Acrisure Stadium

📍 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
🏈 Home of the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are arguably one of the most esteemed sports franchises in the world. With a history forged by legends and a fanbase that stretches around the globe, the spirit of the Black and Gold transcends all classes and borders. Through the power of community and, of course, football excellence, the team has built a winning tradition from right here in the Steel City, dominating both the gate and the gridiron.

The Cradle of American Football

Not too far outside the footprint of Acrisure Stadium lies the site of the first professional football game, contested between the Pittsburgh Athletic Club and the Allegheny Athletic Association. It was the latter team that would come out on top in this 1892 event, which ultimately marked the inception of American football as we know it. The Rust Belt in western Pennsylvania and northeast Ohio was an instrumental region in the early days of the sport and, less than 30 years after AAA’s obscure 4-0 victory in the Steel City, the NFL would be founded just 90 miles to the northwest in Canton, Ohio.

Pittsburgh’s Palaces

Joining the NFL in 1933, the Steelers are the oldest member of the AFC. Their first home, the jewel box of Forbes Field, was originally shared with MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates. The organization later played several seasons on the adjacent University of Pittsburgh campus before jointly moving with the Pirates to Three Rivers Stadium in 1970. Over the course of thirty years, the two teams cemented themselves in American sports culture from within the concrete walls of this multi-purpose venue.

Three Rivers was notably the site of one of the most famous – and controversial – plays in NFL history, a moment that will live on in the hearts and minds of Steelers Nation. In an AFC Divisional game between the Steelers and Raiders on December 23, 1972, with seconds remaining and the home team trailing by a single point, Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw a pass intended for John Fuqua. The ball bounced off a defending Raiders player instead, but was miraculously scooped up by fullback Franco Harris before hitting the ground. Harris would then run for a touchdown to win the game, concluding a play that would be coined “The Immaculate Reception” by broadcaster Myron Cope. The exact spot where Harris saved the falling ball is marked by an historical plaque, now located on a sidewalk along General Robinson Street.

In 2001, the Pirates and Steelers would split and take up residence at their own respective homes nearby. The joint opening of baseball’s PNC Park and football’s Acrisure Stadium – then known as Heinz Field, a name that still floats through the air today – ushered in the redevelopment of the entire North Shore neighborhood, creating a pre- and post-game hotspot catered towards Pittsburgh sports fans.

The Hall of Honor

A shrine to the storied Steelers franchise, the team’s Hall of Honor is a mecca for everyone from diehard fans to casual visitors to the city. Centered around an immersive Wall of Fame that contains names like Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis and Joe Greene, the Hall provides a glimpse into the people and events that have helped catapult Pittsburgh into the football spotlight.

Visits to the museum start with a long feature film that perfectly encapsulates the Steeler Nation spirit and familiarizes fans with the team’s backstory. Beyond the theater is an exhibition dedicated solely to the Rooney family, who have owned and ran the Steelers organization from the very beginning. Further along, old uniforms and jerseys – including the schismatic bumblebee threads – are on display.

An enclosed broadcast booth lets visitors step behind the microphone, allowing them to put on the headset and, like any of the famed Steelers play-by-play paragons, make the call. Fans can also read through a photo-rich timeline of team history, starting with their inaugural 1933 season and continuing all the way to the present day. Another gallery holds some of the team’s most prized possessions: their jewel-studded Super Bowl championship rings.

While the hours of the Hall of Honor vary during stadium events, it’s open every Thursday through Monday, from 11am to 4pm.

The Annals at Acrisure

The concourses at Acrisure Stadium are likewise filled with history, from a plaque and mural dedicated to Three Rivers Stadium – including memorabilia-rich cases from each decade the Steelers played there – to the massive museum-grade displays in the expansive Great Hall. Here, fans can peruse items related to the team’s old stadiums, as well as past coaches and players. Enormous Lombardi trophy motifs – one for each Steelers Super Bowl victory – line the Hall and are full of artifacts from their respective championship games. A giant helmet also hangs from ceiling.

There’s even an entire wall dedicated to telling the tale of the iconic Terrible Towel. A now-cherished element of Steelers fandom, the waving of a bright gold rally towel began in 1975 as a result of a playoff marketing gimmick – coordinated with then-broadcaster Myron Cope – by WTAE, the flagship station of the team. Debuting in a late December tilt against Baltimore, the towel was an instant success.

The wall features all kinds of different varieties of Terrible Towels that have been produced for special events over the years, from anniversaries to games in Germany, and every Super Bowl appearance in between.

Doubling as the home venue for college football’s Pittsburgh Panthers, Acrisure Stadium honors some of Pitt’s on-field accomplishments as well. A dedicated exhibit touches on their 9 claimed national titles over their more than 130-year long history. Acrisure has also hosted two outdoor hockey games – the 2011 Winter Classic between the Penguins and Capitals, and the 2017 Stadium Series that featured the Penguins taking on the in-state rival Flyers – which have their own reserved display space.

Gameday in the ‘Burgh

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As the 68,400 fans who pack Acrisure Stadium on any given Sunday – and sometimes it’s more – look out across the venue, soaking in riverside views and skyline vistas, they’ll likely not notice that there’s something unique about the playing surface itself. The field here is a turf and natural grass hybrid, making it unlike most other NFL venues. This combination has been in use internationally and is slowly becoming the standard throughout the league, though the Steelers were one of the first to have it installed.

Besides those watching the game from their seats, there are several groups that love to hang out on the spiral ramps in the stadium’s southeast end. Fan clubs such as the Steel City Mafia, the Yinzer Mob and others have taken to hanging banners and signs off the handrails here as they stand and cheer on their boys.

Although Heinz is no longer the naming rights sponsor of the venue, Acrisure Stadium still gets a little love from Pittsburgh’s native condiment king. The company has their name on one of the stadium gates and still provides branded condiments at hot dog stands, which themselves are plentiful in number. Pennsylvania favorites like Primanti Brothers and Chickie’s and Pete’s also have some outposts at Acrisure, in addition to the Pittsburgh Pierogi House, Leinenkugel’s, Little Caesars and Caliente Pizza and Draft House.

After nearly a century at the center of the Pittsburgh sports scene, the Steelers have undeniably cultivated an incredible organization with a fan base that stretches far and wide. No matter where you go in this world, Steelers fans – along with their trusted Terrible Towel – aren’t too far away. But, for just a handful of weekends in the fall and winter, all eyes are on Pittsburgh’s North Shore as the beloved Black and Gold look to stick it to yet another opponent inside the intimidating confines of Acrisure Stadium.

Info Invasion
Must Do: Buy a Terrible Towel and wave it high!
Parking: Ride the PRT to the Allegheny Station
Nearby Venue(s): PNC Park, PPG Paints Arena
In the Area: The Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the Heinz History Center has their own set of exhibits on the Steelers