Acrisure Stadium guide: What to know about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ home field (2024)

Editor’s note: This article is part of the Stadium Guides series, a comprehensive guide to your NFL team’s stadium experience.

Buy tickets on StubHub to Pittsburgh Steelers games at Acrisure Stadium here.

Acrisure Stadium, which looks out onto the confluence where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio River, is the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pitt Panthers, Western Pennsylvania high school football championships and more.

On Sundays, Pittsburgh’s North Shore comes alive with tailgaters sprawling out in the parking lots where Three Rivers Stadium once sat. Some season ticket holders have waited multiple decades for the right to buy seat licenses, which are passed down from generation to generation in this football-obsessed part of the country.

The stadium was known as Heinz Field — with two big ketchup bottles flanking the sign atop the stadium — when it opened in 2001 until 2022, when it was renamed to Acrisure. Many fans still insist on calling it Heinz Field.

Perhaps the stadium’s finest moment came in the 2008 season, when Troy Polamalu’s pick six in the AFC Championship Game ended the Baltimore Ravens’ campaign and sent the Steelers to the Super Bowl, where they would beat the Arizona Cardinals. Every year, that rivalry is renewed at Acrisure, making it one of the must-watch games.

The Athletic has compiled 32 stadium guides, one for each NFL team, to give fans vital information about the game day experience. We’ve also asked readers to weigh in on the best food, beer and tailgate options at each stadium, among other things, to help football fans enjoy their visit.

Insider tips

2024 must-watch game at stadium: vs. Baltimore Ravens, Nov. 17

The rivalry isn’t quite what it was when both teams were annual contenders in the late 2000s and early 2010s, but the Steelers have been a thorn in the side of the Ravens and reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson. Pittsburgh has won seven of the last eight and 11 of the last 15 meetings since Christmas 2016. You can usually expect a tight, defensive slugfest — the winner has not scored more than 20 points in the last seven meetings, and each of the last eight (and 10 of 11) was decided by seven points or fewer.

Fan tradition to know: ‘Renegade’

During every game, when the defense needs a stop in the fourth quarter, wait for the scoreboard to fade to black. “Renegade” by Styx will blare through the speakers, as black and white highlights stream across the big screen. Steelers fans twirl their Terrible Towels and whip themselves into a frenzy during what has become the team and the city’s unofficial anthem.

Mike DeFabo’s favorite thing

Although Three Rivers Stadium is now a parking lot between Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park, memories of that old, cookie-cutter venue remain. The old Gate D stands proudly as a reminder of the iconic venue. Even better, on West General Robinson Street, there’s a footprint in the exact place where Franco Harris reeled in his shoe-string catch that became known as the Immaculate Reception, arguably the greatest play in NFL history.

The Athletic’s stadium ranking: 10

Jon Machota ranked all 30 NFL stadiums in August 2023, putting Acrisure Stadium in the top 10. However, NFL kickers would likely rank it much farther down the list due to the open south end zone, where wind whips off the rivers unpredictably.

Fans’ game day advice

What is the ‘best bang for your buck’ seating section?

Section 523. Usually some of the cheapest tickets in the house. Cool Madden-style view of the action. Perfect view of the scoreboard with the backdrop of the river and Mt. Washington. Nice fresh air swirling in for those September 1 p.m. games when it’s still hot outside. — Matt S.

What’s the can’t-miss food?

The can’t-miss food is actually outside of the stadium: Get a sub from Peppi’s (a few blocks north of the stadium on Western Avenue), and if you don’t open it outside of the stadium, you can bring it in. — Greg S.

What’s the best beer option?

Iron City, c’mon! — Anonymous

Where is the best spot to take a photo?

There is a small area near the escalators/ramps up to the west stand 500s where you can pose for a family photo with the city as a backdrop. — Jack C.

What are the kid-friendly activities/options at the stadium?

I loved shopping at the vendors outside of the stadium before/after the game — they always have some cool gear that isn’t the standard stuff on NFL.com. I also loved checking out the Lombardi Trophies inside the stadium as a kid. — Robert B.

Where is the best place to tailgate?

As an out-of-town fan, the best tailgate area for me is right across from PNC Park. SpringHill Suites is on one side, and another hotel is on the other. Sandwiched in between is a public lot. There is a great mix of people from out of town in the two hotel lots and Yinzers in the public lot. The lot right beside the stadium is pretty damn good, too. Those folks are professionals! — John F.

What to know if you go

Stadium address: 100 Art Rooney Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15212.

Year opened: 2001.

Roof? No roof.

Playing surface: Grass.

Stadium capacity: 68,400.

2023 average attendance per game: 66,977.

Tickets: $378 is the average StubHub ticket cost at Acrisure for a 2024 NFL game, according to StubHub. It’s unknown how long the season ticket waitlist is, but some fans have said they spent 20 years or more on the list before getting tickets.

Bag policy: Clear bags that are plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12 by 6 by 12 inches are allowed. These can include clear backpacks, clear fanny packs and clear cinch bags. Purses, bags, clutches and fanny packs that are not clear and do not exceed 4 1/2 by 6 1/2 inches are permitted after being inspected.

Outside food policy: Food in a clear plastic bag is permitted. Non-alcoholic beverages in plastic bottles of 24 ounces or less are permitted.

ADA: The Americans with Disabilities Act requires at least 1 percent of stadium seats to be wheelchair accessible. For more information on all accessibility services at Acrisure, click here.

Tailgating policy: “Moderate and responsible” tailgating is permitted in surface lots. No tailgating is allowed in garages.

Transportation options: Driving, rideshare, PRT trains, ferry.

Learn more: https://acrisurestadium.com/

The Stadium Guides series is part of a partnership with StubHub.

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(Top illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos: Kevin C. Cox and Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)