Chicago Bears
Venue and travel guide
Venue and location
City
Chicago
Source statement; not independently verified.
Phone
(312) 235-7000
Source statement; not independently verified.
State
IL
Source statement; not independently verified.
Venue name
Soldier Field
Source statement; not independently verified.
Zip code
60605
Source statement; not independently verified.
Parking
Guide url
https://www.soldierfield.com/plan-your-visit/directions-parking and https://www.soldierfieldparking.com
Source statement; not independently verified.
Hours
Lots open approximately 4 hours before kickoff; lots close ~3 hours after day games and 1 hour after night events.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Overnight
Not permitted — no overnight guest parking on Museum Campus.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Premium
North Garage, Waldron Deck and South Lot reserved for Bears season parking coupon holders (coupons must be displayed on rear-view mirror); season passes sold (e.g., Adler Lot season pass ~$1,026.50).
Source statement; not independently verified.
Public transport
Strongly encouraged — CTA Roosevelt station (Red/Green/Orange lines), CTA buses #128/#146/#130, Metra 18th Street station.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Recommended lots
Museum Campus North Lot for main north gate; McCormick Place East for south entrance
Source statement; not independently verified.
Towing
Limousines/party buses entering campus during restricted windows (90 min after kickoff until 1 hour post-game) are subject to ticketing, towing and prosecution; illegally parked vehicles on campus roadways may be towed.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Traffic
Lake Shore Drive at 18th Drive exit and Museum Campus Drive bottleneck pre/post-game; venue advises against Google Maps/Waze on event days because they ignore gameday road closures and lot-specific access routes.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Public transportation
App
Ventra app, CTA Bus/Train Tracker (transitchicago.com/planatrip), Metra app.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Shuttles
Dropoff
18th St. just west of Lake Shore Drive (McCormick shuttle); stadium-adjacent stop for #128.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Frequency
Continuous loop pre-game; continues until 2 hours post-game.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Notes
McCormick Place shows can limit available gameday cash spaces in those lots.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Operator
SP+ manages parking/traffic operations (lot shuttle); CTA operates the #128.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Pickup
McCormick Place Lot B; CTA #128 from Ogilvie Transportation Center and Union Station.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Bicycles
Overnight
No — overnight parking is not permitted on Museum Campus; bikes left overnight risk removal.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Share distance
On-campus — McFetridge Drive station is roughly a 5-minute walk from stadium gates.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Share station
Divvy stations at each Museum Campus institution, including Soldier Field and on McFetridge Drive near the Field Museum.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Accessibility
Fun fact
Soldier Field hosted the first-ever Special Olympics in 1968, and its official address — 1410 Special Olympics Drive — honors that legacy.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Service animals
Trained service animals permitted; pets and emotional support animals are not.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Food and vendors
Parking Apps Accepted
SoldierFieldParking.com (SP+ platform) for prepaid passes.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Venue history
Capacity (source context unspecified)
61,500
Source statement; not independently verified.
Original capacity
Approximately 74,280 seated, expandable to well over 100,000 with temporary seating for special events.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Original name
Grant Park Stadium (renamed Soldier Field in 1925 to honor U.S. soldiers).
Source statement; not independently verified.
Records
The 1926 Army–Navy game and 1927 Dempsey–Tunney fight drew crowds over 100,000 — among the largest in U.S. sports history; Devin Hester set NFL career return-TD records while playing here.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Retired numbers
14 Bears retired numbers — the most in the NFL — including 3 Nagurski, 5 McAfee, 7 Halas, 28 Galimore, 34 Payton, 40 Sayers, 41 Piccolo, 42 Luckman, 51 Butkus, 56 Hewitt, 61 George, 66 Turner, 77 Grange, 89 Ditka.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Venue details
Climate
Famous for brutal late-season lakefront weather — wind, snow and sub-zero wind chills off Lake Michigan ("Bear Weather") regularly affect kicking and passing games.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Expandable capacity
Limited — small standing-room and temporary configurations for concerts/soccer; no published NFL expansion capability.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Features
Two 1080p LED video boards (installed 2015, ~10mm pixel pitch) plus a 444-ft LED ribbon fascia; historic 1924 Doric colonnades flanking the modern glass-and-steel seating bowl on the lakefront Museum Campus.
Source statement; not independently verified.
Orientation
North-south.
Source statement; not independently verified.