📍 Baltimore, Maryland
🏈 Home of the Baltimore Ravens

Football has had a murky history in the Charm City. After their beloved Colts packed up in the middle of the night and moved to Indianapolis in 1983, Baltimore residents spent a dozen long years without a professional football team. Then, in 1996, the Cleveland Browns came to town and became the Ravens, reviving the city’s passion for the sport. The Ravens’ permanent home in the Camden Yards district opened two years later at a cost of approximately $220 million, and it’s been a great investment for both the team and the city. Since its construction, M&T Bank Stadium has played host to several electric playoff games and has seen some of the most rowdy and exciting crowds around.

Designed by renowned firm Populous to hold almost 71,000 fans, M&T Bank Stadium features a purple seating bowl – one of two in the league with such a color scheme – helping the venue to stand out both in person and on television. The stadium’s brick and steel architecture was also inspired by Baltimore’s industrial past, a subtle nod to the iconic warehouses and factories that still dot the area.

Since their inception, the Ravens have built an impressive legacy and dominated their competition at “The Bank”. The team has advanced to two Super Bowls – winning them both – and has more than a dozen playoff appearances under their belt, establishing themselves as one of the most successful franchises in the last thirty years. Led by skilled players like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Jonathan Ogden, Joe Flacco and Lamar Jackson, the Ravens have consistently fielded competitive teams that have energized their frenzied fanbase.

Outside the gates of M&T, Baltimore football legends such as Johnny Unitas and Ray Lewis are immortalized as larger-than-life statues which stand guard over the main plaza. Striking their signature gameday poses, these bronze figures serve as a powerful reminder of the stars who have dominated the gridiron in the Charm City.

Since the days of the Colts’, Baltimoreans have been staunch supporters of their team. One such group of fans makes up the official team marching band, which itself dates back to 1947. Even during the football-less period from 1983 to 1996, the band has operated continuously to the present day. Christened “the band that would not die”, the troupe is one of only two marching bands in the NFL and continues to parade into the stadium for every Ravens home game.

There’s no doubt that the Ravens and the city of Baltimore are inextricably linked. The team’s name, in fact, is itself steeped in Baltimore lore. Selected in a fan contest, the moniker was inspired by The Raven, a poem written by resident Edgar Allan Poe. Today, Poe is buried just a mile down the road from the stadium. And the tie-ins don’t stop there. Just before the opening notes of the Star-Spangled Banner fill the air, the PA announcer proudly declares the anthem as “Baltimore’s own.” The song, of course, was written by Maryland native Francis Scott Key after he witnessed an attack on nearby Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. Together, these elements truly highlight the deep connection between the Ravens and their city.

Over the years, M&T Bank Stadium has hosted a wide array of events beyond just Ravens games. The venue has welcomed international soccer matches, lacrosse championships and plenty of college football showcases. But no matter the event, the passion of the Baltimore faithful always shines through, with the spirit of the city embodied in every thunderous cheer.