About Soldier Field
Soldier Field is an American football stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago. It opened in 1924 and is the home field of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), who moved there in 1971. It is the oldest stadium in the NFL. The stadium's interior was rebuilt as part of a major renovation project in 2002, which modernized facilities but lowered seating capacity.
The renovation sparked controversy due to the clash between the historic Greco-Roman colonnades on the exterior and the modern glass-and-steel bowl inserted inside. It was delisted as a National Historic Landmark in 2006. Despite this, it remains an iconic venue on the Chicago lakefront, known for its brutal winter conditions and "Bear Weather."
With a capacity of 61,500, it is the smallest stadium in the NFL. The parkland setting along Lake Michigan provides a stunning location. It honors American soldiers who have died in wars, serving as a memorial as well as a sports venue. The Bears have announced plans to potentially leave for a new stadium, making its future uncertain.
The venue is owned by the Chicago Park District, a municipal agency created in 1934 through the consolidation of 22 separate park districts, and leased to the Bears organisation controlled by the McCaskey family, direct descendants of team founder George Halas. The Bears' 30-year lease signed in 2001 runs through 2033 and includes an annual rent payment of approximately 5.5 million dollars indexed to Chicago's consumer price index. The 632-million-dollar renovation completed in September 2003 was financed by a Chicago hotel tax approved by voters in November 2000, and the venue's naming rights are permanently retired to the memory of American war dead under an ordinance passed by the Chicago City Council in 1925 that cannot be legally overridden without unanimous council approval. The Bears organisation formally announced in 2024 its intent to leave Soldier Field for a new domed stadium in Arlington Heights, purchasing the former Arlington International Racecourse for 197.2 million dollars in February 2023.