PPG Paints Arena

Looking for a concert or other performance featuring some of the most top-notch performers out there? And are you looking to do it in what is probably Pittsburgh’s largest performance venue? How about watching the 5-time Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins up close and personal? If this is what you’re looking for, then PPG Paints Arena is the place for you!

This is probably one of my favorite locations in Pittsburgh. Its name has been changed several times. It originally opened in 1961 as Civic Auditorium, and was a dome-shaped indoor arena. It was named this because its original purpose was to house the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO). It was renamed Civic Arena later the same year. Also that same year, the arena became the home of the minor league Pittsburgh Hornets hockey team, which was disbanded in 1967. The NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins debuted at Civic Arena in 1967. In 1999, Penguins player Mario Lemieux became the owner of the Penguins, and was therefore granted the naming rights to the arena. He sold the naming rights to Mellon Financial, and the arena was renamed Mellon Arena later that year. For almost ten years following Mellon Arena’s opening, Lemieux had worked to fund and create bigger, better arena. The result was the demolition of Mellon Arena and the building and opening of Consol Energy Center in 2010. Consol Energy had bought the naming rights to the new arena back in 2010. The arena was completely redesigned both outside and in. PPG Paints bought the naming rights to the arena in 2016. Penguins hockey is, of course, the most commonly held event at the arena, taking place almost every week. There are also concerts held here, mainly by big-name artists. Other types of performances and other occasional sporting events occur here as well. The ice is usually covered for most non-hockey events, except for performances advertised as being “on ice.” There are several private clubs in the arena as well, for both formal and casual private events.

I’m not the biggest hockey fan, although I do enjoy the sport. And while I don’t follow the Penguins on a regular basis, the times I’ve gone to see them at PPG Paints Arena have been some of the best experiences of my life. I’ve been to four Penguins games, two of which were Stanley Cup Finals games.  Below is a picture I took at the first Penguins game I went to. There is so much about the experience that’s amazing: the hype coming from the crowd, the action on the ice, the suspense before the players take the ice, and so much more. The two Stanley Cup games were probably the best ones I went to. The main reason for that would have to be the fact that my mom got us some of the best seats in the house, only a few rows from the ice. I sat only a few rows away from Ryan Shazier, who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. While watching the action anywhere in the arena is amazing, watching from the front is like witnessing history being made. This especially is true of a Stanley Cup game, when the team is giving it their all even more than usual. The Penguins are one of the most popular NHL hockey teams. They’ve won 5 Stanley Cups: 1991, 1992, 2009, 2016, and 2017. A lot of people, even people who aren’t from Pittsburgh or Western Pennsylvania, love them. So if you’re a hockey lover, it doesn’t matter where you’re from; you’re sure to enjoy yourself if you stop by a Penguins hockey game at PPG Paints Arena.

The four Penguins games I went to all took place within the last two years, so I haven’t been to a Penguins game at the prior arena. Conversely, I’ve never been to a non-hockey related event at the new arena. The last time I went to non-hockey related events there was when it was still the Mellon Arena. The experience was still great nonetheless. I’ve been to a ton of concerts and performances in my lifetime, but the size of both the arena and the crowd made seeing shows at the Mellon Arena some of the best experiences of my life. However, it’s been a long time since I’ve been. If I recall, I’ve only seen four shows there. The first show I saw there was the Cheetah Girls in concert. For those who don’t know, the Cheetah Girls were one of the biggest girl groups in the early to mid-2000s, and they became famous through Disney. Even though I didn’t see many guys there, I still enjoyed myself, because the Cheetah Girls made amazing music back in the day (and they were all really cute too). And the arena was the perfect size for a concert like that, especially because, as I recall, it was the group’s first major tour. I also saw Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers in concert here a while later. As weird as it sounds, I actually really enjoyed myself at that show too, because not only did the Jonas Brothers have some of the best pop rock music back then, but Hannah Montana also had some great music and was admittedly my childhood celebrity crush. These two groups also became famous through Disney. This concert was one of the best I’ve ever gone to, and the hype was AMAZING for both Hannah and the Jonas Brothers. We even saw the Jonas Brothers leaving on their tour bus as we were crossing the street to go back to our hotel after the show. I also saw a show done by the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus at Mellon Arena. It was pretty amazing; the arena was the perfect size for the performers and animals to do their tricks. It made me wonder how circuses can possibly be performed in smaller spaces, like circus tents. And finally, I saw High School Musical on Ice here. I really enjoyed it, because High School Musical was one of my favorite movies back then (if you haven’t already guessed, I’m a bit of a Disney nut). This was fun, because not only was it a great show but I also got to see a performance on the ice that wasn’t hockey related. The arena was the perfect size for the cast to put on this incredibly complicated production (High School Musical already contains a lot of complicated choreography, so imagine doing that on ice skates). As I said, I haven’t been to any other non-hockey events since the arena was rebuilt, but I can only imagine they’re as good or even better than the performances I’ve seen at Mellon Arena. Several other concerts have been held here over the years, by some of the biggest performers out there: Maroon 5, Carrie Underwood, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and more. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra comes here every year around the holiday season. Other performances have included ice shows, particularly Disney on Ice, as well as variety performers like Jeff Dunham and Cirque du Soleil. There are also more recreational events held here, such as monster truck rallies. No matter what type of performance you see at PPG Paints Arena, it’s sure to be an unforgettable experience.

One thing I thought I’d mention was that some of the events held at PPG Paints Arena involve non-hockey related sports. One of these includes basketball. While Pittsburgh is one major city that doesn’t have an NBA team, several non-professional teams have taken advantage of PPG Paints Arena for the sport. For example, while Petersen Events Center is the home of the Pitt Panthers basketball team, the team uses PPG Paints Arena for more intense games such as championships; other Pittsburgh schools, such as Duquesne University, do the same. Other sporting events are held here, but a lot of the others are more performance-based than competition-based. This includes WWE Raw and the Harlem Globetrotters. A reviewer on TripAdvisor said that the arena setup is “great” for WWE Raw. While I hope Pittsburgh can get a professional NBA team one day, there’s still so many great sporting events to go to there now besides hockey.

Based on personal experience, here are some tips for when you go to an event at PPG Paints Arena. Definitely get some of the arena’s delicious food. There are endless concessions stands in the arena, ranging from your average sports arena food to Dairy Queen to Dunkin’ Donuts. If you want a taste of Pittsburgh, stop by Primanti Bros. The arena also contains several bars, a full-service restaurant (this is located in the club seats, so it’s only for private events), and a T.G.I. Friday’s (the T.G.I. Friday’s is only accessible from outside the arena, so it’s probably best to go there either before or after the event). Also, it’s a good idea to mention that driving into and out of PPG Paints Arena is a nightmare. So my recommendation is parking a few blocks away from the arena and walking (which is also cheaper than parking at the arena), or parking near one of the stops for the “T”, the Pittsburgh light rail service, and using this service to get to and from the event. Also, bear in mind that most of these events occur at night, and if you don’t live in the Pittsburgh area and don’t want to drive home that late, there’s several hotels within walking distance of the arena. My family has stayed at a hotel for most of the events we’ve gone to at the arena. A couple we’ve stayed at often have been the DoubleTree and the Marriot, which are both within walking distance of the arena and really nice. Taking advantage of these things will make your experience at PPG Paints Arena less stressful and more enjoyable.

Whether you’re looking to see one of the greatest hockey teams out there or one of the best shows you’ll ever see, you’ll never forget the experiences you’ll have at PPG Paints Arena.