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Heinz Field Information
Heinz Field is in the shape of a horseshoe, with the south end open. Two, three tiered grandstands are located on both sides of the field. The lower deck circles around 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 which 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, restaurants, and a Steelers Hall of Fame. Because of its horseshoe shape, fans attending games at Heinz Field receive excellent views of the Pittsburgh skyline.
Weather
Beautiful fall football weather abounds in September and October, when temperatures are in the 60s and 70s. It drops to the 40s and 50s in November and plunges to who-knows-what by December and January.
Concessions
Try the hamburgers and sausages, which are cooked on a charcoal grill. Iron City is the town's best known beer, and it's ideal for washing down a kielbasa sandwich.
Public-Private Financing
The Steelers paid $123 million and $158 million was paid by the state, through parking and amusement/entertainment taxes, and the Regional Asset District.
Heinz, a Pittsburgh company since 1869, paid $57 million for a 20-year naming rights contract.
Award-Winning Design
The structural engineer involved in construction of Heinz Field won the National Engineering Excellence Award for the design of the stadium.
The stadium was built with 12,500 tons of exposed steel, a natural choice for the home of the Steelers. That's enough steel to make about 17,000 mid-size cars.
The south end of the stadium is open, revealing beautiful views of the city's three rivers and downtown skyline. A scenic riverwalk connects the stadium with the city's new baseball stadium, PNC Park.
The Coca-Cola Great Hall
The 40,000-square-foot Coca-Cola Great Hall, located on the ground and main levels on the east side of Heinz Field, is a concession and retail mecca with bright lights and lots of color. Concession names are clever puns - want to buy a beer at First Round Draft?
Twenty-foot-high reproductions of the Steelers' four Super Bowl trophies, team jerseys and other team memorabilia, trivia and games line the walls of the Great Hall. A giant Steelers helmet, with a big inset video screen, is suspended from the ceiling.
The Steelers Hall of Fame is displayed within 18 glass-enclosed old lockers saved from the old Three Rivers Stadium. Visitors can stroll down the Steelers' memory lane by gazing at photos of past Steelers greats.
A portable stage with seating for 220 people projects movies about the Steelers, the fans and Pittsburgh. The stage is also used for local bands before and after games.
Comparison to Three Rivers Stadium
The new scoreboard is 96 feet wide and 27 feet tall - three times bigger than the old scoreboard. Ticket holders have complained that the scoreboard, even at its huge size, cannot be seen from many seats. Those fans miss out on instant replays, team and player statistical information and interactive games such as trivia and give-aways.
Each seat in the new stadium has a cup holder. However, fans have said this amenity is less than ideal because they are not big enough to hold plastic bottles.
A patio area underneath the scoreboard is a place for fans to gather and be close to the action in the end zone, regardless of where their assigned seats are.
Because the stadium is built primarily of steel, rather than concrete like at Three Rivers, it sways as people move on it. This "deflection" is intentional, as the structure must give a little so it doesn't break.
Carefully-Planned Food Choices
Aramark, the food service company at Heinz Field, surveyed football fans before finalizing the stadium's menu. Generally, results of the survey weren't surprising - fans are looking for a cold beer and a really good hot dog. Nachos were the number three pick. People also wanted a variety though, particularly for the club and suite seats, so other choices will include stir-fry and waffles, but no sushi.
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh Panthers football team also plays at Heinz Field. The two teams have separate locker rooms, but share the training rooms, showers and bathrooms.
On Panther game days, the interior of the bowl will look like the stadium belongs to the Panthers rather than the Steelers. The signage and wall padding will be all Pitt.
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