Cleveland Browns Stadium Spectator's Guide 2023

If you haven’t acquired your favorite Cleveland Browns jersey yet, now is the time, cause football season is on its way.

The Browns kick off their 2023-24 NFL season at home in Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sept. 10, for the first time since 2019. They’ll be taking on the reigning AFC North champions, their old rivals the Cincinnati Bengals.

The following Sunday, the Browns contend with another fierce foe, the Pittsburgh Steelers, before finding themselves back at home on Sept. 24, facing the Tennessee Titans. A total of nine games are scheduled this season in Cleveland Browns Stadium.

To get you ready for the start of the Browns’ first season-opener with legal sports betting in Ohio, PlayOhio has put together a guide on everything you need to know about visiting the stadium on a game day as a home fan or visiting supporter.

Arriving at Cleveland Browns Stadium

Opened in 1999, Cleveland Browns Stadium sits on 31 acres of land in downtown Cleveland and is quite easy to reach.

You’ll find it across the way from Cleveland City Hall, between West 9th Street and East 9th Street.

Driving to the Browns stadium

For those driving, if you are approaching the stadium from the south (Airport), take I-71 North or I-77 North to the East 9th Street exit. Next, take East 9th Street north to the lake and you’ll find the stadium on the left as you head north.

Coming from the east, you’ll want to take I-90 West to Route 2 west and exit at either East 9th Street or West 3rd Street. The stadium will be on your right as you head west.

From the west, take 90 West to the East 9th Street exit. Finally, take East 9th Street north to the lake, at which point the stadium will be on the left as you head North.

Public transportation to Cleveland Browns Stadium

Cleveland has a robust public transportation system that includes subways, rapid transit trains and city buses — many of which service Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The Blue and Green lines of Cleveland’s RTA Rail system stop at West 3rd Street. An all-day pass will cost you $5.

The city’s Amtrak station is also located next to the stadium, though service is limited and a little far from the station.

Alternatively, you can take the Red Line subway, which stops near the stadium.

The nearest stops or stations to the stadium are:

E 9th St. & Sr 2
Tower City-Public Square Station
Lakeside Ave. & E. 6th St.; Lakeside Ave & Ontario St.;
Lakeside Ave. & Ontario St. & Lakeside Ave.
Cleveland Amtrak

Parking at Cleveland Browns Stadium

Cleveland Browns Stadium has limited parking space. Unless you’re a Cleveland Browns game pass holder, don’t expect to find a spot in any of the lots at the stadium.

Parking on a game-by-game basis is available at several downtown lots and parking garages near the Cleveland Browns Stadium — expect to pay $18 -$50.

Common options are the Great Lakes Science Center parking garage, the West 3rd Street parking lot and the Port Authority visitor’s lot.

Visitors can use the SpotHero listing to secure a cheap parking space before driving to the venue. The trick, of course, is to plan ahead and arrive early, not only to safeguard a parking spot but to also check out the tailgating before the game.

Cleveland Browns Stadium offers two handicap drop-off locations at the southeast and southwest corners of the stadium. A limited number of ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) parking spots are available on a first come first serve basis in the West 3rd Street parking lot.

FirstEnergy Stadium name stripped after corruption scandal

Browns fans might be wondering why the name Cleveland Browns Stadium has returned after calling their home field First Energy Stadium for 10 years. That’s a wild story involving one of the biggest public corruption schemes in Ohio history.

Long story short: Multiple high-level Republican politicians have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in passing HB-6, a wide-ranging clean energy plan that involved increasing utility rates and subsidizing various nuclear and coal-powered plants. Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder was convicted of receiving over $60 million in bribes and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Former Ohio Republican Party chair Mathew Borges was sentenced to five years in prison for racketeering as well.

On April 13, the Cleveland Browns announced they would be terminating their stadium naming rights agreement with the Akron-based utility company, which could still be under investigation for its part in the bribery scandal.

Rumor has it, Browns fans welcome the change back to Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Tailgating at Cleveland Browns Stadium

Tailgating is not only permitted but encouraged at the Cleveland Browns Stadium lots, but, again, only accessible to pass holders.

However, at the stadium’s northern enclosure, tailgating is open to all pass holders, and it’s family-friendly.

There are also several parking lots near Cleveland Browns Stadium where tailgating is allowed. The most popular tailgating parking space is the Cleveland Municipal and 606 Summit Lot.

The Pit (W. 9th Street) is another parking lot in the neighborhood also known to have tailgating parties during football season.

Selecting your Cleveland Browns seats

For 23 seasons, the Browns have played in the stadium on the shores of Lake Erie. It had an initial seating capacity of 73,200 before a two-phase renovation in 2014-2015 which reduced the number to 67,431.

Cleveland Browns Stadium’s core seating areas include the lower level, club level, mezzanine level and upper level. Additionally, a variety of premium seating options, including private clubs, luxury suites, and group hospitality areas are on offer for guests willing to pay a little extra.

The lower level seats at Cleveland Browns Stadium consist of sections 101 through 149. The rows in this level will begin with 1 and will go no higher than row 40.

Club-level seats run from sections 301 to 316 as well as sections 324 to 339. Cleveland Browns Stadium boasts nearly 9,000 club seats.

The highly sought-after mezzanine level seats are located above the 200-level suites and offer views from the end zones of the stadium. These seats run from sections 317 to 323, and 340 through 350.

Cleveland Browns Stadium’s upper-level seats are considered to be the most affordable tickets for a Cleveland Browns home game. Sections 501 to 516, and sections 524 to 543 is where they’re found.

ADA seating and amenities at Cleveland Browns Stadium

Providing a positive game day experience to all its guests is a priority at Cleveland Browns Stadium. That includes offering accessible seating and other amenities to those visitors who may need them. Guests who may need accessible seating are encouraged to contact the ticket office ahead of time at 440-891-5050.

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) relocations are available on game day at all guest services locations; however, they are on a limited basis and are not guaranteed.

ADA pick up and drop off

Pick up and drop off is found outside of the University Hospitals Gate, near the southeast corner of the stadium. By following this route during game day and road closures you can ensure the most convenient pick up and drop off procedure.

Keep in mind the best route to the stadium during road closures will be along East 55th Street to North Marginal Road. Road closures on East 9th Street and West 3rd Street start around two hours before kick-off and last up to 60 minutes after the game ends.

You will also need to display your reserved parking pass or handicap placard visibly to gain access to the stadium.

Elevators are available throughout Cleveland Browns Stadium, and for those guests that are hearing impaired the stadium offers closed caption services. Continual game action captioning is available on the stadium seating bowl corner ribbon boards.

Additionally, guests can access stadium captioning services on game day using their mobile device. Simply go to mobile.net for more information.

Wheelchair services

These are available upon request at any guest service location. Should you want to bring in your own wheelchair, you can check it at the guest services in section 102.

Medical Exception Entrances

Every entrance to Cleveland Browns Stadium is accessible for guests with disabilities. Visitors who may need more support can enter through the South 7UP City Club entrances, which are designated medical entrances staffed by medical personnel and trained security.

Nursing Rooms

Special rooms are set aside at the stadium for nursing mothers, children with sensory needs and guests who may want to pray. These rooms are located in sections 118, 349, and 514.

Service animals

Cleveland Browns Stadium welcomes trained guide dogs or service animals assisting guests with disabilities. Guests are requested to enter through the South 7UP City Club Entrances for Medical Exceptions.

Cleveland Browns Stadium private clubs:

Club 46 — located directly across from the Cleveland Browns locker room by section 144.
KeyBank Club — near sections 107 and 108.
Draft Room — an 11,000-square-foot private club near sections 131 through 136.
Kardiac Club — a private club located in the lower portion of the Dawg Pound.

Besides the private clubs, a total of 143 luxury suites can be found in Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Best food at Cleveland Browns Stadium

Not only is Cleveland Browns Stadium an outstanding multi-purpose facility, it also has some of the best concession stands for visitors and fans.

With the wide variety of food options, every visitor is bound to find something they like.

The Kernel: Serves up freshly popped popcorn that is not too salty and has a nice buttery flavor to it in reasonably sized bags. The Kernel is located in Section 146.
C-Town Eats: Here you’ll find your typical jumbo-sized stadium food which includes hot dogs, pretzels, nachos, water, beer and soda. You can find these in sections 104, 110, 113, 121, 129, 134, 146, 319, 342, 348, 504, 513, 528 and 540.
DiGiorno Pizza: Allows you to get personal pizzas in convenient boxes to carry to your seat. These concession stands are in Sections 107, 133, 321, 510 and 535.
Sausage and Peppers Stand: Should you be in the mood for something classic Italian, try out the Italian sausage sandwich made with pickled onions, peppers and red marinara.
Nacho Grande: These nachos come in a box with crispy round chips, salsa, cheese sauce and jalapenos.

Cleveland Browns Stadium recently introduced new foods to its menu. Here’s a list of the new spots:

Brewski’s
Bud Light Grill and Meat and Cleaver
Feeling Dangerous Burger
Great Lakes Cheesesteak and Rocco Whalen’s Tremonster Potato Skin
North Coast Nachos
Quaker’s Steak and Lube
Impossibly Thin Lizzy

Cleveland Browns Stadium bag policy

The bag policy at Cleveland Browns Stadium allows fans to bring in clear bags that don’t exceed 12 inch by 6 inch by 12 inch in size.

Fans arriving at a Browns game should expect to first go through a metal detector at the gate before entering the stadium. And fans with a bag will go through a bag check in a separate line, where the bag’s size and content are ascertained.

ADA-specific bags, medical bags/diaper bags, purses no bigger than 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches, wallets and small clutch bags are also permitted.

If you’re heading to Cleveland Browns Stadium for a game, you should know that certain items are not allowed in the stadium. These include but are not limited to:

Backpacks
Clear backpacks
Camera bags
Fanny packs
Luggage of any kind
Aerosol cans
Fireworks
Selfie sticks

For a full list of items that are prohibited, visit Cleveland Browns Stadium bag policy.

What does it cost to see a Browns game?

It’s said that attending a Browns game is a bargain compared to most NFL venues.

According to Bookies.com, it would cost $1,028.24 for a family of four to attend a Browns game. That includes the cost of parking, plus the cost of two 16-ounce beers, two 20-ounce sodas and four hot dogs.

$889.89 for four tickets
$85 for parking
$22 for four hot dogs
$23 for two beers
$9.45 for two sodas

Traditions at Browns games

Browns fans are known to be some of the most loyal and enthusiastic in the league.

What sets Cleveland Browns Stadium apart from other NFL venues is the presence of the Dawg Pound.

This is the seating area for the Browns’ most rabid fans who wear bulldog masks and dog collars. These seats are extremely popular with Browns fans and can be among the toughest tickets to get depending on the game.

Another celebrated tradition is the tailgate parties before the game. You’d be remiss not to attend one of these parties, especially the one at the “Muni Lot.”

Non-Football watching activities at Cleveland Browns

While most people visiting Cleveland Browns Stadium are there for a Browns game, there are still plenty of activities to keep one occupied besides the game.

Close by the stadium you’ll find a host of attractions. Directly to the east of the stadium are the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Great Lakes Science Center.

Sadly, Cleveland Browns Stadium has no stadium tours on offer.

Fan etiquette at Cleveland Browns Stadium

Nothing pleases the Browns more (except, perhaps, reaching the postseason playoffs) than seeing their stadium packed with cheering fans.

In that spirit, visitors at Cleveland Browns Stadium are requested to drink responsibly and abide by positive fan behavior — that means no fighting, taunting or making obscene gestures.

Providing an enjoyable game day for all those who attend Cleveland Browns Stadium is important to the franchise.

Choosing your Browns uniform number

Browns fans have a lot of love for their team despite the many defeats and continual changes to the roster. Those turnovers in the roster also make it difficult for fans to invest in a player’s jersey, even if he’s drafted high because he probably won’t be with the team for long.

Still, there are some great go-to jerseys Browns fans can fall back on: