Progressive Field Game Day Guide
Cleveland Guardians · Cleveland, OH
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Manufactured diaper bags, medical bags, clutches, and small bags no larger than 16 x 16 x 8 inches are permitted.
All bags are inspected, and hard-sided coolers are prohibited; the official policy does not require permitted bags to be clear.
- Bag storage
Progressive Field does not hold items rejected at security.
A guest must return the item to a personal vehicle or surrender it to security staff.
- Gate opening
All gates open one hour before Sunday through Thursday games, with longer opening windows for Friday and Saturday games.
Friday and Saturday gates open 90 minutes early in April, May, and September and two hours early from May 29 through August 29; all times can change.
- Mobile tickets
Progressive Field uses digital tickets in the MLB Ballpark app or mobile MyTickets webpage at every gate.
Print-at-home tickets and screenshots are not accepted; iPhone users can add tickets to Apple Wallet before arrival for offline access.
- Re-entry
Guests may exit and re-enter only through the dedicated re-entry gate at the Left Field Gate.
The ticket or seat locator is scanned on exit and again after the returning guest completes security screening.
- Prohibited items
Progressive Field prohibits weapons, pocket knives, illegal drugs, alcohol, aerosol cans, chewing tobacco, vaping devices, most pressurized containers, and other listed items.
Skateboards, scooters, roller skates, brooms, nets, large camera equipment, glass, cans, squeeze bottles, thermoses, noisemakers, stainless-steel tumblers, and wrapped gifts are also prohibited; review the full official list before arrival.
- First aid
Cleveland Clinic-staffed first-aid rooms are inside the gate near Section 125 and on the Upper Deck near Section 550.
- Nursing and lactation
Lactation rooms are available inside the two-level Kids Clubhouse in the Family District.
- Family restrooms
Family restrooms are in the first-aid areas near Sections 125 and 550, near Section 546, on the Family Deck near Section 316, and inside the Kids Clubhouse.
All Progressive Field restrooms have diaper-changing tables.
- Tickets for children
Children who have not reached their third birthday may enter without a ticket when seated on a parent or guardian's lap.
- Guest services
Fan Services booths are near Sections 153, 178, and 550.
Use Live Chat with Fan Services in the MLB Ballpark app, call 216-420-HITS, or visit a booth for assistance.
- Service animals
Task-trained service dogs and miniature horses are permitted; comfort dogs are not service animals under the venue policy.
A service dog must sit on the handler's lap or beneath the seat and may not occupy an aisle.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking, tobacco use, electronic cigarettes, and vaping devices are prohibited everywhere on Progressive Field property.
Guests who need to smoke may scan out through the Left Field re-entry gate and return through that gate.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Progressive Field, hour by hour.
Arrive in the Gateway District
Take the RTA to Tower City or park in the Gateway garages. The East 4th Street restaurant scene is a 5-minute walk.
Pregame on East 4th Street
East 4th Street is a pedestrian-only block lined with restaurants and bars. Barley House and Butcher and the Brewer are popular pregame spots.
Enter Progressive Field
Walk through the main gates on Carnegie Avenue. The open concourse design lets you see the field from almost anywhere in the park.
Watch batting practice
Head to the lower outfield sections to watch BP. The left field bleachers are the best spot for catching home run balls.
Find your seat
Progressive Field has excellent sightlines from every section. The Cleveland skyline beyond the left field scoreboard is part of the view.
Play ball
Nine innings of Guardians baseball. The drums in the stands are a Cleveland tradition, the Home Plate Jim drumming section keeps the beat all game.
Stand up and stretch
Grab a final Polish Boy or pierogi platter. The crowd energy picks up in the late innings for close games.
Head to East 4th or the Flats
East 4th Street bars stay open late. The Flats East Bank on the Cuyahoga River is a 15-minute walk for waterfront nightlife.
Tips & Fan Reports
East 4th Street is a must, the pedestrian dining block is one of the best pregame walks in baseball.
The Polish Boy, a smoked sausage topped with french fries, coleslaw, and BBQ sauce on a bun, is a Cleveland original. Don't miss it.
Progressive Field and Rocket Arena (Cavaliers) share the Gateway District. Perfect for a same-day doubleheader.
East 4th Street (3 min walk) has Cleveland's best restaurant row. Make a reservation for popular spots on game nights.
The RTA Red Line to Tower City is the easiest transit option. A 10-minute walk through the Gateway District gets you to the gates.
Cleveland is one of the most affordable MLB cities. Total game-day cost is among the lowest in the league.
Three entrances serve the garage, so pick the one matching your approach rather than circling.
The garage sits between the ballpark and Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, which matters on nights both are busy.
Check the date, not just the day: a Friday in June opens the gates two hours out, a Friday in April only 90 minutes.
The garage lets pass holders in three hours before the game and out up to seven hours after it starts, a genuinely long window.
Before the Game
Progressive Field's gate times move with the calendar rather than staying fixed: all gates open an hour before first pitch Sunday to Thursday, an hour and a half on Friday and Saturday in April, May and September, and two full hours on Friday and Saturday between 29 May and 29 August. Parking is the Great Day Improvements Garage at 650 E Huron Rd, sitting between the ballpark and Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, with entries off Huron Road, off Eagle Avenue from Ontario Street, and off Bolivar Road from East 9th Street. Pass holders can be in three hours before the game and stay up to seven hours after it starts, which is an unusually long leash.
Where to Go Before the Game
Great Day Improvements Garage, 650 E Huron Rd
The ballpark's garage, between Progressive Field and Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Pass holders can enter three hours before game time and stay until seven hours after the start.
Known for Enter 3 hours early · Stay 7 hours from start · Between the two venues
The garage entries: Huron Road, Eagle Avenue, Bolivar Road
Three ways in: off Huron Road directly, off Eagle Avenue from Ontario Street, or off Bolivar Road from East 9th Street. Which you use depends on the direction you approach from.
Known for Three entrances · Ontario Street · East 9th Street
The gates, on a seasonal clock
An hour before first pitch Sunday to Thursday, 90 minutes on Friday and Saturday in April, May and September, and two hours on summer Friday and Saturday games.
Known for 1 hour Sun-Thu · 2 hours summer weekends
Pregame Rules
What Progressive Field allows before the game, and what it does not.
- All gates open one hour prior to first pitch Sunday to Thursday.
- All gates open 1.5 hours prior to first pitch on Friday and Saturday games in April, May and September.
- All gates open two hours prior to first pitch on Friday and Saturday games from 29 May to 29 August.
- The Great Day Improvements Garage at 650 E Huron Rd is available to fans who purchased parking passes, who may enter as early as three hours before game time.
- The garage sits between Progressive Field and Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, with entry off Huron Road, off Eagle Avenue from Ontario Street, or off Bolivar Road from East 9th Street.
- Fans may stay in the garage until seven hours after the start of the event.
Weather
Progressive Field is open air, so these are the conditions you sit in.
Across the MLB season the warmest month is July, with an average high of 81°F, and the coldest is April, when the average low is 41°F. July is the wettest month at 3.7 inches and June the driest at 2.8 inches.
That April low ranks 8th coldest of the 30 MLB venues, and July here ranks 20th wettest.
April
3.1 inchesMay
3.5 inchesJune
2.8 inchesJuly
3.7 inchesAugust
3.5 inchesSeptember
2.9 inchesOctober
3.2 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food is permitted after security inspection, except in premium seating areas.
- A card or a phone wallet
Progressive Field is cashless; purchases require a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Guards Wallet.
- A warm layer for after dark
April nights average 41°F at Progressive Field.
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat
July highs average 81°F at Progressive Field, with no roof over the seats.
- A rain layer
July averages 3.7 inches of rain here.
How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Game day timeline
Gate opening time checked against the venue's own gate-opening policy: All gates open one hour before Sunday through Thursday games, with longer opening windows for Friday and Saturday games.
- Pregame
Cleveland Guardians official site: Gate Times, Where to Park at Progressive Field, and Policies and Procedures
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Progressive Field policy, accessibility, family, and mobile-ticket guidance reviewed for entry, family, payment, food, and accessibility rules.