Legendary Turf: Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

Legendary Turf includes stadium blueprints, photographs taken during the stadium's construction, and a bench which was used in the locker room during the Paul Brown era (1932 to 1940).

As the community’s passion for the Massillon Tigers expanded, the crowds of fans outgrew the team’s existing Shriver Field in southeast Massillon. During the depth of the Great Depression, the Massillon City School Board approved a new stadium as part of the federal government’s Works Progress Administration (WPA). The board acquired the current property in 1936 and hired Massillon architect Herman J. Albrecht to design the largest high school football stadium in the country at that time.

Construction, which started in the fall of 1936, employed 260 WPA employees, incorporating the Shriver Field roof and stands. The new Tiger Stadium hosted 15,000 fans for the 1939 season’s initial game against Cleveland Cathedral Latin. With later expansions, the stands accommodate nearly 20,000 spectators. Concession stands, a second press box, and seven iterations of electronic scoreboards have been added. In 1976, as part of the city’s sesquicentennial celebrations, the stadium was renamed to honor legendary coach Paul Brown. Artificial turf replaced the original dirt field in 1989 and a $2.8 million structural rehabilitation project in 2020 reinforced the west stands. Paul Brown Tiger Stadium remains the largest high school field in Ohio.

CURRENT SPECIAL EXHIBITS

Legendary Turf: Paul Brown Tiger Stadium