Paul Brown Stadium

Paul Brown Stadium is the home of the Bengals on Cincinnati’s downtown riverfront. PBS, as it’s known for short, opened in 2000 with the first game was an Aug. 19 preseason contest vs. Chicago, a 24-20 Bengals win. 

Named for the NFL legend who was Bengals founder, chief executive and first head coach, the stadium has won numerous honors and has helped keep Cincinnati in the national sports spotlight. The stadium features a sleek design and blends seamlessly with the city, open to views of downtown to the north and the Ohio River to the south.

National recognition for PBS has come in various modes. In 2007, PBS was the only football stadium to make a Harris Interactive list of “America’s favorite 150 buildings and structures.” PBS ranked 101st on a list whose range included all manner of major structures — skyscrapers, museums, churches, hotels, bridges, national memorials and more. No other football stadium was voted among the top 150, and among all sports venues, only two historic baseball parks — Wrigley Field and the old Yankee Stadium — ranked higher than PBS.

In 2002, in an industry rarity, the stadium was singled out by both of the nation’s premier architecture magazines, Architectural Record and Architecture. The two stories came on the heels of PBS receiving the 2001 Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects (California Council). It marked the first time an NFL stadium received the award from the prestigious AIA.

The acclaim began well before the stadium’s 2000 opening. In May of 1998, studies of PBS’ design led to it being among 15 winners from a field of more than 300 projects for an American Architecture Award.

In addition to football games, the stadium holds event spaces available for rent for private parties and events.