Soldier Field

Soldier Field
Soldier Field in 2022
Soldier Field is located in Chicago
Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Location in Chicago
Soldier Field is located in Illinois
Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Location in Illinois
Soldier Field is located in the United States
Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Location in the United States
Former names
Municipal Grant Park Stadium (1924–1925)
Address1410 Special Olympics Drive
LocationChicago, Illinois, U.S.
Coordinates41°51′44″N 87°37′00″W / 41.8623°N 87.6167°W / 41.8623; -87.6167
OwnerChicago Park District
OperatorASM Global
Capacity
  • 66,944 (1994–2003)
  • 62,500 (since 2003)
Executive suites
133
Surface
Acreage7 acres (2.8 ha)
Public transit
Construction
GroundbreakingAugust 11, 1922 (1922-08-11)
Built1922–1924
OpenedOctober 9, 1924 (1924-10-09)
Renovated2002–2003
ClosedJanuary 19, 2002 (2002-01-19)–September 26, 2003 (2003-09-26) (renovations)
ReopenedSeptember 29, 2003 (2003-09-29) (renovations)
CostUS$13 million (original; $244 million in 2015 dollars)
US$632 million (renovations; $1.11 billion in 2015 dollars)
Architects
Project managers
Hoffman Management Partners, LLC (renovations)
Structural engineer
Thornton Tomasetti (renovations)
Services engineer
Ellerbe Becket (renovations)
General contractor
Turner/Barton Malow/Kenny (renovations)
Tenant
List
Website
soldierfield.com
DesignatedFebruary 27, 1987
DelistedFebruary 17, 2006

Soldier Field (historically often referred to as Soldiers' Field) is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since 1971, as well as Chicago Fire FC of Major League Soccer (MLS) since 2020. It also regularly hosts stadium concerts and other large crowd events. The stadium has a football capacity of 62,500, making it the second-smallest stadium in the NFL. Soldier Field is also the oldest stadium in the NFL and MLS.

The stadium's interior was rebuilt as part of a major renovation project in 2002 and 2003, which modernized the facility but lowered its seating capacity, eventually causing it to be delisted as a National Historic Landmark in 2006. Soldier Field has served as the home venue for a number of other sports teams in its history, including the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL and University of Notre Dame football. It hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, and multiple CONCACAF Gold Cup championships. In 1968, it hosted the inaugural World Games of the Special Olympics, as well as its second World Games in 1970. Other historic events have included large rallies with speeches, including by Amelia Earhart, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King Jr.