to mitigate against the wind factor that would affect field goals kicked toward the lake. Secondly, being right on the water translates to a fairly significant wind chill for those sitting on the south side of the upper deck. Architects could have done a better job integrating unobstructed views of the lake, which is really only visible from highest parts of upper deck and from the walking area that surrounds the 400 and 500 sections.
But, credit where it’s due: it's nice to see the emphasis on team branding throughout the lower levels. Connecting the plentiful number of concessions and team merchandise outlets is a general orange aesthetic, plus ample signage with the Browns' iconic brown & white stripe.
Score: 3/5
Accommodations
If social amenities are important to you and your gameday crew, Cleveland Browns Stadium won’t have much to offer. Like other NFL franchises based in the Midwest, the Browns unapologetically prioritize football over fraternization inside the building.
Its selection of food and beverages, however, is on-par with most major stadiums, inclusive of both non-traditional meal options and the ball game staples. Best of all, the prices aren’t the outrageous $30-plus you’d find yourself paying for a meal in Los Angeles or San Francisco.
Score: 3/5
Atmosphere
When handicapping for the Browns' doldrums over the past few decades, most would agree that Cleveland football culture remains strong, but is no where near what it could be for such a storied franchise.
In contrast to the NFL destinations where gameday is treated as an all-day affair, the energy levels in Cleveland just hours before kickoff are fairly mellow. You can expect a subtle number of fans donning Browns gear downtown and a solid tailgate scene at the lots southwest of the stadium, but neither are on-par with Orchard Park, Kansas City or Green Bay.
However, under rough circumstances, the Browns and their fans have done a commendable job preserving many franchise traditions, such as the “dog pound” mantra and “Brownie the Elf" logo at midfield. Along those same lines, it’s admirable that the stadium shucked its prior corporate naming, shifting from First Energy Stadium to Cleveland Browns Stadium in 2023.
Score: 3/5
Overall Score: 3.3 / 5
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Head to the Cleveland Browns Stadium page to browse stadium maps and add it to your bucket list!
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