Step Inside: Progressive Field – Home of the Cleveland Guardians

Home of the Cleveland Guardians

Progressive Field is the home stadium of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians. Located in Ohio’s second most populous city, the ballpark is situated at 2401 Ontario St, right next to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse along the north side of Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River.

Then known as the Cleveland Indians, the city’s MLB team played their inaugural game at the ballpark against the Seattle Mariners on April 4, 1994, ultimately winning 4-3 in 11 innings. Ahead of the game, President Bill Clinton threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Below, take a step into Progressive Field, including the stadium’s history, parking and admission, and capacity and seating options, as well as food and beverage options inside the arena.

Progressive Field History

Progressive Field opened as Jacobs Field on April 1, 1994, replacing the now-demolished Cleveland Stadium. Ahead of their first regular season game, Cleveland’s MLB team hosted an exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 2.

The new stadium brought out a winning season for Cleveland, who hosted the playoffs there in 1995, marking an end to their 41-year playoff drought. When Cleveland made the World Series, the field then hosted Games 3, 4 and 5 against the Atlanta Braves. (Remarkably, from 1995 to 2001, Cleveland sold out 455 consecutive regular season games at the field.)

Two years later, Jacobs Field hosted the 1997 MLB All Star Game — a first for Cleveland since 1981 — followed by Games 3, 4 and 5 of the 1997 World Series against the Florida Marlins.

In 2007, the ballpark became the first in the American League to be installed with solar panels. More than one million dollars was also spent to turn a picnic area behind center field into Heritage Park, featuring plaques honoring the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame and a special plaque memorializing legendary Indians shortstop Ray Chapman.

In 2008, the field’s naming rights were purchased by Progressive. It also became the first in the MLB to install a wind turbine when a corkscrew shaped one was added above its southeast corner during the 2012 season.

The first renovations in the stadium took place from 2014 to 2015, with further upgrades like wi-fi and LED lights installed before the start of the 2017 season. Progressive Field was then awarded the 2019 MLB All-Star Game.

Parking and Admission at Progressive Field

Fans attending a baseball game or event at Progressive Field can reserve guarantee parking ahead of time using ParkMobile. Additionally, fans can purchase parking passes or premium P-Lot passes for the Gateway East Garage at 650 E Huron Rd.

Progressive Field is accessible via the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) bus system along the HealthLine, Red Line, Blue Line and Green Line. Free downtown trolleys on the E Line, B Line and C Line also circulate throughout downtown Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Progressive Field Capacity & Seating Options

Progressive Field has a total capacity of 34,830 split between field boxes, upper boxes, dugout suites, infield suites, home plate suites, party suites, internal suites, diamond boxes, the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Family Deck and upper and lower bleachers along the outfield.

Food & Beverage Options at Progressive Field

Progressive Field brings Cleveland’s culinary culture to the ballpark, with a smorgasbord of local restaurants on offer including Barrio, The Brew Kettle, Dante’s Inferno, Fat Head’s Brewery, Happy Dog, Melt, Momocho and Ohio City Burrito.

Elsewhere, the Discount Drug Mart Club Lounge showcases an all-inclusive experience with food and unlimited non-alcoholic beverages. The main bar in the Club also carries a wide array of draft and canned beers as well as a full line of liquor and daily drink specials.

While Progressive Field attempts to cater to dietary restrictions like allergies within its product inventory, fans with allergies or food sensitivities are strongly encouraged to bring food from home to ensure their safety. A gluten-free menu is also available in Section 164 of the ballpark.