Soldier Field: Guide for Visiting Fans

The Red, Orange, and Green Lines all stop at Roosevelt Station, between State Street and Wabash Avenue, where you can transfer to the #146 Inner Lake Shore/Michigan Express bus, or walk east on Roosevelt Road through the Museum Campus to the stadium. The Roosevelt stop is about a 15-minute walk from Soldier Field. That walk is actually pleasant — you pass the Field Museum and get a skyline view — but budget 20 minutes in game-day crowds, and more if there's a January wind chill.

On Bears gamedays specifically, you can also take the #128 Soldier Field Express bus (gamedays only) and the #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express buses directly to the stadium. The CTA also works with Metra Commuter Rail on the #128 Soldier Field Express, which picks up Metra riders at the Ogilvie Transportation Center and Union Station and takes them to the venue with no stops.

Flying in? Door-to-door from Midway (MDW) to Soldier Field on transit typically runs 50–70 minutes. The CTA Orange Line runs directly from Midway to the Loop; riders take the Orange Line into the Loop, then stay on it or transfer south to Roosevelt. From O'Hare (ORD), the Blue Line runs directly from O'Hare to the Loop, where you transfer to the Red, Green, or Orange Line south to Roosevelt for the walk to Soldier Field. Budget 75–90 minutes from O'Hare total.

Rideshare drop-off for all events is located on 18th St., west of Soldier Field and Lake Shore Drive. For driving, you can access the stadium via Lake Shore Drive (US-41) or Interstate 55.

Parking near Soldier Field is a pre-purchase operation — there is no single-game or cash parking on any of the Museum Campus lots. The North Garage, Waldron Deck, and South Parking Lot are reserved for those with season parking passes for Bears events.

Surface lots on Museum Campus run around $85 per game for premium spots up to $165. Budget options include the 31st Street McCormick Place lot (around $16 with shuttle) and Millennium Park garages (around $13 with a free shuttle). Fans without season coupons can park at McCormick Place Lot B or Millennium Park Garage and take free shuttles to the stadium on game days. Shuttles operate up to two hours after a game, with drop-off and pick-up at 18th Street.

Lots open approximately four hours before kickoff for Bears games, and close one hour after the event has finished. Arrive early if you're driving — Lake Shore Drive backs up badly in the final 90 minutes before kickoff, especially for night games.

The South Loop is your best base. It's close enough to walk to the stadium in about 20–25 minutes on a good day, the hotel prices are lower than the Magnificent Mile, and you're still very much in the city. Streets like Michigan Avenue and Wabash through South Loop have a solid crop of mid-range chain hotels — Hilton, Hyatt Place, Hampton Inn — that run $150–$250 a night on game weekends.

If budget is no object, book something along the lakefront near Grant Park — you can walk to the stadium through Museum Campus, which is genuinely one of the better pre-game strolls in the NFL. If you're on a tighter budget, the Loop itself works fine; it adds a few minutes to the CTA ride but gives you access to more restaurant options for pre- and post-game eating.

Avoid booking out by O'Hare or Midway. If you're here specifically for the Soldier Field event, staying downtown makes the most sense.

Kroll's South Loop (Roosevelt and Wabash area) is the quintessential Bears dive — loud, packed, zero pretension. A favorite among sports fans, Kroll's offers a casual and welcoming atmosphere near Soldier Field and is a perfect spot to grab a drink before or after heading to the stadium. For visiting fans, it's actually a decent spot because the crowd is too focused on their own misery to harass you.

Weather Mark Tavern is a nautical-themed South Loop neighborhood bar just a 5-minute walk from Soldier Field, making it one of the most convenient dining options nearby. It combines nautical charm with American cuisine, craft beers, and cocktails. Good for a real sit-down meal before the game without fighting heavy crowds.

Flo & Santos is a bar and pizzeria a short rideshare from the stadium. Getting ready for the Bears game is a breeze at Flo & Santos, which boasts 8 flat screens, tavern-style pizza, flying pork wings, and an array of beer and cocktails. Tavern-style pizza is an actual Chicago tradition and this is a solid place to try it.

Fatpour Tap Works (2206 S Indiana Ave) is the craft beer play. Offering a wide selection of beers on tap, it's a lively and social sports bar perfect for both pregame gatherings and post-game celebrations, with an impressive array of craft beers, cocktails, and spirits.

For all events at Soldier Field, the NFL Clear Bag Policy is in place. Approved bags are limited to clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bags that do not exceed 12" x 6" x 12". Small, non-clear bags that do not exceed 4.5" x 6.5" in size, with or without a handle or strap, can also be taken in alongside a clear bag. Soldier Field does not offer a bag check , so if you show up with the wrong bag, your only option is an off-site locker.

Parking lots open four hours before kickoff, gates open two hours before, and Will Call opens 30 minutes prior to gates. Soldier Field is a cashless venue , so leave the cash in your hotel safe. ATMs are available inside at locations including the Dr Pepper Patio near Gate 0, Sections 128, 350, and the North Garage near the Bears Pro Shop.

All guests are required to enter Bears home games at Soldier Field using a mobile ticket. Download your tickets to your phone's digital wallet before you arrive — cell signal around the stadium can be unreliable at peak load.

Soldier Field offers wheelchair-accessible and companion seating for purchase for all ticketed events. ADA seating can be purchased online through the respective ticketing platforms. On an individual game basis, wheelchair-accessible seating is also available at the team Ticket Office and online through Ticketmaster.

Disabled patrons may be dropped off on the circle drive on the east side of the stadium on Museum Campus Drive outside Gate 14. An ADA placard or license plate must be visible to police and parking attendants, and the person to whom the placard is registered must be an occupant of the vehicle. Medical bags and kits must be searched and approved prior to entry; fans with medical items should enter at Gate 10.

There is no designated visiting fan section at Soldier Field — it's general seating, so you'll be scattered depending on where you bought tickets. That said, visiting fans tend to cluster in the upper deck end zones, especially sections 350–432, where ticket prices are lowest on the secondary market and the Bears faithful aren't quite as dense.

The modernized stadium features approximately 61,500 blue seats across multiple tiers, along with improved sightlines, 8,000 club seats, and 133 luxury suites. Sightlines from the lower bowl are genuinely good — the 2003 renovation pulled the seating bowl in tighter to the field. The mezzanine level (200s) offers solid bang for the buck: lower prices than the 100-level, and you're still close enough to the action. Avoid the extreme upper corners in cold-weather games — the wind off the lake funnels through there ruthlessly.

Soldier Field is a cashless venue , full stop. Have your card or Apple Pay ready at every stand. For Chicago Bears home games, alcohol sales end in the general seating bowl at the conclusion of the 3rd quarter. In the United Club and the Miller Lite Midway Club, alcohol sales end approximately 4 hours after kickoff.

Inside, you'll find Italian sandwiches at Café L'Appetito, Greek fare at Kronos Gyros, Beggar's Pizza, and Mexican fare at Pilsen Tacos. Other popular local chains include Buona Beef and DMK Burger Bar. The Buona Beef Italian beef sandwich — thinly sliced beef on Italian bread, dunked in au jus — is the most authentically Chicago thing you can eat here. The Loop Landing Bar, located behind Section 144 on the Mezzanine Level, offers a full-service bar, a TV wall, and fan favorites including the signature Bear Claw pretzel.

For drinks, options include Beer Cycle (a bar on two wheels) and Heartland Hops for a more traditional experience. Expect to pay around $13–$16 for a 16 oz domestic draft, $10–$13 for a non-alcoholic drink and snack combo, and $14–$18 for a full meal entrée — stadium pricing, no surprises.

Chicago is a proper sports city with a proper sports attitude: they don't hate you, but they don't particularly care if you're comfortable either. The crowd at Soldier Field is loud in the lower bowl, especially in the fourth quarter of a close game, but not especially hostile to away fans who aren't actively antagonizing them. The thing most visiting fans don't anticipate is the weather. Soldier Field is fully open-air with no roof, and Chicago weather is very much part of the experience — from brutal winter games to summer lakefront warmth. A late-season game in December or January can be genuinely brutal with the wind coming off Lake Michigan — dress in actual layers, not just a jersey. The one thing that only shows up in person: the old Greek colonnades visible above the modern seating bowl give the whole place a slightly surreal grandeur that no photo captures. It feels old and weird and Chicago in a way that newer stadiums simply don't.

By Transit: The CTA is your fastest and most reliable exit. To exit after the game, board the #128 (Bears gamedays only) and #146 buses along the west side of the Transportation Center at the corner of McFetridge and Special Olympics Drive, just northeast of the stadium. Trains at Roosevelt run frequently after games — you may wait 5–10 minutes on the platform but the trains add capacity quickly. This beats sitting in traffic by 30–45 minutes, no contest.

By Car: Lake Shore Drive and the Museum Campus area can get very congested around game time. Expect to sit in the lot for 20–40 minutes before you're even moving, and another 20 minutes to clear Lake Shore Drive. If you're staying in the South Loop, walk to your car and wait it out over a post-game snack — don't try to beat the rush immediately at the final whistle.

By Rideshare: Post-game rideshare is where fans run into trouble. The combination of 61,500 fans leaving at once, limited road capacity around Museum Campus, and concentrated demand into Uber and Lyft creates significant surge pricing in the first 30–45 minutes after the final whistle. Walking 10–15 minutes north toward Roosevelt or west toward the South Loop can drop pricing meaningfully and shorten the wait, because drivers find it easier to reach those pickup points.

The opinionated tip: Take the CTA. Walk to Roosevelt, get on the Red Line, and be back at your hotel bar by the time the cars are still idling on Lake Shore Drive. It's not even close.

How do I get to Soldier Field on public transit?

Take the Red, Orange, or Green Line to Roosevelt Station, then transfer to the #146 bus or walk east through the Museum Campus — about 15 minutes on foot. On Bears gamedays, the #128 Soldier Field Express bus also runs directly to the gates.

What is the Soldier Field bag policy?

The NFL Clear Bag Policy is in place for all events. Approved bags must be clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC and not exceed 12" x 6" x 12". Small clutch bags up to 4.5" x 6.5" are also allowed.

Does Soldier Field accept cash?

Soldier Field is a cashless venue. Bring a card or mobile wallet. ATMs are available on-site if you need to withdraw cash first.

How much does parking cost near Soldier Field?

Museum Campus surface lots run approximately $85 per game, with premium spots up to $165. Budget alternatives include the McCormick Place 31st Street lot (around $16 with shuttle) and Millennium Park garages (around $13 with a free shuttle).

When do gates open for Bears games?

Parking lots open four hours before kickoff; gates open two hours before; Will Call opens 30 minutes prior to gates.

Where should away fans sit at Soldier Field? There's no dedicated away section. Upper deck sections in the end zones (350–432 range) tend to attract visiting fans due to lower prices and less die-hard home crowd density. The mezzanine level (200s) offers strong sightlines at mid-tier prices.

What is the Soldier Field mobile ticket policy?

All guests are required to enter Bears home games using a mobile ticket. The team strongly recommends adding tickets to your phone's digital wallet in advance to avoid slow cellular signal at the gates.

What should I wear to a late-season Bears game?

Soldier Field is fully open-air with no roof. For November through January games, dress in proper cold-weather layers — gloves, hat, base layer. The wind off Lake Michigan is not a euphemism. People in just jerseys look miserable by halftime.