 Heinz
Field
Pittsburgh, PA
On the banks of the Allegheny River
across from the downtown the expansive and scenic Pittsburgh skyline sits
across from Heinz Field, one
of the best stadiums in the NFL. From 1970 until 2000, the Steelers
played at Three Rivers Stadium, a multipurpose facility they
shared with baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates. Like many other teams
in the 1990s the Steelers began to look towards the future, and
desired obtaining a bigger and better stadium. Initially owner of the Steelers, Dan Rooney,
wanted to renovate Three Rivers Stadium to become a football only
facility. After studies showed that renovating the stadium would
be just as costly as building a new one, the Steelers shifted
their focus to getting a new stadium built. In 1997 financing was
approved to build new stadiums for both the Steelers and Pirates.
Construction began on June 18, 1999, on a site directly adjacent to
Three Rivers Stadium. As part of a 20 year
partnership with the Heinz Company, the Steelers new stadium was
named Heinz Field.
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 The Steelers made
their debut at Heinz Field on October 7, 2001 when they played the
Cincinnati Bengals. Heinz Field is in
the shape of a horseshoe, with the south end open providing views
of the downtown Pittsburgh skyline. Two, three tiered grandstands
are located on both sides of the field, with
the
lower deck circling the entire field. A section of bleacher
seats are located on a second deck on the north side of Heinz
Field. The stadium has a capacity of 64,450 that includes 7,000
club seats and 120 luxury suites. Behind the seats on the south
end is a massive 48 ft. by 27 ft. scoreboard. Heinz Field has many
amenities including several entertainment areas, team stores and
restaurants. Located on the east side of Heinz Field is the 40,000
square foot Coca-Cola Great Hall where fans can check out
memorabilia, murals and more of Pittsburgh's sports history. Fans attending games at Heinz Field receive excellent views
of the downtown Pittsburgh skyline, due to the stadium's horseshoe
shape. |
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