📍 Cleveland, Ohio
🏀 Home of the Cleveland Cavaliers

Despite being the fifth-oldest NBA venue still in use, Cleveland’s Rocket Arena lives on as one of the league’s most sleek and attractive arenas, featuring a fan-friendly experience and a memorable atmosphere from start to finish. Home to the Cleveland Cavaliers since it opened in 1994, the venue has seen significant improvements over the last three decades in order to help the building maintain its standing as a top-tier NBA facility and has solidified its place as the premier winter sports destination in The Land.

Known for some time as Gund Arena – later, as Quicken Loans Arena and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse – the Cavs’ home underwent a $185 million renovation and subsequent name change in 2019. When the project wrapped, it revealed a modernized and improved Rocket Arena, headlined by an enormous glass atrium entrance, increased premium seating options, expanded concessions and a plethora of state-of-the-art technology. All together, the new futuristic architecture of the arena’s interior and the added comfort elements have enhanced what was already one of the league’s best fan experiences. The main concourse also features display cases and interactive exhibits where folks can revel in Cavaliers history, while the infamous “Humongotron” – installed in 2014 and equipped with incredible pyrotechnics – only further elevates the gameday vibes.

In addition to Cavalier basketball, the arena has hosted major events such as the 1997 and 2022 NBA All-Star Games, has been the site of the NBA Finals on five occasions and a slew of NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tournament games over the years, and serves as the perennial home of the MAC Tournament. The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, the city’s only pro hockey franchise, also calls the venue home.

With a seating capacity of nearly 20,000 for basketball, Rocket Arena provides a somewhat intimate atmosphere, amplified by the passion of Cleveland’s famously loyal fanbase. Known as the “Wine and Gold,” these devoted supporters have stuck around through the lowest of lows and have showed out when the franchise needed them most. They’ve been rewarded with some successes to cheer about, such as five conference titles – including four straight from 2015 to 2018 – and the Cavs’ sole championship in 2016, where the team overcame a 3-1 deficit in the Finals to defeat the Golden State Warriors. Led by hometown hero LeBron James, the Cavaliers brought the city its first pro sports title in over 50 years and ended the “Cleveland sports curse.” Today, fans can marvel at the Larry O’Brien Trophy, which is on display at the arena, and relive the club’s most magical season to date.

Now, despite what the standings say, die hard fans in The Land never fail to turn up to the cozy confines of Rocket Arena. Sure, they always reserve some hope that, one day, 2016 may repeat itself and the Cavs will find themselves on top of the world once again; until then, most are content just enjoying pro basketball at one of the finer venues in the NBA.