Soldier Field, Home of the Chicago Bears

In Brief:

Soldier Field (not Soldier's Field, a mistake a lot of natives even make) officially opened October 9, 1924, and is currently home to the Chicago Bears football team. Soldier Field underwent a major renovation completed in 2003 -- a controversial move that caused the National Register of Historic Places to strip the stadium of its landmark designation in 2006.

Address:

1410 South Museum Campus Drive

Phone:

(312) 235-7000

Seating Capacity:

61,500

Getting There by Public Transportation:

CTA Bus # 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express Southbound

Driving to Soldier Field From Downtown:

Columbus Drive south to 18th Street exit

Parking:

Season Parking passes take up a majority of the parking spaces around Soldier Field, so don't wander over to the nearby Waldron Deck or South Lot unless you have season tickets and parking coupons. Fortunately, cash parking is available at the East Monroe Street and Millennium Park garages near Columbus and Randolph, and a free shuttle is available to Soldier Field. Parking rate is $40.

Soldier Field Website

Chicago Bears Tickets:

Order Chicago Bears tickets online

Soldier Field Seating Chart and Pricing

Chicago Bears Schedule

About Soldier Field:

Located along Lake Shore Drive, the hulking mass of Soldier Field dwarfs even the large buildings north of it on the Museum Campus. Originally built in honor of World War I veterans, there are several memorials such as the "Doughboy" foot soldier statue at Gate O, and the Veteran's Memorial water wall at the north end of the stadium. Besides being home to the Chicago Bears since 1971, Soldier Field is probably best known for its historic colonnades, which are now open year round to the public.

And it's these colonnades that brought Soldier Field its most controversy. In 2001, the Chicago Park District announced plans to dramatically renovate the stadium. There was much outcry from the Chicago public, as the traditional Greco-Roman architecture is very complimentary to the lakeshore and nearby Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium. Architects, aware of the nostalgia of the old stadium, decided to keep the main façade and entrance gates -- and plop a massive steel and glass structure on top of it. Cynics say that this design choice was to try and hold on to Soldier Field's historic landmark status. It didn't work -- Soldier Field was removed from the National Register of Historic Places less than three years after it opened.

Whether or not you agree with the changes made to the outside, those arguments can be forgotten once you pass through the gates. The inside of Soldier Field is a modern, updated facility, and admittedly is a great place to see a football game.

View all the attractions at Chicago's Museum Campus