Cleveland Browns

In Cleveland, football is about family.

It’s about inheriting a tradition handed down through generations — from grandparents to grandchildren and parents to children — and upheld by a rich history that dates back to the origins of the NFL itself. Here in Cleveland, just about everyone has a photo album filled with Christmas mornings opening presents in Browns pajamas and baby’s first Browns onesies.

Sure, we’ve all got family. But it’s the family you choose every Sunday (or Thursday or Monday) — in the Muni Lot, dotting the barstools of every sports bar in The Land and among the crowds inside FirstEnergy Stadium — who’ll help you celebrate the wins, make the losses sting less and encourage you to come as you are. Season after season, true Clevelanders return at the break of dawn with their characteristic optimism and renewed pride of city.

It’s infectious. It’s comforting. It’s a little weird. But it’s 100% Cleveland.

In town for a Browns game? Get down to FirstEnergy Stadium for a football experience unlike any other. The Dawg Pound will be out in force for some of the most exciting Browns action this town has seen in 30 years. Grab a beer and a brat (or two), and then settle in for one of the premiere football adventures in the NFL.

What You’ll See:

• A 67,000-seat, recently renovated stadium that offers breathtaking views of both the lakefront and the Downtown skyline. You’ll easily follow the game on the state-of-the-art video boards that are as long as the field itself.
• The Dawg Pound: a sea of rabid — often costumed — fans seated in the North End Zone, whose origins lie in the Browns’ successful runs of the 1980s. These photo-op-worthy superfans are always the most boisterous of gameday attendees.
• A winning Cleveland football team. Yup, we said it.

What Else to Do?

• This cannot be overstated. As much fun as one can have inside FirstEnergy Stadium, seeing the fans in action outside, hours before kickoff, is just as essential to the experience. Look for the spray-painted buses, vans and RVs in the Municipal Parking Lot (a.k.a. "The Muni Lot"), along with all manner of gourmet gameday cookery. You might want to brush up on your cornhole game, too.

Where to Stay

Maybe you have to get up early for that weekly tailgate party, or maybe it’s the end of the day and you celebrated a Browns win rather…robustly. In either case, make your life a little easier and crash at one of these world-class hotels, no further than a half-mile from FirstEnergy Stadium.

• Hilton (Cleveland Downtown)
• Aloft (Cleveland Downtown)
• Doubletree by Hilton (Cleveland Downtown, Lakeside)
• Drury Plaza Hotel Downtown Cleveland
• The Westin (Cleveland Downtown)