More details on fan seating and activities at Cleveland Browns training camp

A couple of days ago, we caught a glimpse of the grandstands that will be in Berea this year, replacing the previous lack of adequate seating. On Wednesday, Dan Labbe of Cleveland.com shared a plethora of photographs and a video, and when you piece everything together, there is a clearer picture of what is new at training camp this year.

New Field Layouts & Grandstand

First, take a look at these photos:

I pulled an old aerial photo from Google Maps and then did some crude illustrations on top of it, based on what I could determine from the cleveland.com photos.

The yellow lines at the bottom of the photo indicate the entrance, which remains the same. Previously, there were four possible fields, but this has been reduced to three fields. When you first walk in, there is now only one field, which has been turned 90 degrees. There are two new, but smaller, sets of bleachers for this field.

Next to Field 2 is where the new 1,250-seat grandstand is. It was originally announced that there would be an awning to provide shade on the grandstand. However, none of the pictures showed that, and the news release that the team released on their official website today removed the mention of the “shade awning.”

The cyan area behind the grandstand will have plenty of fan- and kid-related activities. Back in the front, where the magenta area is, there now appears to be an “indoor pro shop” instead of the one that used to be outdoors under a tent. This helps save some space for the new Field 3. There will still be the old tiny bleachers available next to Field 1, but that will be the field with the toughest view.

Hill Cleared to Add Activities for Kids

Remember when the Browns’ conditioning hill was removed this offseason? Now we know why: it was to make room for the additional activities for kids at training camp. The activities will include:

• Five-hole miniature golf course
• Miniature Play Football! field
• Inflatables

Somewhere, there is a 40-yard dash timing station, which adults can presumably take part in too.

Other Events

The team announced special dates for certain events during training camp in Berea:

• All of Camp: Aquafina will provide free water to guests during the opening weekend of training camp, while supplies last. Magnetic Springs will provide free water to Browns fans during all open training camp sessions following the opening weekend.
• July 28-29, Aug. 2-3, Aug. 5, Aug. 7-8, Aug. 12-13 and Aug. 17: On the specified dates, the Ohio Department of Health will distribute 300 autograph cards to kids attending camp sessions. During each of those days, 20 individuals will be selected for a special autograph session with Browns players following practice.
• July 29: Annual Blood Drive.
• July 30 and Aug. 5: Step2 will setup a fun area for kids with engaging Step2 products.
• July 31, Aug. 2-3, Aug. 8 and Aug. 14-17: Universal Windows Direct will hold an interactive games area for fans to have the opportunity to win giveaways.
• July 31: JACK Casino will offer fans an opportunity to spin a prize wheel or the opportunity to grab cash in its Wind Tunnel Machine.
• August 3: Discount Drug Mart will offer giveaways such as key chains, footballs, lunch boxes, gift cards and more when fans visit and spin Discount Drug Mart’s prize wheel.
• August 15-16: University Hospitals will provide t-shirts to all fans when entering practice.
• August 17: We saved the best for last: on the final day that camp is open to the public, Papa Johns will provide fans with free pizza samples to enjoy as they watch practice.

Register for Training Camp, or Walk Up

The latest Browns information release still suggests that fans making the trip up to Berea register tickets just in case, but they also stress that walk-ups will be allowed in this year, space permitting (this is a change from past years). Considering that fan capacity has nearly doubled this year, I’d be stunned if any fans were turned away from camp.

More Photos

To see more photos of the new stuff at training camp, check out Cleveland.com’s photo gallery here.