The Cleveland Indians previously played home games at
Cleveland Stadium, which they shared with the
Cleveland Browns of the
National Football League. The Indians first played at the stadium, which seated around 78,000 people for baseball, for the 1932 and 1933 seasons, but returned to smaller
League Park for most games in 1934. From 1937 to 1946, they played weekend and holiday games at Cleveland Stadium, and eventually night games and other dates where larger crowds were expected, moving to the stadium full-time in 1947. Cleveland Stadium was the largest stadium in the
American League during its tenure as a baseball facility and was the largest stadium in
Major League Baseball for all but a few seasons. It had been a symbol of the Indians' glory years of the 1940s and 1950s, attracting some of the largest crowds in baseball history. However, during the team's lean years from the 1960s through the early 1990s, even crowds of 40,000 people were swallowed up in the cavernous environment. As a result, the Indians began pressing for a new stadium. Plans for a new stadium first began in 1984 when
Cuyahoga County voters defeated a property tax for building a 100% publicly funded domed stadium, which would have been shared by the Indians and Browns. Later that year, committee leaders met to re-evaluate these plans, and a location was later agreed upon. The eventual site of the stadium, the location of the Central Market, was acquired in December 1985. In April 1986, designs for the new stadium were agreed upon and about a year later, demolition at the site started. Construction started in January 1992, and by May of that year, the concrete construction had been poured. In June 1992,
Mel Harder, who pitched the opening game at Cleveland Stadium in 1932, and contemporary stars
Charles Nagy and
Sandy Alomar Jr., executed the ceremonial first pitch at the site of the new ballpark before construction began. The installation of seating was completed in October 1993. The ballpark, which was referred to as "Cleveland Indians Baseball Park" and "Indians Park" on blueprints, cost approximately $175 million to build, of which $91 million was provided by Indians owner Richard Jacobs. The remaining $84 million was raised by the sin tax. An open house was held April 1, 1994, and the following day, an exhibition game was held against the
Pittsburgh Pirates. The first official game was held April 4. U.S. President
Bill Clinton threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and the Indians defeated the
Seattle Mariners 4–3 in 11 innings in front of a crowd of 41,459 people. The ballpark was the first new major sporting facility to open in Cleveland since
Cleveland Arena opened in 1937. During that inaugural and strike-shortened
1994 season, the Indians finished 35–16 at home, which included an 18-game home winning streak. In 2007, the Indians became the first American League team to install solar panels on their stadium. They also spent $1.1 million to convert a picnic area behind the center field fence into "Heritage Park", which features 27 plaques honoring the
Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame and 38 bricks, representing the team's most memorable moments. There is also a memorial plaque commemorating
Ray Chapman which was originally installed at
League Park. This area is shielded by plantings so it does not interfere with the
batter's eye. The Indians installed a corkscrew-shaped wind turbine from
Cleveland State University above the southeast corner of the ballpark in late March 2012, the first major league team to do so. The corkscrew–shaped wind turbine was successful in generating more electricity than individual turbines and was originally scheduled to be tested for two years, but had to be removed in late March 2013 because of cracks that had developed in the off-season.
2014–15 renovations The team announced the first phase of renovation plans for the ballpark, by then known as Progressive Field, in late 2014, which were completed prior to the start of the
2015 season. The area on either side of the right field gate, previously known as "Gate C", was reconfigured, with a pedestrian bridge and concession buildings removed to open the views of the surrounding neighborhood. The statue of
Jim Thome was moved to the area, while the statue of
Bob Feller was moved to a new location in the area, and a new statue of
Larry Doby was added. A two-story bar named "The Corner" was built, providing better views of the field as the Batter's Eye Bar was often overcrowded. The bullpens, which had previously been separate, were relocated to the right center field area, allowing fans closer views of players warming up. To allow more light in the right field concourse, the mezzanine deck was reduced by several rows to open the area. The Kid's Clubhouse was made two stories, and adults are now able to view the game from the clubhouse. Seating in the upper deck behind right field and down the first base line was removed and replaced with terraces, available for use by large groups. Additional changes included installation of new concession areas and options, many of which are from Cleveland-area eateries. Prior to the start of the
2016 season, the next phase of renovations was completed, which included the addition of a new club area behind home plate for season ticket holders, the installation of a new scoreboard system and additional scoreboards, new standing room areas in the left field area, and additional concession areas, again using local-based eateries. The ballpark became the 11th MLB facility to have
LED field lights installed, which was done prior to the start of the 2017 season.
Wi-Fi was also installed throughout the ballpark prior to the start of the 2017 season. As a result of these renovations, Progressive Field was awarded the
2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, marking the second time the All-Star game was played at this venue.
2023–2025 renovations In 2022, an agreement was made to renovate the stadium for $200 million, with most of the cost falling on taxpayers. Renovations began after the
2023 Major League Baseball season, and were completed after the
2025 season. ==Attendance records==