Paycor Stadium - Cincinnati Bengals

Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43

Paycor Stadium One Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati, OH 45202

Cincinnati Bengals website

Paycor Stadium website

Year Opened: 2000 Capacity: 65,515

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The Rumble In The Jungle

The Cincinnati Bengals were founded in 1965 and began play in the NFL in 1968. The originally played in Riverfront Stadium along with the Cincinnati Reds of the MLB. They then played two seasons at Nippert Stadium at the University of Cincinnati while their new home stadium was being built along the Ohio River. The Bengals then moved into what was originally known as Paul Brown Stadium, which was named for the team’s founder and first head coach in 2000. The stadium was renamed Paycor Stadium in 2022 as part of a branding agreement with the team.

Food & Beverage 3

Paycor Stadium offers a mix of stadium favorites, along with several Cincinnati specialties.

Among the hometown favorites are Skyline Chili (coneys, hot dogs, chili bowls), Donato’s Pizza (pizza, nachos, pretzels), Gameday Faves (Glier’s brats, Glier’s mettwurst), and Cincy Burger and Fries (cheeseburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, pretzels, fries). Alcohol is sold at the Canopy Cantina and the Garage Beer Cave. The concession areas are grouped in pods around the stadium, which get quite congested during quarter breaks and halftime. Wait time to be served is extensive.

All concession stands operate on a cashless basis.

Atmosphere 5

The gameday activities get off to an early start with the opening of the Pregame at the Banks area three hours before the kickoff. This area is also known as the Jungle Zone. It features entertainment, a pregame pep rally, food stalls, appearances from Bengals stars of the past, boardwalk-style games, and team merchandise stands. This area is located along Freedom Way.

Once inside Paycor Stadium, you’ll have no doubt you are in “The Jungle.” The stadium is outfitted with the orange and black striped tiger motif of the Bengals throughout the facility. Shortly before the kickoff, the Guns and Roses version of “Welcome to the Jungle” is played, which sends the crowd into a frenzy. You will also see the tiger stripe theme carried out at Stripe the Jungle games, where sections of the stadium alternate between wearing black or orange colored clothing, giving the visual effect of tiger stripes.

The Bengals fans are among the most passionate in the NFL. They regularly disrupt the visiting team’s attempts to communicate with the sheer volume of their cheers. The Bengals also have their own unique cheers called “Who Dey”. The full version of this cheer is “Who Dey think gonna beat Dem Bengals?”, followed be the refrain of “Nobody!”. Touchdowns or field goals by the Bengals are followed by the Bengal Growl fight song. The crowd joins in with great gusto on these cheers and songs.

Neighborhood 4

The neighborhood immediately outside of Paycor Stadium is known as “The Banks” as it is along the banks of the Ohio River.

Several restaurants along Second Street parallel the Ohio River. These include Yard House, O’Malley on the Alley, the Cincinnati Smokehouse, and E&O Kitchen-The Banks. The National Underground Railroad Museum is also located in the Banks neighborhood. The Reds stadium, the Great American Ball Park, is also just up the street.

There are several hotels located in Fountain Square, which is just one block inland from the Banks. These brands include the Hyatt Regency, the Hilton Cincinnati, and the Westin Cincinnati.

Fans 5

The Bengals Nation is loud and proud. They are extremely loyal to the team, filling the stadium even in December when the weather along the Ohio River is icy. They sing the Fight Song and take part in the “Who Dey” cheer with great passion. For the most part, they are very welcoming of visitors, unless they are wearing the colors of the rival Cleveland Browns.

We are amazed at the orange and black outfits that the locals put together, and their loyalty to the team, despite their nearly annual falling just short of the Super Bowl.

Even though Cincinnati is one of the smallest markets in the NFL, you would never know it after experiencing the crowds and the enthusiasm at a Bengals home game.

Access 2

There are several ways to get to Paycor Stadium on Sundays. The typical way to reach the stadium is via car, and Paycor is easily accessible via I-75 or I-71.

The rideshare area for pickup/delivery is on Second Street between Vine and Walnut Streets. This is only a few blocks from the stadium.

Queen City Riverboats deliver fans from the Covington/Newport, Kentucky side of the Ohio River to Paycor Stadium.

The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) runs shuttle buses from Kentucky on game days.

There are numerous parking lots/decks along Second Street and in the Fountain Square area. These lots typically open four hours before kickoff.

Two free ways to get to Paycor Stadium on game days are to ride the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar to the stadium. It makes frequent trips throughout the downtown area, with a drop-off at the Second Street Station. Fans from Kentucky can walk across the Ohio River via the Roebling Suspension Bridge.

While Paycor Stadium is easy to get to via multiple transportation routes and options, the stadium’s design often fails in several ways as far as access.

Once at the stadium, the gates open 90 minutes before the kickoff. While there are seven entry gates into Paycor Stadium, most fans enter at the gate on the west side of the stadium, which is closest to the parking, public transportation, and tailgate areas. This results in a massive backup getting into the stadium. The other gates are not visible from this high-traffic area.

The concourses within the stadium are dark and cave-like like with few areas of natural light allowed in. For the most part, the concourses are bare concrete walls with little or no graphics to break up the starkness of the passageways. The exceptions to this are the Ring of Honor displays featuring the team’s elite players over the years and colorful tiger graphics on the walls in the concessions pods.

Once in the seating bowl, there are additional issues with access. The 300-level seating on the east side of the stadium can only be accessed via the escalator. This can result in long delays in getting to and from your seats. The second issue is that if you are seated in one of the upper levels of the stadium, you must know ahead of time which side of the field your seats are on. The seating areas behind the end zones are purposely left low to provide wonderful views of the Ohio River from the south end and the downtown Cincinnati skyline from the north end. This means the upper-level seating at Paycor Stadium does not provide 360-degree access to other areas of the stadium.

Return on Investment 3

The Cincinnati Bengals have a very large season ticket base, which results in an average cost of $140-$180 for single-game tickets. Tickets for games against close rivals like the Browns, the Ravens or the Steelers can be much higher.

Travel costs to a Bengals game vary greatly due to the method of transportation. Walking over the Roebling Bridge from Kentucky or riding the Cincinnati Bell Connector is free of charge. Riding on a TANK shuttle bus from Kentucky is $1 each way. Riding the Queen City Riverboat from Kentucky is $10 round-trip. Parking lots/decks near Paycor Stadium run from $25-$40 on gamedays. Many of these lots operate on a season ticket-only basis, so check ahead when plotting out your trip.

Concessions at Paycor Stadium vary greatly in price. Many of the stands represent Cincinnati-based food chains that charge the normal price for goods sold at their neighborhood stores, while other stands charge a premium in stadium prices. On average, you can expect to pay $10 for brats, a mettwurst or french fries, $8 for a hot dog and popcorn, and $9 for a pretzel. Drink prices run $7.50 for a soda, $14.50 for a craft beer, and $6.50 for a bottle of water. Cocktails are priced at $14, and wine is $12.

Extras 2

Paycor earns an extra for the tremendous views of the Ohio River and the downtown Cincinnati skyline behind each end zone.

Another plus must go to the unique “Who Dey” marketing of the team, which includes cheers, songs and other imagery throughout the stadium.

Final Thoughts

The gameday experience at Paycor Stadium offers wonderful views of both the downtown Cincinnati skyline and the Ohio River. The fans' enthusiasm is contagious, and the energy level is high. Unfortunately, the stadium design has many drawbacks in accessibility that bring down its overall score.