In a town that takes spectator sports seriously, catching a Cleveland Indians game is a great way to meet some of the locals.

Cleveland is a town that takes spectator sports seriously, and there’s no better way to meet the locals on their own turf than to attend a professional football, baseball or basketball match while you’re in town. Scoring tickets is not always easy, especially for football and basketball games, so try to book your seats as far in advance as possible, or brace yourself for high resale prices on the second-hand ticket market.

--The Browns: In 1996 the old Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore, but the city struck a deal with the NFL to keep the team’s name and colors in Cleveland. By 1999 a replacement Cleveland Browns franchise was in place with a spanking-new stadium on the downtown waterfront, and local fans are no less supportive of the new home team. See www.clevelandbrowns.com for more information.

--The Cavaliers: With one solid season under his belt and a promising career ahead of him, 2003 first-round draft pick LeBron James is reason enough to attend an NBA game at Cleveland’s Gund Arena. See www.nba.com/cavaliers.

--The Indians: Even if you’re not much of a baseball fan, Jacob’s field, one of Major League Baseball’s new breed of retro-modern ballparks, is a great place to spend a summer evening. Comfortable seats, a convenient downtown location and readily available tickets make Indians games an easy option for visitors. See http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com.