Paycor Stadium sits on the banks of the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, serving as the home of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. Opened on August 19, 2000, the outdoor stadium was originally named Paul Brown Stadium in honor of the Bengals’ legendary founder, and it’s still the same building many longtime fans and out-of-towners refer to by that name. In August 2022, Cincinnati-based payroll company Paycor HCM Inc. secured a 16-year naming rights agreement, giving the venue its current name.
Designed by architectural firm NBBJ under lead architect Dan Meis, the stadium’s open-corner layout offers sweeping views of the Cincinnati skyline and river — and it earned the first-ever AIA design award given to an NFL facility. Fans and the team alike call it ‘The Jungle,’ a nod to the Bengals’ tiger theme and the raucous home-field atmosphere. This guide covers exactly what time the stadium opens on game day, plus capacity, seating, parking, the bag policy, and how to buy tickets.
Quick Answer
On Bengals game days, all Paycor Stadium gates open 90 minutes before kickoff. Fifth Third Bank Bengals Checking cardholders get early access 120 minutes before kickoff through the Fifth Third Southeast Gate. Bengals-operated parking garages open 6 hours before kickoff, and surface lots open 4 hours before kickoff, so most fans are on-site and tailgating well before the gates open.
What Time Does Paycor Stadium Open on Game Day?
The stadium itself — meaning the gates fans walk through to get inside the bowl — opens 90 minutes before the scheduled kickoff for every Bengals home game. So for a 1:00 p.m. Sunday game, gates open around 11:30 a.m.; for a primetime 8:20 p.m. kickoff, expect gates around 6:50 p.m. The 90-minute window is standard across almost all NFL stadiums and gives fans time to clear security, pass through the clear bag check, and find their seats before pregame festivities start.
There’s one notable exception: fans holding a Fifth Third Bank Bengals Checking debit card get early entry 120 minutes before kickoff, but only through the Fifth Third Southeast Gate. That’s a full 30 minutes earlier than the general public, which matters if you want extra time for stadium shopping, food lines, or a lap around the concourse before the crowds arrive.
Parking opens well before the gates do. Bengals-operated garages — CRG Premium, West, Mid, and East — typically open 6 hours before kickoff, while surface lots (including Lot 1U, A, B, D, E, and the Hilltop lots) open 4 hours before kickoff. That staggered schedule is what makes tailgating possible: you can be parked and grilling hours before the stadium gates ever open. Because kickoff times shift week to week (and NFL flex scheduling can move a game to primetime with only a couple weeks’ notice), always confirm the exact kickoff time on your ticket before counting backward to figure out your personal arrival target.
For non-gameday business — ticket purchases, Will Call, or general stadium inquiries — the Bengals ticket office keeps regular-season hours of Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On game days, that same ticket and Will Call window shifts to a gameday schedule, opening roughly 3 hours before kickoff and staying open through the end of the second quarter, located on the stadium’s north side between the Northwest and Northeast gates.
Paycor Stadium Capacity and Seating Breakdown
Paycor Stadium’s listed capacity of 65,515 seats ranks it among the smallest stadiums in the NFL, well below the league’s largest venues, which can top 80,000. That figure includes 114 private suites and roughly 7,600 club seats spread across the lower, club, and upper seating levels, giving the bowl a compact, steep feel that amplifies crowd noise.
Capacity can flex slightly for special events — concerts and the annual Cincinnati Music Festival sometimes use a modified floor configuration — but 65,515 is the number used for Bengals games and the one Hamilton County and the team cite in official stadium documents. Under the stadium’s 2025 lease agreement, that overall capacity is expected to stay roughly the same even as individual seats and sections are replaced during the ongoing renovation.
Seating Chart: Levels, Sidelines, and Best Seats
The bowl is split into three main tiers: a lower level closest to the field, a club level with the 114 suites and roughly 7,600 club seats, and an upper level that still sits relatively close to the action thanks to the stadium’s compact footprint. Sideline sections between the 20-yard lines on the lower level are the most sought-after for sightlines, while the open north and south corners give fans in those sections a view of the Cincinnati skyline and the Ohio River alongside the game.
End zone seats tend to be the most affordable and are typically where the loudest supporters’ sections gather, adding to The Jungle’s reputation for crowd noise. Because exact section and row layouts vary by event and are subject to change during the ongoing renovation, check the interactive seating chart on the team’s ticketing partner when buying seats for a specific game.
Getting to Paycor Stadium: Address, Parking & Rideshare
Paycor Stadium’s address is 1 Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH 45202, on the downtown riverfront within walking distance of most of the city’s core hotels and the Banks entertainment district. Parking is split between Bengals-operated garages — CRG Premium, West, Mid, and East — which open 6 hours before kickoff, and surface lots (including Lot 1U, A, B, D, E, and the Hilltop lots) that open 4 hours before kickoff; most game-day parking is sold in advance through the team’s ticketing partner rather than paid at the gate.
Rideshare pickup and drop-off is designated on 2nd Street between Vine and Walnut. Fans coming from Northern Kentucky can use TANK’s Southbank Shuttle, which runs along the Covington and Newport riverfronts on gamedays for a small fare with frequent service. Note that ongoing Brent Spence Bridge Corridor construction has periodically reduced capacity in some lots near the stadium, so check your parking assignment ahead of time rather than assuming a past year’s lot is still available.
Gates, Bag Policy & Tailgating
Paycor Stadium gates open 90 minutes before kickoff for most fans; Fifth Third Bank Bengals Checking cardholders get early entry — 120 minutes before kickoff — through the Fifth Third Southeast Gate. Following NFL-wide security guidance, only one bag per person is allowed inside, and it must be a clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag no larger than 12″x6″x12″, a one-gallon clear resealable freezer bag, or a small clutch purse under 4.5″x6.5″.
Backpacks, coolers, and non-clear bags are not permitted and cannot be left at the gate, so plan to leave them in your vehicle. Tailgating is a longstanding Jungle tradition, permitted in Bengals-controlled surface lots (including Lot 1, 1U, A, B, D, E, Hilltop, Hilltop North, and the Broadway Lot), which open 4 hours before kickoff and close two hours after the final whistle. Open flames are prohibited inside parking garage structures.
How to Buy Tickets for Paycor Stadium
Bengals tickets are sold primarily through the team’s official ticketing partner, linked from bengals.com, with pricing that varies significantly by opponent, day of week, and how close to kickoff you buy — divisional and primetime games against high-profile opponents typically command the highest prices. Season ticket members and the team’s official resale marketplace are the other primary channels for game-day seats, while general secondary marketplaces also list tickets for most home games.
For concerts and non-NFL events at Paycor Stadium, tickets are typically handled through the promoter’s chosen platform, which is usually linked from the event listing on the stadium’s own site. For the current gate times, parking map, ticket office hours, and any policy updates for your specific game, always check the official Paycor Stadium page on bengals.com before you head downtown.
A see-through purse that looks like a purse. Works for most stadium, arena and concert bag policies.
Bleachers for three hours, but with back support. Folds flat and clips to the bench.
For upper-deck seats. Watch line play at the stadium, or the far side of the park from the top of a lift hill.
Paycor Stadium game day opening times FAQs
What time does Paycor Stadium open on game day?
Gates open 90 minutes before kickoff for the general public. Fifth Third Bank Bengals Checking cardholders can enter 120 minutes before kickoff through the Fifth Third Southeast Gate.
What time do the parking lots open at Paycor Stadium?
Bengals-operated garages (CRG Premium, West, Mid, and East) open 6 hours before kickoff. Surface lots like 1U, A, B, D, E, and the Hilltop lots open 4 hours before kickoff.
Is there an earlier entry option before the regular gate time?
Yes. Fifth Third Bank Bengals Checking cardholders get a 30-minute early-entry window — 120 minutes before kickoff instead of 90 — but only through the Fifth Third Southeast Gate.
What time does the ticket office or Will Call window open on game day?
On game days, the ticket and Will Call window opens about 3 hours before kickoff and stays open through the end of the second quarter, located on the north side between the Northwest and Northeast gates. On non-game days, the ticket office keeps regular hours of Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Can I bring a bag into Paycor Stadium?
Only one clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag up to 12″x6″x12″ per person, a one-gallon clear resealable freezer bag, or a small clutch purse under 4.5″x6.5″. Backpacks, coolers, and non-clear bags are not allowed and can’t be left at the gate.
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