Heinz Field

Heinz Field is a stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Panthers of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The stadium opened in 2001, after the controlled implosion of the teams’ previous stadium, Three Rivers Stadium.

The stadium is named for the locally based H. J. Heinz Company, which purchased the naming rights in 2001. It hosted the 2011 NHL Winter Classic between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals on January 1, 2011. On September 10, 2016, it hosted the Keystone Classic, which featured a renewal of the Penn State-Pitt football rivalry, setting a new attendance record at 69,983 people. In 2017 it hosted the Coors Light Stadium Series game featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers.

General information

Official website: https://heinzfield.com/

Arena capacity: 68,400 spectators

Address: 100 Art Rooney Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USA

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 40°26′48″N 80°0′57″W

Year of construction: August 18, 2001

Construction cost: $398 million

Field: Kentucky bluegrass lawn

Seating plan of the Heinz Field

Club Level Sideline

Club Level sections offer ticket holders a wider seat and more legroom while watching a football game. For Steelers games, fans here will also have access to the climate-controlled upscale lounges (the East Club which is also known as the UPMC Club, and the West Club which is also known as the Hyundai Club). The lounges feature premium food and beverage options available for purchase, as well as private restrooms.

North Club

North Club ticket holders will have wider comfortable seating with access to a private climate controlled lounge (during Steelers games) featuring premium food and beverage options, lounge style seating, and private team shop.

South Plaza Club

Fans in the South Plaza Club seats will have exclusive access to a dedicated club lounge (also known as the PNC Champions Club) for Steelers home games, which features premium food and beverage options, flat screen televisions, and comfortable lounge style seating in a climate controlled environment.

Recommended Seats for Kids and Family

Rows BB-HH in Section 120:

• Alcohol free area in rows BB-HH;
• Great view of the scoreboard across the field;
• Family friendly concession options located nearby.

Rows H-Q in Sections 219, 220, 221 and 223:

• Good overhead coverage provided by the seating deck above;
• Easy straight away views to the field and videoboard;
• Shorter walks to and from the concourse.

Rows AA-MM in Sections 104, 105 and 106:

• Easy walk to and from the seats;
• Close to family restrooms, first aid, and guest services;
• Right by the FedEx Great Hall on the east side of the stadium.

Recommended Seats for Impressing a Guest

Sections 209, 210, 211 and 212:

• Perfectly elevated views from near midfield
• Exclusive club level amenities include upscale indoor lounges and premium dining
• Wider seating with more legroom

Sections North Club 006, North Club 007, North Club 008 and North Club 009:

• Premium amenities in the North Club;
• Head on views of the south endzone videoboard;
• Best overhead coverage in the stadium.

Sections Field Club 1, Field Club 2, Field Club 3 and Field Club 4:

• Closest premium seating to the field;
• Access to the upscale PNC Champions Club lounge.

Recommended Seats for Visiting Team Fans

Rows A-K in Sections 524, 525, 526 and 527:

• Spectacular views of the rivers, bridges, and Pittsburgh skyline;
• Within 5 rows of the entry tunnel for easy access.

Sections 109, 110, 111 and 112:

• Located just behind the visiting team bench;
• Impressive proximity on the lower seating tier.

Sections 125, 126 and 127:

• Closest seating to the visiting team entry tunnel;
• Good proximity to the field on the lower level.

Recommended Seats for Great Views of the Field

Rows Y-HH in Sections 109, 110, 111 and 112:

• Perfect sight lines from near midfield;
• Excellent viewing height near the top of the 100 level;
• Feel closer to the action on the lower seating tier.

Rows B-L, N-Q in Sections 209, 210, 211 and 212:

• Superb viewing height on the 200 level;
• Prime positioning near midfield;
• Quick trips to and from the concourse.

Rows C-Q in Sections 219, 220, 221 and 223:

• Comfortable straight away views of the field;
• Excellent angle to the south endzone videoboard;
• Good viewing height on the 200 level.

Rows B-E in Sections 509, 510, 511 and 512:

• Excellent positioning near midfield;
• In the lower portion of the 500 level sideline sections;
• Easy access to and from the seats.

Where to buy tickets?

The Pittsburgh Steelers ticket office is located inside the lobby at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, NJ. You can call, write, fax or email the Jets using the contact info below.

Pittsburgh Steelers
100 Art Rooney Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Mobile Tickets

Many ticket providers removed the option to print your ticket at home. Due to this change, fans attending events and concerts at Heinz Field may be required to use a mobile app or online website to view and scan their tickets for entry. Below are step-by-step guides for entering Heinz Field with a mobile ticket.

No matter which Ticket Provider you shop with, always view and save your tickets BEFORE you arrive at Heinz Field. On the day of the event, make sure you have a fully charged phone battery to ensure there are no issues when entering and exiting the building. If you experience issues on the day of the show or do not have a smartphone, see a Heinz Field ticketing representative at the Ticket Windows along Art Rooney Ave.

How to get there?

The possibility of getting caught downtown in traffic and missing some of the game won’t concern you as long as you follow our helpful guide. We’ve got maps, directions, official parking rates, information about how to reserve parking online to make sure your parking for game day goes down without a hitch!

From The Airport

Merge onto I-376 E toward Pittsburgh/Turnpike East/I-79. I-376 East becomes I-279 North. Continue on I-279 and take exit 1B on the left toward North Shore. Turn slight left onto Reedsdale Street. Turn left onto Allegheny Avenue, which becomes North Shore Drive. Follow North Shore Drive, which circles Heinz Field.

From 279 Parkway North

Follow I-279 South to the North Shore Exit (Heinz Field/PNC Park). Follow Reedsdale to the second traffic light and make left onto Allegheny Avenue and follow North Shore Drive, which circles Heinz Field.

From Turnpike

Take the Monroeville Exit- head toward Pittsburgh. You will be on I – 376. Follow I-376 to North Shore ramp/Fort Duquesne Bridge (Exit 70C). Keep left on Fort Duquesne Bridge to Heinz Field/North Shore Exit.

Alternate Routes (Event Days)

To avoid heavy congestion on I-279 Exit 1B North Shore during event days, please use these Alternate Routes.
When applicable, certain Lot Specific Directions contain Alternate Routes to provide additional options if congestion occurs on your lot specific route.

Avoid I-279 NB Exit 1B Congestion:

• Use North Shore Alternate Route – Exit 1D;
• Use West End Bridge (Parkway East);
• Use West End Bridge (Parkway West).

Avoid I-279 SB Exit 1B Congestion:

• Use North Shore Alternate Route – Exit 2B.

Parking

To North Shore Parking:

• I-279N take North Shore Exit 1B to Reedsdale Street;
• 28S to North Shore then follow Lacock Street to Reedsdale Street;
• I-279S take Exit 5C before Ft. Pitt Tunnel to West End Bridge to North Shore and follow North Shore Drive;
• I-376 take North Shore Exit 1A to Ft. Duquesne Bridge to North Shore Exit 1B to Allegheny Avenue;
• 65 to North Shore and follow North Shore Drive.

From North Shore Parking:

• I-279N take HOV Ramps on Mazeroski Way or Anderson Street;
• 28N follow General Robinson Street;
• I-279S take North Shore Drive to Allegheny Avenue to Reedsdale Street to West End Bridge;
• I-376 use Allegheny Avenue to Ft. Duquesne Bridge Ramp;
• 65 use Allegheny Avenue to Ridge Avenue.

Please Note:

• For all events, all vehicle parking will be directed by Alco Parking staff. Failure to obey instructions may result in loss of parking privileges.

Pirates Parking

For all North Shore parking options, all locations open 4 hours prior to game time.

No tents are permitted. No fires other than cooking grills are permitted. Grills are NOT permitted in any garages. No personal or private toilets or port-a-johns are permitted. No sale of alcohol is permitted. Tailgating is to be contained to paid space only. Tailgating and other activities cannot restrict access to the aisles.

We do not sell parking spaces to tailgate in. A vehicle must be parked in every space.

• Red Lot 6 – $25;
• Gold Lot 4 – Presold / Limited Handicap Parking $20;
• Red Lot 5 – Presold;
• Blue 10 – North Shore Garage – $15;
• Red 5 – West General Robinson St. Garage – $15 Cash Only;
• Gold Lot 1 – $15;
• Gold Lot 2 – $15 – NO TAILGATING;
• Warhol Lot – $15;
• Red Lot 7A-7D – $15;
• Blue Lot 7F-7J – $15;
• Red Clark East Lot – $15;
• Gold 1 Garage – $8.

Steelers Parking

For all North Shore parking options, all locations open 5 hours prior to game time.

No tents are permitted. No fires other than cooking grills are permitted. Grills are NOT permitted in any garages. No personal or private toilets or port-a-johns are permitted. No sale of alcohol is permitted. Tailgating is to be contained to paid space only. Tailgating and other activities cannot restrict access to the aisles.

No campers, RV’s, motorhomes, limos, uhaul trucks, or buses will be permitted into stadium parking lots.

We do not sell parking spaces to tailgate in. A vehicle must be parked in every space.

• Gold 1 Garage – $40 per game;
• Gold Lot 1A & 1B – $40 per game, $490 for presold season;
• Gold Lot 2 – $40 per game, $490 for presold season;
• Gold Lot 4 – $40 per game, $490 for presold season;
• Red 5 (West General Robinson) Garage – $40 per space (Cash Only), $490 for presold season;
• Red Lot 5A – $40 per game, $490 for presold season;
• Red Lot 6 – $40 per game, $490 for presold season;
• Lot 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D, 7F, 7H & 7J – $40 per game, $490 for presold season;
• Red Clark East Lot – $40 per game, $490;
• Blue 10 – North Shore Garage – $25 per game, $330.00 for presold season **Cheapest parking**;
• Green 21, 22, 23 – $40 per game, $490 for presold season.

Additional parking downtown ranging from $5 to $20 on evenings and weekends.

Panthers Parking

For all North Shore parking options, all locations open 5 hours prior to game time.

No tents are permitted. No fires other than cooking grills are permitted. Grills are NOT permitted in any garages. No personal or private toilets or port-a-johns are permitted. No sale of alcohol is permitted. Tailgating is to be contained to paid space only. Tailgating and other activities cannot restrict access to the aisles.

No campers, RV’s, motorhomes, limos, uhaul trucks, or buses will be permitted into stadium parking lots.

Public Transit to Heinz Field

Port Authority Regular Bus Service

Visit the Port Authority Website to plot a route to Heinz Field using regularly scheduled bus service.

The West Busway

Park at Carnegie, Bell, Crafton, or Sheradon Park-and-Ride stations, then take the “33x West Busway – All Stops” bus to downtown. From there, you can walk to the ballpark across the Clemente Bridge and over to Heinz Field.

The “T”

Fans coming to Heinz Field are able to take advantage of the free Light Rail Transit (or “T”) service. Park along any T station, and get free service to and from the stadium!

“T” Service is provided from:

• Weekdays from 5:06am to 12:44am;
• Saturdays from 5:41am to 12:48am;
• Sundays from 5:41am to 11:18pm.

Heinz Field Handicap Parking

Drop off and pick up is the recommended ADA access to the stadium.

Parking for disabled is available in all lots surrounding Heinz Field. Parking is available on a first come, first served basis. Vehicles must display proper credentials to be allowed to park in a handicapped zone.

Where to eat?

The food and beverage offerings at Heinz Field reflect the diverse ethnic neighborhoods that make up the Pittsburgh area. You will find Italian, Greek, German, Polish and Eastern European fare, along with the typical American ballpark standards. Three food concessions you definitely will want to check out are Primanti’s sourdough bread sandwich ($8.25), filled with meat, cole slaw and French fries (not as sides, folks… those are the sandwich ingredients!), Benkovitz for its fish sandwiches and Quaker Steak and Lube for their wings (single order $11, half bucket $21, and full bucket $35).

The more generic Goal Line Stands found throughout the stadium have prices as follows: nachos ($7.25), hot dogs ($5.25), bottomless popcorn ($8.50), pretzels ($5), peanuts ($4.50), 24-ounce beer ($8) and soft drinks – Pepsi products ($5.50) and water ($4) . You will not experience long waits in line, as there are nearly 50 concession stands set up pretty evenly throughout Heinz Field.

Heinz Field offers a wide selection of beers as well. Craft beers include Redd Apple, Sierra Torpedo, Third Shift, Sam Adams Rebel, Magic Hat #9, Sierra Pale, Blue Moon and Angry Orchard, all at $8.75. Domestic beers go for $8 and include Coors, Coors Light, Miller Light and Yuengling. Imports are $8.75 and include Sethwicks, Guinness and Newcastle.

The Steelers merchandise stands are known as Sideline Stores and offer everything you can think of in the gold/black Steeler colors.

Club Lounges

1. The UPMC and Hyundai Club Lounges are located within Sections 205-216 and Sections 229-240.
2. The North Club Lounge is located on the 300 Level.
3. The PNC Champions Club is located inside Peoples Gate A and contains sections FC1-FC5 and FS1-FS5.
4. Guests with North Club tickets are not permitted into the UPMC or Hyundai Club Lounges or Luxury Suites.
5. Guests must have a valid Club or Suite Ticket to enter the UPMC or Hyundai Club Lounges. Guests with Club Level tickets are not permitted in the Luxury Suites.
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Atmosphere

Pittsburgh is a city that believes in history and the importance of maintaining tradition, especially with its largely immigrant past. The Rooney family understands that, and the atmosphere they have created at Heinz Field epitomizes it. The Steel City produces little or no steel anymore, but the stadium is largely made of steel. Glass is another important construction element, a salute to PPG, which is headquartered in Pittsburgh. The three rivers of Pittsburgh are its identity, and the stadium provides wonderful views of the Allegheny. The food offerings also mirror the foods many of its fans enjoy in their ethnic neighborhoods.

The football history and legacy of the Steelers is definitely woven into the atmosphere, as the Great Hall is a celebration of the Steelers bond with the community. While many teams have adopted more contemporary uniforms, the Steelers uniforms have largely remained the same. Why?… it is the Steelers Way and it works. The field? … there is nothing artificial here…football was meant to be played on grass, and yes in the mud.

Wisely, Heinz Field has chosen to retain the atmosphere that matches its fan base… one that is hard working, largely blue collar and totally devoted to the Steeler Way. By the way, the stadium’s address? Art Rooney Avenue. The fans loved the man and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Neighborhood

The North Shore neighborhood is the home to both Heinz Field and PNC Park. Having two major sports facilities in the area has made the North Shore one of the hottest areas in Pittsburgh for new development. It has excellent access to the downtown business district via numerous bridges spanning the Allegheny River, and two light rail stations have been built in the area in recent years.

In addition to being the sports hub of the Steel City, the North Shore is also home to the Andy Warhol Museum and the Carnegie Science Center. Another recent improvement to the area is the North Shore Riverfront Park and Trail, which serves as the front door to Heinz Field, and also provides docking facilities for those boats dropping off fans for a Steelers, Pirates or Pitt ball game. It is designed for year round use for joggers, bikers, picnic groups and special events.

The North Shore has always had a strong Steeler influence in its dining and entertainment offerings as Three Rivers Stadium was also in the neighborhood. One of the standards over the years has been the Clark Bar and Grill, which is across the street from the stadiums. A more recent addition is Grille 36, owned by Steeler great Jerome “The Bus” Bettis. One last neighborhood restaurant is Peppi’s, home of the Roethlisburger. Other Steeler-inspired items on the menu include the Joey Porter “bella” steak and the Franco Italian sub.

Fans

A person would be hard-pressed to find a more dedicated fan base than the Steeler Nation. They come dressed head to toe in black and gold, wearing steelworker helmets and sit through some of the dreariest weather imaginable with absolutely no complaints. A Steelers game ticket is hard and costly to come by, as the team has sold out nearly every game for the last 30 years. The fans can have an intimidating effect on the visiting team, as an extremely loud crowd, dressed in black and gold and waving thousands of the famed terrible towels fervently cannot be replicated on a practice field.

Another reason for the strong fan base is geographic, as their fans not only come from western Pennsylvania, but the football heartlands of Ohio, as well. Pittsburgh fans see several teams as their direct rival, not just a single rivalry, as most NFL franchises have. The Bengals, the Browns and the Eagles all fit in this category due to their close proximity, while the Ravens have become a division rival in the past few seasons.

Features

Playing surface

Kentucky Bluegrass was laid on the field, at half the height of most NFL field’s 2-inch (51 mm) grass. The field is heated from below, using a mixture of antifreeze and hot water, to keep the field at around 62 °F (17 °C) in order to keep the grass growing year-round. The field was re-surfaced multiple times, until the synthetic-enhanced Desso GrassMaster was installed. Debate continued over the surface after players began slipping during game play. Despite this players and coaches of Pitt, the Steelers, and their opponents supported keeping the current turf.

Field design

Initially, the south end zone had either “Steelers” or “Panthers” painted in the end zone, depending on the game itself. The north end zone has always read “Pittsburgh”, which is painted in gold lettering and trimmed in either black for the Steelers or dark blue for Pitt. Although there is typically no midfield logo when both Pitt and the Steelers are in season, both teams have applied their logo if the field’s schedule allows for a sufficient break to remove or apply the other team’s logo for that team’s next upcoming game. The Steelers have typically added their logo to midfield after Pitt’s football season has ended.

The team had the south end zone painted in plain diagonal white lines, which were common in NFL endzones until the 1960s.

Although the Steelers lost the game 21–16, Rooney liked the look of the south end zone being “plain”, and decided to keep it permanently. As with the team’s logo at midfield, the Steelers paint “Steelers” in the south end zone once the college football season ends. The Green Bay Packers also adopted the plain diagonal white lines in the end zones at Lambeau Field due to an Anniversary logo being painted on each end, before switching back to wordmark endzones which have remained since.

Seating expansion

The Steelers notified the Pittsburgh Stadium Authority of their intention to add up to 4,000 seats to the lower southern end of the stadium. The plan would increase seating up to 69,050 as soon as the NFL season. Seating was added in that section for the NHL Winter Classic, which had an attendance of 68,111. The temporary seating was left in place for the NFL playoffs, with the AFC Championship game having a record attendance of 66,662.

The Steelers confirmed they would seek approval from the NFL to expand seating by 3,000. After more than two years, the Steelers and the SEA came to an agreement to add about 3,000 seats to the venue. After contractors surveyed the complex the final number of 2,390 added seats with five additional suites including more parking, restrooms and concessions was determined to increase capacity to a total of 68,400. The seating was put in place then.

History

Design and construction

HOK Sport designed the stadium. HOK Sport’s project manager for the project, Melinda Lehman, said that the Rooney family asked for the stadium’s design to “acknowledge the history of Pittsburgh and also bring in an element of looking forward, this is where Pittsburgh is going.” In order to accomplish this, HOK Sport used steel structurally and externally. The stone used in Heinz Field’s design is artificial, in order to decrease cost. Of the glass used in the stadium’s design, Lehman said, “The glass is a more modern building element, which ties into a lot of the buildings in [Downtown] Pittsburgh and gives great views of the surrounding areas.”

The Steelers and Panthers have their own locker rooms, which differ in size based on the number of players each team is permitted to dress for each game. The visitor facilities are modeled after the home locker rooms’ design. As with its predecessor, Heinz Field’s culinary service provider is Aramark; over 400 eateries are located throughout the stadium. A bronze statue of Steelers founder Art Rooney, similar to those located outside PNC Park, was moved 100 feet (30 m) from its previous position outside Three Rivers Stadium.

In addition, a statue of a Pitt Panther over a paved depiction of Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning was placed outside Gate A. Upon opening, Heinz Field’s 27 by 96 foot Sony JumboTron was the largest scoreboard in the NFL. ESPN named the “tipping” of the oversized Heinz ketchup bottles atop the scoreboard one of the top ten touchdown celebrations in the NFL.

Ground was broken for Heinz Field at a ceremony co-hosted by the Steelers and the University of Pittsburgh. The stadium was constructed by Hunt Construction Group and Mascaro Corporation. The two companies directed 1,400 workers over two years, in which there were no construction accidents or lawsuits. The stadium is inspected yearly, along with PNC Park, by Chronicle Consulting, LLC, for structural defects and maintenance.