The home of the Cincinnati Bengals is Paul Brown Stadium, named after the founder of this team. Prior to the construction of Paul Brown Stadium, which cost $455 million to complete, the Bengals shared  Riverfront Stadium with the Cincinnati Reds. This facility was opened an August 19th, 2000, with the first event a preseason match between the Bengals and the Chicago Bears, which ended with a 24-20 Cincinnati win.

This stadium is the only NFL facility that has been lauded for its design by the American Institute of Architects and has been admired by both the architectural industry and the American public as a whole. A survey conducted by Harris Interactive stated that Paul Brown Stadium was named 101st on a list of the United States' 150 favorite buildings and structures. The only other sports venues to make the list were Yankee Stadium and Wrigley Field.

Located close to the banks of the Ohio River, this stadium is nestled in the southern downtown region of Cincinnati. The facility was funded after the Bengals and the Reds become frustrated with Riverfront Stadium, ending up in a half-percent tax increase to raise the money necessary for construction.

Cincinnati Bengals Stadium

Initially, Paul Brown Stadium featured a natural Kentucky Bluegrass surface. However, the maintenance of the field was difficult, which resulted in the field being named third-worst in the NFL. After four years, the grass was replaced with FieldTurf, which ended up being rated the fourth-worst artificial playing surface in the most recent NFLPA survey. In 2012, the current artificial turf replaced the FieldTurf, which is made of the UBU-Speed Series-S5-M Synthetic Turf. Miles of piping are run underneath the field to keep the rubber warm, one of only two NFL stadiums that feature this type of system.

Over the past five years, the Bengals have steadily improved their home record, including a perfect 8-0 record at home in 2013. Their winning percentage over the past half-decade is a solid .625, earning a 24-15-1 mark despite sub-par seasons between 2010 and 2012. The rare home tie was a 37-37 slugfest against the Carolina Panthers, setting a record for the highest scoring tie game in the modern era.

The fans of Cincinnati have nicknamed this facility “The Jungle”, partly in reference to the natural habitat of the Bengal tiger, partly in allusion to the Guns N' Roses hit “Welcome to the Jungle”. Despite their passionate fanbase, the Bengals have never lifted a Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Stadium Vitals

Date Opened: August 19th, 2000

Construction Cost: $455 million

Architect: NBBJ; Glaser Associates Inc.; Stallworth Architecture Inc.; Moody/Nolan Ltd. Inc.

Capacity Attendance: 65,535

Playing Surface: UBU-Speed Series-S5-M Synthetic Turf

Previous Detroit Lions Stadiums

Riverfront Stadium; Nippert Stadium

Other Major Events

College Football

Paul Brown Stadium has hosted a variety of big college games, starting in 2002 with the eventual national champion Ohio State Buckeyes playing against the Cincinnati Bearcats. During the 2014 season, the Bearcats played at this stadium due to renovations taking place on their own home field.

Chess and Culture

As one of the more uncommon events to take place at an NFL stadium, Paul Brown hosts the Queen City Classic Chess Tournament on an annual basis. Macy's Music Festival, previously known as the Cincinnati Jazz Festival, takes place in this facility on a yearly basis.