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Coordinates: 41°51′45″N 87°37′0″W / 41.86250°N 87.61667°W / 41.86250; -87.61667
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| operator = [[SMG (property management)|SMG]]
| operator = [[SMG (property management)|SMG]]
| surface = [[Poa pratensis|Kentucky Bluegrass]]<br>(1924–1970, 1988–present)<br>[[AstroTurf]] (1971–1987)
| surface = [[Poa pratensis|Kentucky Bluegrass]]<br>(1924–1970, 1988–present)<br>[[AstroTurf]] (1971–1987)
| construction_cost = US$13 million (original)<ref name="sfnet">{{cite web |url=http://www.soldierfield.net/content/stadium-history|title=Stadium History and Timeline|year=2010|work=Official website|publisher=Soldier Field|accessdate=May 21, 2010}}</ref><br>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|13000000|1924}}}} in 2015 dollars){{inflation-fn|US}}<br>$632 million (2001–2003 renovation)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1165.html|title=Soldier Field|last=Riess|first=Steven A.|year=2005|work=The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago|publisher=Chicago Historical Society|accessdate=May 21, 2010}}</ref><br>Renovations: (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|632000000|2003}}}} in 2015 dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
| construction_cost = US$13 million (original)<ref name="sfnet">{{cite web|url=http://www.soldierfield.net/content/stadium-history|title=Stadium History and Timeline|year=2010|work=Official website|publisher=Soldier Field|accessdate=May 21, 2010|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717055344/http://www.soldierfield.net/content/stadium-history|archivedate=July 17, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref><br>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|13000000|1924}}}} in 2015 dollars){{inflation-fn|US}}<br>$632 million (2001–2003 renovation)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1165.html|title=Soldier Field|last=Riess|first=Steven A.|year=2005|work=The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago|publisher=Chicago Historical Society|accessdate=May 21, 2010}}</ref><br>Renovations: (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|632000000|2003}}}} in 2015 dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
| architect = [[Holabird & Roche]]<br>[[Benjamin T. Wood|Wood + Zapata, Inc.]]<br>Lohan Caprile Goettsch Architects
| architect = [[Holabird & Roche]]<br>[[Benjamin T. Wood|Wood + Zapata, Inc.]]<br>Lohan Caprile Goettsch Architects
| project_manager = Hoffman Associates<ref name="sportsbusinessdaily.com">{{cite web |author=Published October 6, 2003|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2003/10/20031006/Facilities/After-A-Quick-Build-Showtime-In-Chicago.aspx|title=After a quick build, showtime in Chicago|work=SportsBusiness Journal|date=October 6, 2003|accessdate=March 10, 2012}}</ref>
| project_manager = Hoffman Associates<ref name="sportsbusinessdaily.com">{{cite web |author=Published October 6, 2003|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2003/10/20031006/Facilities/After-A-Quick-Build-Showtime-In-Chicago.aspx|title=After a quick build, showtime in Chicago|work=SportsBusiness Journal|date=October 6, 2003|accessdate=March 10, 2012}}</ref>
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The [[Chicago Blackhawks]] played against the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] on March 1, 2014 as part of the [[National Hockey League|NHL]]'s Stadium Series. The Blackhawks defeated the Penguins 5-1 before a sold-out crowd of 62,921.<ref>[http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=668767/ ]{{dead link|date=August 2014}}</ref> The team also held its [[2014–15 Chicago Blackhawks season|2015 Stanley Cup Championship]] celebration at the stadium instead of [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]], where other city championships have typically been held, due to recent rains.<ref>[http://abc7chicago.com/sports/blackhawks-parade-soldier-field-rally-to-be-held-thursday/787648/]</ref>
The [[Chicago Blackhawks]] played against the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] on March 1, 2014 as part of the [[National Hockey League|NHL]]'s Stadium Series. The Blackhawks defeated the Penguins 5-1 before a sold-out crowd of 62,921.<ref>[http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=668767/ ]{{dead link|date=August 2014}}</ref> The team also held its [[2014–15 Chicago Blackhawks season|2015 Stanley Cup Championship]] celebration at the stadium instead of [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]], where other city championships have typically been held, due to recent rains.<ref>[http://abc7chicago.com/sports/blackhawks-parade-soldier-field-rally-to-be-held-thursday/787648/]</ref>


February 7, 2015 Soldier Field hosted another edition of the Hockey City Classic. The event had been delayed due to unusually warm weather (42&nbsp;°F) and complications with the quality of the ice. The 2015 edition of the Hockey City Classic featured a match between [[Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey|Miami of Ohio]] and [[Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey|Western Michigan]], followed by a match between the [[Big Ten]]'s [[Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey|Michigan]] and [[Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey|Michigan State]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/081214aac.html|title=Michigan to Play Michigan State Outdoors at Soldier Field in Chicago|date= August 12, 2014|accessdate=August 18, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/article/20140811/SPORTS06/308110149/michigan-state-hockey-soldier-field|title=Michigan, MSU to play outdoor hockey at Soldier Field|date= August 11, 2014|accessdate=August 18, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-hockey/recaps/020815aab.html |title=Spartans Fall to Michigan at Soldier Field | date=February 8, 2015 |website=www.msuspartans.com |access-date=February 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.westernherald.com/sports/article_444a00e0-afb4-11e4-9707-2b2f6011025b.html |title=WMU Hockey Comes Up Short at Soldier Field |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=February 8, 2015 |website=www.westernherald.com |publisher=Western Herald |access-date=February 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://btn.com/2015/02/08/michigan-downs-michigan-state-4-1-in-hockey-city-classic-at-soldier-field/ |title=Michigan downs Michigan State, 4-1, in Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=February 8, 2015 |website=btn.com |publisher=[[Big Ten Network]] |access-date=February 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/2015/02/08/michigan-msu-hockey-city-classic/23083555/ |title=Sipple: Hockey City Classic in Chicago full of problems |last=Sipple |first=George|date=February 8, 2015 |website=www.freep.com |publisher=[[Detroit Free Press]] |access-date=February 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1415/boxes/mmiawmu1.f07 |title=Saturday, February 7, 2015 Miami (MIA) vs Western Michigan (WMU) | website=www.collegehockeystats.net |access-date=November 3, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uscho.com/box/mens-hockey/2015/02/07/michigan-state-vs-michigan/ |title=Michigan 4, Michigan State 1 | website=www.uscho.com |access-date= November 3, 2015}}</ref> February 5 the organizers of the Hockey City Classic organized the ''Unite on the Ice'' event benefiting [[St. Jude Children's Research Hospital]]. The event was centered upon a celebrity hockey game with former [[National Hockey League|NHL]] and [[American Hockey League|AHL]] players, as well as a public free skate at Soldier Field. Participants in the celebrity game included [[Éric Dazé]], [[Jamal Mayers]] and [[Gino Cavallini]]. [[Denis Savard]] was in attendance, serving as an 'honorary coach' during the game.<ref name=medillhockey>{{cite web |url=http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/public-skating-charity-game-at-soldier-field-thursday/ |title=PUBLIC SKATING, CHARITY GAME AT SOLDIER FIELD THURSDAY |last=Romano |first=Sara |date=February 4, 2015 |website=news.medill.northwestern.edu |publisher=[[Northwestern University]] |access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref> February 15, 2015 Soldier Field hosted another ''Chicago Gay Hockey Association'' intra-league match in association with the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field.<ref name=gayhockey/>
February 7, 2015 Soldier Field hosted another edition of the Hockey City Classic. The event had been delayed due to unusually warm weather (42&nbsp;°F) and complications with the quality of the ice. The 2015 edition of the Hockey City Classic featured a match between [[Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey|Miami of Ohio]] and [[Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey|Western Michigan]], followed by a match between the [[Big Ten]]'s [[Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey|Michigan]] and [[Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey|Michigan State]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/081214aac.html|title=Michigan to Play Michigan State Outdoors at Soldier Field in Chicago|date= August 12, 2014|accessdate=August 18, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/article/20140811/SPORTS06/308110149/michigan-state-hockey-soldier-field|title=Michigan, MSU to play outdoor hockey at Soldier Field|date= August 11, 2014|accessdate=August 18, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-hockey/recaps/020815aab.html |title=Spartans Fall to Michigan at Soldier Field | date=February 8, 2015 |website=www.msuspartans.com |access-date=February 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.westernherald.com/sports/article_444a00e0-afb4-11e4-9707-2b2f6011025b.html |title=WMU Hockey Comes Up Short at Soldier Field |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=February 8, 2015 |website=www.westernherald.com |publisher=Western Herald |access-date=February 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://btn.com/2015/02/08/michigan-downs-michigan-state-4-1-in-hockey-city-classic-at-soldier-field/ |title=Michigan downs Michigan State, 4-1, in Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=February 8, 2015 |website=btn.com |publisher=[[Big Ten Network]] |access-date=February 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/2015/02/08/michigan-msu-hockey-city-classic/23083555/ |title=Sipple: Hockey City Classic in Chicago full of problems |last=Sipple |first=George|date=February 8, 2015 |website=www.freep.com |publisher=[[Detroit Free Press]] |access-date=February 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1415/boxes/mmiawmu1.f07 |title=Saturday, February 7, 2015 Miami (MIA) vs Western Michigan (WMU) | website=www.collegehockeystats.net |access-date=November 3, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uscho.com/box/mens-hockey/2015/02/07/michigan-state-vs-michigan/ |title=Michigan 4, Michigan State 1 | website=www.uscho.com |access-date= November 3, 2015}}</ref> February 5 the organizers of the Hockey City Classic organized the ''Unite on the Ice'' event benefiting [[St. Jude Children's Research Hospital]]. The event was centered upon a celebrity hockey game with former [[National Hockey League|NHL]] and [[American Hockey League|AHL]] players, as well as a public free skate at Soldier Field. Participants in the celebrity game included [[Éric Dazé]], [[Jamal Mayers]] and [[Gino Cavallini]]. [[Denis Savard]] was in attendance, serving as an 'honorary coach' during the game.<ref name=medillhockey>{{cite web |url=http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/public-skating-charity-game-at-soldier-field-thursday/ |title=PUBLIC SKATING, CHARITY GAME AT SOLDIER FIELD THURSDAY |last=Romano |first=Sara |date=February 4, 2015 |website=news.medill.northwestern.edu |publisher=[[Northwestern University]] |access-date=July 5, 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20150304201037/http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/public-skating-charity-game-at-soldier-field-thursday/ |archivedate=March 4, 2015 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> February 15, 2015 Soldier Field hosted another ''Chicago Gay Hockey Association'' intra-league match in association with the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field.<ref name=gayhockey/>


===Soccer===
===Soccer===
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*Over 15,000 spectators attended the first leg of the [[1928 National Challenge Cup]] (now known as the [[Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup]]) between soccer teams [[Bricklayers and Masons F.C.]] of Chicago and [[New York Nationals (ASL)|New York Nationals]] of New York City. The match ended in 1–1 tie, and New York won the second leg 3–0 in New York City.
*Over 15,000 spectators attended the first leg of the [[1928 National Challenge Cup]] (now known as the [[Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup]]) between soccer teams [[Bricklayers and Masons F.C.]] of Chicago and [[New York Nationals (ASL)|New York Nationals]] of New York City. The match ended in 1–1 tie, and New York won the second leg 3–0 in New York City.
*[[United States men's national soccer team|United States]] vs. [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] in a friendly match – September 9, 2007.
*[[United States men's national soccer team|United States]] vs. [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] in a friendly match – September 9, 2007.
*[[Liverpool F.C.]] vs [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]] in the [[2014 International Champions Cup]] with Liverpool F.C. winning 1-0<ref>[http://internationalchampionscup.com/news/?article_id=108 Liverpool Hold Off Olympiacos at Soldier Field] ICC.com July 28, 2014 Retrieved July 28, 2014</ref>
*[[Liverpool F.C.]] vs [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]] in the [[2014 International Champions Cup]] with Liverpool F.C. winning 1-0<ref>[http://internationalchampionscup.com/news/?article_id=108 Liverpool Hold Off Olympiacos at Soldier Field] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729024651/http://internationalchampionscup.com/news/?article_id=108 |date=July 29, 2014 }} ICC.com July 28, 2014 Retrieved July 28, 2014</ref>
*[[F.C. Bayern Munich]] vs [[A.C. Milan]] in the [[2016 International Champions Cup]] with the game resulting in a 3-3 draw and A.C. Milan winning the penalty shootout 5-3.
*[[F.C. Bayern Munich]] vs [[A.C. Milan]] in the [[2016 International Champions Cup]] with the game resulting in a 3-3 draw and A.C. Milan winning the penalty shootout 5-3.
*Site of the [[2017 MLS All-Star Game]], to be played on August 2, 2017 between [[Real Madrid]] and a group of all-stars representing [[Major League Soccer]].
*Site of the [[2017 MLS All-Star Game]], to be played on August 2, 2017 between [[Real Madrid]] and a group of all-stars representing [[Major League Soccer]].
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===Rugby union===
===Rugby union===
The stadium hosted its first international [[rugby union]] [[test match (rugby union)|test match]] between the [[United States national rugby union team|United States Eagles]] and [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand All Blacks]] on November 1, 2014 as part of the [[2014 end-of-year rugby union tests]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11233010 |title=All Blacks: Chicago likely test venue – Sport – NZ Herald News |publisher=Nzherald.co.nz |date= |accessdate=2014-08-01}}</ref> More than half of the 61,500 tickets were sold within two days.<ref>[http://usarugby.org/mens-eagles-news/item/more-than-30000-tickets-sold-for-all-blacks-matchup-at-soldier-field "More than 30,000 tickets sold for All Blacks matchup at Soldier Field"], USA Rugby, June 18, 2014.</ref> The All Blacks beat the Eagles 74–6.<ref>Wise, Chad (November 1, 2014). [http://usarugby.org/mens-eagles-news/item/all-blacks-showcase-world-class-rugby-at-soldier-field "All Blacks Showcase World-Class Rugby at Soldier Field"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118194648/http://usarugby.org/mens-eagles-news/item/all-blacks-showcase-world-class-rugby-at-soldier-field |date=January 18, 2016 }}, ''USA Rugby''. Retrieved February 7, 2016.</ref> The stadium hosted its second international rugby union match on September 5, 2015 with the United States hosting [[Australia national rugby union team|Australia]] as part of the [[2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches]] shortly before both teams were due to travel to England for the [[2015 Rugby World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugby.com.au/wallabies/GameDay/2015WallabiesFixtures.aspx |title=2015 Wallabies Fixtures |publisher=Australian Rugby Union |date= |accessdate=2015-07-04}}</ref> The Eagles were defeated 47–10. [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]] beat [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]] 40-29 on November 5, 2016 at Soldier Field, as part of the [[2016 end-of-year rugby union internationals]] – the very first time Ireland had beaten the All Blacks in a Test match in 111 years of play.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-3909190/Ireland-40-29-New-Zealand-Joe-Schmidt-s-men-taste-historic-victory-Blacks-run-five-tries-record-win-111-years.html|title=Ireland 40-29 New Zealand: Joe Schmidt's men taste historic victory over All Blacks as they run in five tries to record first win in 111 years|date=5 November 2016|work=Daily Mail|accessdate=7 November 2016}}</ref>
The stadium hosted its first international [[rugby union]] [[test match (rugby union)|test match]] between the [[United States national rugby union team|United States Eagles]] and [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand All Blacks]] on November 1, 2014 as part of the [[2014 end-of-year rugby union tests]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11233010 |title=All Blacks: Chicago likely test venue – Sport – NZ Herald News |publisher=Nzherald.co.nz |date= |accessdate=2014-08-01}}</ref> More than half of the 61,500 tickets were sold within two days.<ref>[http://usarugby.org/mens-eagles-news/item/more-than-30000-tickets-sold-for-all-blacks-matchup-at-soldier-field "More than 30,000 tickets sold for All Blacks matchup at Soldier Field"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140624100330/http://usarugby.org/mens-eagles-news/item/more-than-30000-tickets-sold-for-all-blacks-matchup-at-soldier-field |date=June 24, 2014 }}, USA Rugby, June 18, 2014.</ref> The All Blacks beat the Eagles 74–6.<ref>Wise, Chad (November 1, 2014). [http://usarugby.org/mens-eagles-news/item/all-blacks-showcase-world-class-rugby-at-soldier-field "All Blacks Showcase World-Class Rugby at Soldier Field"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118194648/http://usarugby.org/mens-eagles-news/item/all-blacks-showcase-world-class-rugby-at-soldier-field |date=January 18, 2016 }}, ''USA Rugby''. Retrieved February 7, 2016.</ref> The stadium hosted its second international rugby union match on September 5, 2015 with the United States hosting [[Australia national rugby union team|Australia]] as part of the [[2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches]] shortly before both teams were due to travel to England for the [[2015 Rugby World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugby.com.au/wallabies/GameDay/2015WallabiesFixtures.aspx |title=2015 Wallabies Fixtures |publisher=Australian Rugby Union |date= |accessdate=2015-07-04}}</ref> The Eagles were defeated 47–10. [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]] beat [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]] 40-29 on November 5, 2016 at Soldier Field, as part of the [[2016 end-of-year rugby union internationals]] – the very first time Ireland had beaten the All Blacks in a Test match in 111 years of play.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-3909190/Ireland-40-29-New-Zealand-Joe-Schmidt-s-men-taste-historic-victory-Blacks-run-five-tries-record-win-111-years.html|title=Ireland 40-29 New Zealand: Joe Schmidt's men taste historic victory over All Blacks as they run in five tries to record first win in 111 years|date=5 November 2016|work=Daily Mail|accessdate=7 November 2016}}</ref>


===Concerts===
===Concerts===
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*October 28, 1944, President of the United States [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] made an appearance at Soldier Field, which was the only Midwestern speaking appearance he made in his last reelection campaign. This appearance was attended by over 150,000 (with at least as many people attempting to attend who were unable to gain admission).<ref>{{cite news|last=Gentry|first=Guy |title=700,000 Tickets Out for F.D.R. Rally Tonight|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=October 28, 1944}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Record Crowd Hears President Give Peace Program|newspaper=[[Chicago Defender]]|date=November 4, 1944}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, "Campaign Address at Soldier Field, Chicago" October 28, 1944|agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Edwards|first=Willard |title=F.D.R. Promises New Deal No. 2; Dewey Hits at War 'Credit' Claim|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=October 29, 1944}}</ref><ref>[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], "Campaign Address at Soldier Field", Oct. 28, 1944</ref><ref>{{cite news| title = Postwar Goal: 60 Million Jobs| newspaper = [[Los Angeles Times]]| date =October 29, 1944 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Record Crowd In Chicago | newspaper = [[Chicago Defender]]| date = November 4, 1944}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Kennedy|first=David M.|title=Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945|year=1999|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York City|pages=767–769; 774–775}}</ref>
*October 28, 1944, President of the United States [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] made an appearance at Soldier Field, which was the only Midwestern speaking appearance he made in his last reelection campaign. This appearance was attended by over 150,000 (with at least as many people attempting to attend who were unable to gain admission).<ref>{{cite news|last=Gentry|first=Guy |title=700,000 Tickets Out for F.D.R. Rally Tonight|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=October 28, 1944}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Record Crowd Hears President Give Peace Program|newspaper=[[Chicago Defender]]|date=November 4, 1944}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, "Campaign Address at Soldier Field, Chicago" October 28, 1944|agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Edwards|first=Willard |title=F.D.R. Promises New Deal No. 2; Dewey Hits at War 'Credit' Claim|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=October 29, 1944}}</ref><ref>[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], "Campaign Address at Soldier Field", Oct. 28, 1944</ref><ref>{{cite news| title = Postwar Goal: 60 Million Jobs| newspaper = [[Los Angeles Times]]| date =October 29, 1944 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Record Crowd In Chicago | newspaper = [[Chicago Defender]]| date = November 4, 1944}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Kennedy|first=David M.|title=Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945|year=1999|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York City|pages=767–769; 774–775}}</ref>
*[[General of the Army (United States)|US General]] during World War II [[Douglas MacArthur]] addressed a crowd of 50,000 at Soldier Field, which was his first visit to the United States in 14 years in April 1951.
*[[General of the Army (United States)|US General]] during World War II [[Douglas MacArthur]] addressed a crowd of 50,000 at Soldier Field, which was his first visit to the United States in 14 years in April 1951.
*[[Fireball Roberts|Glenn "Fireball" Roberts]] won the only [[NASCAR]] [[Sprint Cup Series|Grand National]] race held at the stadium's short track which ran across the old configuration, in 1956.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.laidbackracing.com/TheOldDays/SoldierFieldChicago.html|title=Checkered Flag Waves for NASCAR Legends story – Soldier Field|publisher=Laidbackracing.com|accessdate=November 30, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Higgins|first=Tom|url=http://www.thatsracin.com/2010/07/09/40300/chicagos-storied-soldier-field.html|title=Chicago's storied Soldier Field was once a NASCAR track|publisher=www.thatsracin.com|date=July 9, 2010|accessdate=March 10, 2012}}</ref> Three [[NASCAR Convertible Division|Convertible Division]] races were held at the stadium.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/featured-shows/2013/9/12/sprint-cup-series-chicagoland-throwback-thursday.html|title=Throwback Thursday: Chicagoland|work=[[NASCAR]]|date=September 12, 2013|accessdate=September 12, 2013}}</ref>
*[[Fireball Roberts|Glenn "Fireball" Roberts]] won the only [[NASCAR]] [[Sprint Cup Series|Grand National]] race held at the stadium's short track which ran across the old configuration, in 1956.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.laidbackracing.com/TheOldDays/SoldierFieldChicago.html|title=Checkered Flag Waves for NASCAR Legends story – Soldier Field|publisher=Laidbackracing.com|accessdate=November 30, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Higgins|first=Tom|url=http://www.thatsracin.com/2010/07/09/40300/chicagos-storied-soldier-field.html|title=Chicago's storied Soldier Field was once a NASCAR track|publisher=www.thatsracin.com|date=July 9, 2010|accessdate=March 10, 2012|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104002242/http://www.thatsracin.com/2010/07/09/40300/chicagos-storied-soldier-field.html|archivedate=January 4, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Three [[NASCAR Convertible Division|Convertible Division]] races were held at the stadium.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/featured-shows/2013/9/12/sprint-cup-series-chicagoland-throwback-thursday.html|title=Throwback Thursday: Chicagoland|work=[[NASCAR]]|date=September 12, 2013|accessdate=September 12, 2013}}</ref>
*The [[Chicago Freedom Movement]], led by [[Martin Luther King]], held a rally here on June 21. As many as 75,000 came to hear Reverends [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] and [[Theodore Hesburgh]] (president of [[Notre Dame University]], Archbishop [[Arthur M. Brazier]], and Minister [[Edgar Chandler (minister)|Edgar Chandler]] among others.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/specialcoll/services/rjd/CULExhibit/Urban%20League%20Exhibit/4_1_IL%20Freedom%20Rally.htm |title=Freedom Summer in Chicago: An Anticlimax | website=www.uic.edu |publisher=[[University of Illinois at Chicago]] Library |access-date=January 27, 2015}}</ref>
*The [[Chicago Freedom Movement]], led by [[Martin Luther King]], held a rally here on June 21. As many as 75,000 came to hear Reverends [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] and [[Theodore Hesburgh]] (president of [[Notre Dame University]], Archbishop [[Arthur M. Brazier]], and Minister [[Edgar Chandler (minister)|Edgar Chandler]] among others.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/specialcoll/services/rjd/CULExhibit/Urban%20League%20Exhibit/4_1_IL%20Freedom%20Rally.htm |title=Freedom Summer in Chicago: An Anticlimax |website=www.uic.edu |publisher=[[University of Illinois at Chicago]] Library |access-date=January 27, 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227210920/http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/specialcoll/services/rjd/CULExhibit/Urban%20League%20Exhibit/4_1_IL%20Freedom%20Rally.htm |archivedate=February 27, 2015 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
*The [[Chicago Freedom Movement]] held a second rally here on July 10, 1966. As many as 60,000 people came to hear Dr. King as well as [[Mahalia Jackson]], [[Stevie Wonder]] and [[Peter, Paul and Mary]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cohen|first1=Adam|last2=Taylor|first2=Elizabeth|title=American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley: His Battle for Chicago and the Nation|year=2000|publisher=Little, Brown|location=Boston|isbn=0-316-83403-3|oclc=42392137|page={{Page needed|date=May 2010}}}}</ref>
*The [[Chicago Freedom Movement]] held a second rally here on July 10, 1966. As many as 60,000 people came to hear Dr. King as well as [[Mahalia Jackson]], [[Stevie Wonder]] and [[Peter, Paul and Mary]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cohen|first1=Adam|last2=Taylor|first2=Elizabeth|title=American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley: His Battle for Chicago and the Nation|year=2000|publisher=Little, Brown|location=Boston|isbn=0-316-83403-3|oclc=42392137|page={{Page needed|date=May 2010}}}}</ref>
*The early-to-mid 1980s saw the US Hot Rod Association host Truck and Tractor Sled Pull Competitions and Monster Truck exhibitions here. The engines on some of the vehicles would echo through the skyscrapers in downtown Chicago as they made their pull. Damage to the stadium turf on a few of the event occasion's led USHRA to move events to the Rosemont Horizon (known today as [[Allstate Arena]]).
*The early-to-mid 1980s saw the US Hot Rod Association host Truck and Tractor Sled Pull Competitions and Monster Truck exhibitions here. The engines on some of the vehicles would echo through the skyscrapers in downtown Chicago as they made their pull. Damage to the stadium turf on a few of the event occasion's led USHRA to move events to the Rosemont Horizon (known today as [[Allstate Arena]]).

Revision as of 19:35, 4 September 2017

Soldier Field
"Stadium in a Park"
Soldier Field in 2006
Map
Former namesMunicipal Grant Park Stadium (1924–1925)
Address1410 S Museum Campus Drive
LocationChicago, Illinois
Coordinates41°51′45″N 87°37′0″W / 41.86250°N 87.61667°W / 41.86250; -87.61667[1]
Public transitMuseum Campus/11th Street (Metra station)
18th Street (Metra station)
Roosevelt station (CTA)
OwnerCity of Chicago
OperatorSMG
Executive suites133
Capacity66,944 (1994)
61,500 (2003)[11]
Acreage7 acres (2.8 ha)[3]
SurfaceKentucky Bluegrass
(1924–1970, 1988–present)
AstroTurf (1971–1987)
Construction
Broke groundAugust 11, 1922[2]
OpenedOctober 9, 1924
100 years ago
Renovated2002–2003
ClosedJanuary 19, 2002 –
September 26, 2003 (renovations)
Construction costUS$13 million (original)[3]
($231 million in 2015 dollars)[4]
$632 million (2001–2003 renovation)[5]
Renovations: ($1.05 billion in 2015 dollars[4])
ArchitectHolabird & Roche
Wood + Zapata, Inc.
Lohan Caprile Goettsch Architects
Project managerHoffman Associates[6]
Structural engineerThornton Tomasetti
Services engineerEllerbe Becket[6]
General contractorTurner/Barton Malow/Kenny[6]
Tenants
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football (NCAA) (1929)[7][8]
Chicago Rockets/Hornets (AAFC) (1946–1949)
Chicago Cardinals (NFL) (1959)
UIC Chikas football (NCAA) (1966)[9]–1973)[10]
Chicago Spurs (NPSL) (1967)
Chicago Owls (CFL) (1968–1969)
Chicago Bears (NFL) (1971–2001, 2003–present)
Chicago Sting (NASL) (1975–1976)
Chicago Fire (WFL) (1974)
Chicago Winds (WFL) (1975)
Chicago Blitz (USFL) (1983–1984)
Chicago Fire (MLS) (1998–2001, 2003–2005)
Chicago Enforcers (XFL) (2001)
Designated1987
Delisted2006

Soldier Field is an American football stadium located in the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It opened in 1924 and is the home field of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), who moved there in 1971.[12][13]

The stadium's interior was mostly demolished and rebuilt as part of a major renovation project in 2002, which modernized the facility and lowered seating capacity, but also caused it to be delisted as a National Historic Landmark. 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, University of Notre Dame football, and the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, as well as games from the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, and multiple CONCACAF Gold Cup championships. With a football capacity of 61,500, it is the third-smallest stadium in the NFL.

In 2016, Soldier Field became the second-oldest stadium in the league when the Los Angeles Rams began playing temporarily at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which opened a year earlier than Soldier Field.

History

Sculpture of a sailor and his family, gazing eastward, over Lake Michigan

Soldier Field was designed in 1919 and opened on October 9, 1924, as Municipal Grant Park Stadium. The name was changed to Soldier Field on November 11, 1925, as a memorial to U.S. soldiers who had died in combat. Its formal dedication as Soldier Field was on Saturday, November 27, 1926,[14] during the 29th annual playing of the Army–Navy Game.[15] Its design is in the Neoclassical style, with Doric columns rising above the East and West entrances.[16] The stadium cost $13 million to construct ($182 million in 2015 dollars), a very large sum for a sporting venue at that time (in comparison, L.A. Memorial Coliseum had cost less than $1 million in 1923 dollars).

Early configuration

In its earliest configuration, Soldier Field was capable of seating 74,280 spectators and was in the shape of a U. Additional seating could be added along the interior field, upper promenades and on the large, open field and terrace beyond the north endzone,[17] bringing the seating capacity to over 100,000.[18]

Chicago Bears move in

Soldier Field was used as a site for many sporting events and exhibitions. The Chicago Cardinals used it as their home field for their final season in Chicago in 1959. A dozen years later in September 1971, the Chicago Bears moved in, originally with a three-year commitment.[12][13] They previously played at Wrigley Field, best known as the home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team, but were forced to move to a larger venue due to post-AFL–NFL merger policies requiring that stadium capacities seat over 50,000 spectators. They had intended to build a stadium in Arlington Heights. In 1978, the Bears and the Chicago Park District agreed to a 20-year lease and renovation of the stadium. Both parties pooled their resources for the renovation.[19] The playing surface was AstroTurf from 1971 through 1987, replaced with natural grass in 1988.[20]

Replacement talks

In 1989, Soldier Field's future was in jeopardy after a proposal was created for a "McDome", which was intended to be a domed stadium for the Bears, but was rejected by the Illinois Legislature in 1990. Because of this, Bears president Michael McCaskey considered relocation as a possible factor for a new stadium. The Bears had also purchased options in Hoffman Estates and Aurora. In 1995, McCaskey announced that he and Northwest Indiana developers agreed to construction of an entertainment complex called "Planet Park", which would also include a new stadium. However, the plan was rejected by the Lake County Council, and in 1998, Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley proposed that the Bears share Comiskey Park with the Chicago White Sox.[21]

Renovation and landmark delisting

Aerial view of the stadium in 1988.
Aerial view from 2002, showing Soldier Field with interior demolished. Meigs Field airport is to the right in the image.
Soldier Field as seen from Lake Shore Drive. The modern grandstands, added in 2003, extend well above the original Neoclassical columns.

Beginning in 1978, the plank seating was replaced by individual seats with backs and armrests. In 1982, a new press box as well as 60 skyboxes were added to the stadium, boosting capacity to 66,030. In 1988, 56 more skyboxes were added increasing capacity to 66,946. Capacity was slightly increased to 66,950 in 1992. By 1994, capacity was slightly reduced to 66,944. During the renovation, seating capacity was reduced to 55,701 by building a grandstand in the open end of the U shape. This moved the field closer to both ends at the expense of seating capacity. The goal of this renovation was to move the fans closer to the field.[15] The front row 50-yard line seats were then now only 55 feet (17 m) away from the sidelines, the shortest distance of all NFL stadiums, until MetLife Stadium opened in 2010, with a distance of 46 feet.[citation needed] Soldier Field received new light emitting diode (LED) video technology from Daktronics. Included in the installation was a video display measuring approximately 23 feet (7.0 m) high by 82 feet (25 m) wide and ribbon displays mounted on the fascia that measured more than 321 feet (98 m) in length.[22]

In 2001, the Chicago Park District, which owns the structure, faced substantial criticism when it announced plans to alter the stadium with a design by Benjamin T. Wood and Carlos Zapata of the Boston-based architecture firm Wood + Zapata. Stadium grounds were reconfigured by Chicago-based architecture firm of Lohan Associate, led by architect Dirk Lohan, the grandson of architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The stadium's interior would be demolished and reconstructed while the exterior would be preserved. This is an example of facadism. A similar endeavor of constructing a new stadium within the confines of an historic stadium's exterior was completed in Leipzig, Germany's Red Bull Arena, which similarly build a modern stadium while persevering the exterior of the original Zentralstadion.

Dozens of articles by writers and columnists attacked the project as an aesthetic, political, and financial nightmare. The project received mixed reviews within the architecture community, including criticism by civic and preservation groups.[23] Prominent American architect and Chicagoan Stanley Tigerman called it "a fiasco".[24] The Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin dubbed it the "Eyesore on the Lake Shore".[25][26][27] The renovation was described by some as "a spaceship landed on the stadium".[28] Lohan responded,

"I would never say that Soldier Field is an architectural landmark. Nobody has copied it; nobody has learned from it. People like it for nostalgic reasons. They remember the games and parades and tractor pulls and veterans' affairs they've seen there over the years. I wouldn't do this if it were the Parthenon. But this isn't the Parthenon."[24]

Proponents argued the renovation was direly needed citing aging and cramped facilities. The New York Times ranked the renovated Soldier Field as one of the five best new buildings of 2003.[29] Soldier Field was given an award in design excellence by the American Institute of Architects in 2004.[30]

On September 23, 2004, as a result of the 2003 renovation, a 10-member federal advisory committee unanimously recommended that Soldier Field be delisted as a National Historic Landmark.[31][32] The recommendation to delist was prepared by Carol Ahlgren, architectural historian at the National Park Service's Midwest Regional Office in Omaha, Nebraska. Ahlgren was quoted in Preservation Online as stating that "if we had let this stand, I believe it would have lowered the standard of National Historic Landmarks throughout the country", and, "If we want to keep the integrity of the program, let alone the landmarks, we really had no other recourse." The stadium lost the Landmark designation on February 17, 2006.[33]

In May 2012, the stadium became the first NFL stadium to achieve LEED status.[34]

Public transportation

The closest Chicago 'L' station to Soldier Field is the Roosevelt station on the Orange, Green and Red lines. The Chicago Transit Authority also operates the #128 Soldier Field Express bus route to the stadium from Ogilvie Transportation Center and Union Station. There are also two Metra stations close by—the Museum Campus/11th Street station on the Metra Electric Line, which also is used by South Shore Line trains, and 18th Street, which is only served by the Metra Electric Line. Pace also provides access from the Northwest, West and Southwest suburbs to the stadium with four express routes from Schaumburg, Lombard, Bolingbrook, Burr Ridge, Palos Heights and Oak Lawn.

Events

Main article: List of events at Soldier Field

Football

Single events

1926 Army-Navy Game
  • The stadium hosted its first football game, on October 4, 1924, between Louisville Male High School and Chicago Austin Community Academy High School. Louisville's team won 26–0. (Chicago Tribune, October 2, 1924)
  • Over 100,000 spectators attended the 1926 Army–Navy Game. It would decide the national championship, as Navy entered undefeated and Army had lost only to Notre Dame. The game lived up to its hype, and even though it ended in a 21–21 tie, Navy was awarded the national championship.[35]
  • The all-time collegiate attendance record of 123,000+ was established November 26, 1927, as Notre Dame beat the University of Southern California 7–6. In 2016, 150,000+ attended a game between Virginia Tech and Tennessee at Bristol Speedway. ref name="timeline"/>
  • Austin defeated Leo to win the 1937 Prep Bowl; another contender for the highest attendance ever (estimated at over 120,000 spectators). The Chicago Prep Bowl games are held at Soldier Field yearly on the day after Thanksgiving. The bowl game is older than the IHSA state championship tournament held since the 1960s.
  • The stadium was host to 41 College All-Star Games, an exhibition between the previous year's NFL champion (or, in its final years, Super Bowl champion) and a team of collegiate all-star players prior to their reporting to their new professional teams training camps. This game was discontinued after the 1976 NFL season. The final game in 1976 was halted in the third quarter when a torrential thunderstorm broke out and play was never resumed.
  • In 2012, Notre Dame hosted a game at Soldier Field against the University of Miami as part of their Shamrock Series.
  • Four NFC Championship Games have been held at the stadium.
  • NFL teams winless at Soldier Field: Baltimore Ravens (0–3), Cleveland Browns (0–3), and San Diego Chargers (0–4).
  • NFL teams unbeaten at Soldier Field: Houston Texans (2–0).

NFL playoffs

Aerial view of the stadium in 2008
  • Other Bears playoff games at Soldier Field:

College football

NIU Huskies football plays select games at Soldier Field, all of which have featured the Huskies hosting a team from the Big Ten Conference. Northern Illinois University (NIU) is located in DeKalb, 65 miles (105 km) to the west on Interstate 88.

  • On September 1, 2007, NIU faced the University of Iowa in the first Division I College Football game at Soldier Field since renovations. The Hawkeyes defeated the Huskies, 16–3.
  • On September 17, 2011, the Huskies returned to play the Wisconsin Badgers in a game that was called "Soldier Field Showdown II". The eventual Big Ten champion Badgers topped NIU, 49–7.
  • On September 1, 2012, NIU hosted the Iowa Hawkeyes in a season opener that was called "Soldier Field Showdown III". The Hawkeyes narrowly defeated the Huskies, 18–17.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish football used the stadium as home field for the 1929 season while Notre Dame Stadium was being constructed. The school has used Soldier Field for single games on occasion both prior to and since the 1929 season.

Hockey

The 2014 NHL Stadium Series featuring the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Miami RedHawks played a doubleheader on February 17, 2013 with the Wisconsin Badgers and Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Hockey City Classic, the first outdoor hockey game in the history of the stadium.[36] A Chicago Gay Hockey Association intra-squad game was held in affiliation with the Hockey City Classic.[37]

The Chicago Blackhawks played against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 1, 2014 as part of the NHL's Stadium Series. The Blackhawks defeated the Penguins 5-1 before a sold-out crowd of 62,921.[38] The team also held its 2015 Stanley Cup Championship celebration at the stadium instead of Grant Park, where other city championships have typically been held, due to recent rains.[39]

February 7, 2015 Soldier Field hosted another edition of the Hockey City Classic. The event had been delayed due to unusually warm weather (42 °F) and complications with the quality of the ice. The 2015 edition of the Hockey City Classic featured a match between Miami of Ohio and Western Michigan, followed by a match between the Big Ten's Michigan and Michigan State[40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47] February 5 the organizers of the Hockey City Classic organized the Unite on the Ice event benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The event was centered upon a celebrity hockey game with former NHL and AHL players, as well as a public free skate at Soldier Field. Participants in the celebrity game included Éric Dazé, Jamal Mayers and Gino Cavallini. Denis Savard was in attendance, serving as an 'honorary coach' during the game.[48] February 15, 2015 Soldier Field hosted another Chicago Gay Hockey Association intra-league match in association with the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field.[37]

Soccer

1994 FIFA World Cup

Soldier Field before a soccer match
Date Time (CDT) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
June 17, 1994 14:00  Germany 1–0  Bolivia Group C/Opening Match 63,117
June 21, 1994 15:00  Germany 1–1  Spain Group C 63,113
June 26, 1994 11:30  Greece 0–4  Bulgaria Group D 63,160
June 27, 1994 15:00  Bolivia 1–3  Spain Group C 63,089
July 2, 1994 11:00  Germany 3–2  Belgium Round of 16 60,246

1999 FIFA Women's World Cup

Date Time (CDT) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
June 24, 1999 17.00  Brazil 2–0  Italy Group B 65,080
19.00  United States 7–1  Nigeria Group A 65,080
June 26, 1999 16.00  Ghana 0–2  Sweden Group D 34,256
18.30  Norway 4-0  Japan Group C 34,256

CONCACAF Gold Cups

2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Date Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
21 June 2007  Canada 1–2  United States Semifinals 50,760
 Mexico 1–0  Guadeloupe
24 June 2007  United States 2–1  Mexico Final 60,000

2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Date Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
23 July 2009  Honduras 1–2  United States Semifinals 55,173
 Costa Rica 1–1 (3-5 pen)  Mexico

2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Date Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
12 June 2011  El Salvador 6–1  Cuba Group A 62,000
 Mexico 4–1  Costa Rica

2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Date Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
28 July 2013  United States 1–0  Panama Final 57,920

2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Date Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
July 9, 2015  Trinidad and Tobago 3–1  Guatemala Group C 54,126
 Mexico 6–0  Cuba

Copa América Centenario

Main article: Copa América Centenario
Date Time (CDT) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
June 5, 2016 16:00  Jamaica 0–1  Venezuela Group C 25,560
June 7, 2016 19:00  United States 4–0  Costa Rica Group A 39,642
June 10, 2016 20:30  Argentina 5–0  Panama Group D 53,885
June 22, 2016 19:00  Colombia 0–2  Chile Semi-finals 55,423

Single events

Special Olympics

The 1st International Special Olympics Summer Games were held at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 19–20, 1968. The games spanned two days and more than 1,000 people with intellectual disabilities from 26 U.S. states and Canada competed in track and field and swimming, sparking a worldwide Special Olympics movement that now thrives today.

Rugby union

The stadium hosted its first international rugby union test match between the United States Eagles and New Zealand All Blacks on November 1, 2014 as part of the 2014 end-of-year rugby union tests.[50] More than half of the 61,500 tickets were sold within two days.[51] The All Blacks beat the Eagles 74–6.[52] The stadium hosted its second international rugby union match on September 5, 2015 with the United States hosting Australia as part of the 2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches shortly before both teams were due to travel to England for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.[53] The Eagles were defeated 47–10. Ireland beat New Zealand 40-29 on November 5, 2016 at Soldier Field, as part of the 2016 end-of-year rugby union internationals – the very first time Ireland had beaten the All Blacks in a Test match in 111 years of play.[54]

Concerts

Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead in 2015
Date Artist Opening act(s) Tour / Concert name Attendance Revenue Notes
August 21, 1937 Lily Pons
Rudy Vallee
Jascha Heifetz
Bobby Breen 		— 8th Annual Chicagoland Music Festival — —
August 15, 1964 Johnny Cash
June Carter 		— Chicagoland Music Festival — —
August 9, 1966 Barbra Streisand — An Evening with Barbra Streisand Tour — —
July 18, 1970
Performers
 — WCFL's Big Ten Summer Music Festival — —
June 4, 1977 Emerson, Lake & Palmer Foghat
The J. Geils Band
Climax Blues Band 		ELP Works — —
June 19, 1977 Pink Floyd — In the Flesh Tour — —
July 9, 1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd Point Blank 77,197 —
July 10, 1977 Ted Nugent Lynyrd Skynyrd
REO Speedwagon
Journey
.38 Special 		Super Bowl of Rock #3 — —
August 13, 1977 Peter Frampton Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
Rick Derringer
UFO 		— —
July 8, 1978 The Rolling Stones Journey
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
Peter Tosh 		The Rolling Stones US Tour 1978 — —
Augst 26, 1978 Parliament-Funkadelic The Bar-Kays
Con Funk Shun
A Taste of Honey 		Funk Fest — —
July 19, 1980 Smokey Robinson The O'Jays — —
August 10–18, 1983
Performers
 — ChicagoFest — —
August 9, 1985 Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band — Born in the U.S.A. Tour 71,222 / 71,222 $1,228,500
July 31, 1987 Madonna Level 42 Who's That Girl World Tour 47,407 / 47,407 $1,066,658
July 29, 1990 Paul McCartney — The Paul McCartney World Tour 55,630 / 55,630 $1,807,975
June 22, 1990 Grateful Dead — — —
June 25, 1992 Steve Miller Band
June 26, 1992
June 18, 1993 Sting
June 19, 1993
July 12, 1994 Pink Floyd — The Division Bell Tour 51,981 / 51,981 $2,056,105
July 23, 1994 Grateful Dead Traffic — —
July 24, 1994
September 11, 1994 The Rolling Stones Lenny Kravitz Voodoo Lounge Tour 90,303 / 90,303 $4,194,320
September 12, 1994
July 8, 1995 Grateful Dead The Band — — The 1995 Grateful Dead concerts were the band's last, as guitarist and vocalist Jerry Garcia died a month later.[55]
July 9, 1995
July 11, 1995 Pearl Jam Bad Religion
Otis Rush 		Vitalogy Tour — —
September 14, 1996 Little Feat Taj Mahal — —
June 27, 1997 U2 Fun Lovin' Criminals PopMart Tour 116,912 / 127,500 $5,956,587
June 28, 1997
June 29, 1997
July 18, 1997
Performers
 — Vans Warped Tour — —
September 23, 1997 The Rolling Stones Blues Traveler Bridges to Babylon Tour 107,186 / 107,186 $6,260,000
September 25, 1997
May 10, 1998 George Strait — Country Music Festival Tour — —
April 25, 1999
May 13, 2000 Wilco — — —
June 29, 2000 Dave Matthews Band Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
Ozomatli 		— —
June 30, 2000
June 16, 2001 NSYNC BBMak
3LW
Dream 		PopOdyssey 85,650 / 103,903 $4,739,359
June 17, 2001
July 6, 2001 Dave Matthews Band Buddy Guy
Angélique Kidjo 		— —
July 7, 2001
September 10, 2005 The Rolling Stones Los Lonely Boys A Bigger Bang — —
July 21, 2006 Bon Jovi Nickelback Have a Nice Day Tour 52,612 / 52,612 $3,988,455
October 11, 2006 The Rolling Stones Elvis Costello & The Imposters A Bigger Bang — —
June 21, 2008 Kenny Chesney Keith Urban
LeAnn Rimes
Gary Allan 		The Poets and Pirates Tour — —
October 11–12, 2008
Performers
 — Chicago Country Music Festival — —
June 13, 2009 Kenny Chesney Lady Antebellum
Miranda Lambert
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland 		Sun City Carnival Tour 48,763 / 50,109 $3,184,606
September 12, 2009 U2 Snow Patrol U2 360° Tour 135,872 / 135,872 $13,860,480
September 13, 2009
June 12, 2010
Performers
 — The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 — — Event held at Soldier Field parking lot
June 19, 2010 Eagles Dixie Chicks
JD & The Straight Shot 		Long Road Out of Eden Tour 29,233 / 32,420 $3,186,493
July 7, 2010 deadmau5 Rye Rye
Brazilian Girls 		— —
July 30, 2010 Bon Jovi Kid Rock The Circle Tour 95,959 / 95,959 $8,606,259
July 31, 2010
July 5, 2011 U2 Interpol U2 360° Tour 64,297 / 64,297 $5,786,335
August 23, 2011 Wayne Baker Brooks Sugar Blue — —
July 7, 2012 Kenny Chesney
Tim McGraw 		Jake Owen
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals 		Brothers of the Sun Tour 51,100 / 51,100 $5,109,399
July 12, 2013 Bon Jovi The J. Geils Band Because We Can 45,178 / 45,178 $4,690,204
July 22, 2013 Jay-Z
Justin Timberlake 		DJ Cassidy Legends of the Summer 52,671 / 52,671 $5,715,152
August 10, 2013 Taylor Swift Ed Sheeran
Casey James
Austin Mahone 		The Red Tour 50,809 / 50,809 $4,149,148
July 24, 2014 Beyoncé
Jay-Z 		— On the Run Tour 50,035 / 50,035 $5,783,396
August 29, 2014 One Direction 5 Seconds of Summer Where We Are Tour 104,617 / 104,617 $9,446,247
August 30, 2014
August 31, 2014 Luke Bryan Dierks Bentley
Lee Brice
Cole Swindell
DJ Rock 		That's My Kind of Night Tour 50,529 / 50,529 $3,754,362
June 6, 2015 Kenny Chesney
Miranda Lambert 		Brantley Gilbert
Chase Rice
Old Dominion 		The Big Revival Tour 43,630 / 48,278 $3,776,207 Chesney was the main headliner, Lambert joined as the co-headliner only for the Chicago show
July 3, 2015 Grateful Dead — Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead 210,283 / 210,283 $30,683,274 50th Anniversary concerts[56]
July 4, 2015
July 5, 2015
July 18, 2015 Taylor Swift Vance Joy
Shawn Mendes
HAIM 		The 1989 World Tour 110,109 / 110,109 $11,469,887 Andy Grammer and Serayah were special guests on the July 18 show
July 19, 2015 Sam Hunt and Andreja Pejić & Lily Donaldson were special guests on the July 19 show
August 23, 2015 One Direction Icona Pop On the Road Again Tour 41,527 / 41,527 $3,382,655
May 27, 2016 Beyoncé Rae Sremmurd The Formation World Tour 89,270 / 89,270 $11,279,890
May 28, 2016 DJ Scratch
July 1, 2016 Guns N' Roses Alice in Chains Not in This Lifetime... Tour 82,172 / 96,088 $8,843,684
July 3, 2016
July 23, 2016 Coldplay Alessia Cara
Foxes 		A Head Full of Dreams Tour 95,323 / 95,323 $10,215,572 The July 23 show was cut short due to inclement weather.[57]
July 24, 2016
June 3, 2017 U2 The Lumineers The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 105,078 / 105,078 $13,435,925
June 4, 2017
June 18, 2017 Metallica Avenged Sevenfold
Local H
Mix Master Mike 		WorldWired Tour 51,041 / 51,041 $6,093,976
August 17, 2017 Coldplay AlunaGeorge
Izzy Bizu 		A Head Full of Dreams Tour — —


Other events

President Franklin D. Roosevelt at Soldier Field
Gen. Douglas MacArthur at Soldier Field
Opening ceremonies of the 2006 Gay Games
President Barack Obama throws a football at Soldier Field after the 2012 NATO summit.
  • In the Marvel Comics event Siege, Soldier Field is inadvertently destroyed mid-game by Thor's friend Volstagg when he is tricked into fighting the U-Foes through Loki and Norman Osborn's manipulations of events.[81] The stadium is later seen being rebuilt by the heroes after Steve Rogers is appointed head of U.S. Security, following the aforementioned event.[82]
  • The 1977 documentary film Powers of Ten focuses on two people having a picnic on the east side of Soldier Field.[83]
  • The stadium appears in the 2006 Clint Eastwood–directed movie Flags of Our Fathers, when the survivors of the Iwo Jima flag-raising reenact it for a patriotic rally.[84]
  • The opening match of the 1994 World Cup at Soldier Field was one of the five events covered in the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary June 17th, 1994.
  • Soldier Field features (much changed) in August 4017a.d. in From The Highlands short story in David Weber's anthology collection Changer Of Worlds. It appears to have gone through multiple renovations, rebuilds and even having been built over, until nothing but the open space of the original remained
  • In the 13th Episode of Chicago Fire's fourth season, Soldier Field was featured on one of their calls for a terrorist hoax.
  • In the 21st Episode of Chicago Fire's fifth season, Soldier Field was featured on one of their calls for a high angle rescue.

See also

References

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Soldier Field
  2. ^ "Start Work On New Municipal Stadium In Grant Park, Chicago". The Christian Science Monitor. August 16, 1922.
  3. ^ a b "Stadium History and Timeline". Official website. Soldier Field. 2010. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  5. ^ Riess, Steven A. (2005). "Soldier Field". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c Published October 6, 2003 (October 6, 2003). "After a quick build, showtime in Chicago". SportsBusiness Journal. Retrieved March 10, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Hall, Andrew (January 18, 2015). "Report: Annual Blue-Gold Spring Game May Be Moved To Soldier Field". slapthesign.com. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  8. ^ Ford, Liam T.A. Ford (2009). Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City (1st ed.). Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. p. 91. In 1929 a new stadium was under construction at Notre Dame, and the team played its entire home season at Soldier Field
  9. ^ Ford, Liam T.A. Ford (2009). Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City (1st ed.). Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. p. 236. UIC started playing football at Soldier Field in 1966
  10. ^ Ford, Liam T. A. Ford (2009). Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City (1st ed.). Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. p. 236. their last home game at Soldier Field, on November 3, 1973
  11. ^ "Soldier Field". ESPN.com. January 9, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  12. ^ a b Rollow, Cooper (March 14, 1971). "Bears find home; it's Soldier Field". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, part 3.
  13. ^ a b "Bears sign to play in Soldier Field". Milwaukee Journal. March 14, 1971. p. 21.
  14. ^ "110,000 to see game today". Chicago Daily Tribune. November 27, 1926. p. 1.
  15. ^ a b "Historical timeline of Soldier Field". Chicago Bears. 2009. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  16. ^ "Soldier Field", Chicago Architecture Info. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  17. ^ "Truman telss Chicago crowd U.S. must remain strong". Chicago Sunday Tribune. April 7, 1946. p. 10, part 1.
  18. ^ "Closing meeting at Chicago's Soldier Field". Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. (photo). November 25, 1962. p. 64.
  19. ^ Lugardo, Sara (December 16, 2012). "History of Tailgating in Chicago". WBBM-TV. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  20. ^ "Bears' games at Soldier Field may be moved". Schenectady Gazette. New York. Associated Press. August 16, 1988. p. 26.
  21. ^ Taylor, Roy. "Soldier Field History". Bearshistory.com. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  22. ^ "Soldier Field". Soldierfield.net. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  23. ^ Barboza, David (June 16, 2003). "Chicago Journal; Soldier Field Renovation Brings Out Boo-Birds". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  24. ^ a b Sharoff, Robert (November 2002). "Field of Pain". Chicago Magazine.
  25. ^ Kamin, Blair (April 5, 2001). "Soldier field plan: On further Review, the Play Stinks". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  26. ^ Kamin, Blair (June 11, 2001). "The Monstrosity of the Midway; Mr. Mayor: Stop the Madness and Admit That the Lakefront Is No Place for the Bears". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  27. ^ Kamin, Blair (July 11, 2001). "A tale of Hungry Bears and White Elephants". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  28. ^ Chapman, Steve (September 14, 2003). "A stadium deal that is hard to bear". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  29. ^ Muschamp, Herbert (December 23, 2003). "Architecture: The Highs; The Buildings (and Plans) of the Year". The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  30. ^ Mayer, Larry. "Soldier Field wins prestigious award". Chicago Bears. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  31. ^ "Soldier Field loses National Historic Landmark status". General Cultural Resources News. eCulturalResources. April 24, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  32. ^ Murray, Jeanne (October 20, 2006). "Leveling the Playing Field". Preservation Magazine. National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  33. ^ "Weekly List of Actions taken on properties: 4/17/06 through 4/21/06". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 28, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  34. ^ "Soldier Field earns top building honor". Chicago Bears. May 31, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  35. ^ "1926 Army-Navy Game". Library Archives. United States Naval Academy. November 26, 2001. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved May 21, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ [1] Archived July 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  37. ^ a b Forman, Ross (January 24, 2015). "CGHA to skate at Soldier Field after Hockey City Classic". www.windycitymediagroup.com. Windy City Times. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  38. ^ [2][dead link]
  39. ^ [3]
  40. ^ "Michigan to Play Michigan State Outdoors at Soldier Field in Chicago". August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  41. ^ "Michigan, MSU to play outdoor hockey at Soldier Field". August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  42. ^ "Spartans Fall to Michigan at Soldier Field". www.msuspartans.com. February 8, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  43. ^ "WMU Hockey Comes Up Short at Soldier Field". www.westernherald.com. Western Herald. February 8, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  44. ^ "Michigan downs Michigan State, 4-1, in Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field". btn.com. Big Ten Network. February 8, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  45. ^ Sipple, George (February 8, 2015). "Sipple: Hockey City Classic in Chicago full of problems". www.freep.com. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  46. ^ "Saturday, February 7, 2015 Miami (MIA) vs Western Michigan (WMU)". www.collegehockeystats.net. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  47. ^ "Michigan 4, Michigan State 1". www.uscho.com. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  48. ^ Romano, Sara (February 4, 2015). "PUBLIC SKATING, CHARITY GAME AT SOLDIER FIELD THURSDAY". news.medill.northwestern.edu. Northwestern University. Archived from the original on March 4, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  49. ^ Liverpool Hold Off Olympiacos at Soldier Field Archived July 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine ICC.com July 28, 2014 Retrieved July 28, 2014
  50. ^ "All Blacks: Chicago likely test venue – Sport – NZ Herald News". Nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  51. ^ "More than 30,000 tickets sold for All Blacks matchup at Soldier Field" Archived June 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, USA Rugby, June 18, 2014.
  52. ^ Wise, Chad (November 1, 2014). "All Blacks Showcase World-Class Rugby at Soldier Field" Archived January 18, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, USA Rugby. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  53. ^ "2015 Wallabies Fixtures". Australian Rugby Union. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  54. ^ "Ireland 40-29 New Zealand: Joe Schmidt's men taste historic victory over All Blacks as they run in five tries to record first win in 111 years". Daily Mail. November 5, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  55. ^ Scott, John W.; Dolgushkin, Mike; Nixon, Stu. (1999). DeadBase XI: The Complete Guide to Grateful Dead Song Lists. Cornish, New Hampshire: DeadBase. ISBN 1-877657-22-0.
  56. ^ Waddell, Ray (July 4, 2015). "Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well Sets Attendance Record at Chicago's Soldier Field", Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  57. ^ Legaspi, Althea (July 24, 2016). "Rain can't dampen Coldplay party at Soldier Field". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  58. ^ "Planes Thrill Crowd at Military Show". Chicago Daily Tribune. June 25, 1932.
  59. ^ "1,500 Soldiers Will Move into Loop Wednesday". Chicago Daily Tribune. June 13, 1932.
  60. ^ Laughlin, Kathleen (June 25, 1932). "Amelia Flies to City; Given Noisy Ovation". Chicago Daily Tribune.
  61. ^ "Chicago Fair Opened by Farley; Rays of Arcturus Start Lights". New York Times. May 28, 1933.
  62. ^ O'Donnell Bennett, James (May 28, 1933). "Exposition Starts with Pageant in Soldiers' Field". Chicago Daily Tribune.
  63. ^ Gentry, Guy (October 28, 1944). "700,000 Tickets Out for F.D.R. Rally Tonight". Chicago Daily Tribune.
  64. ^ "Record Crowd Hears President Give Peace Program". Chicago Defender. November 4, 1944.
  65. ^ "Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, "Campaign Address at Soldier Field, Chicago" October 28, 1944". Associated Press.
  66. ^ Edwards, Willard (October 29, 1944). "F.D.R. Promises New Deal No. 2; Dewey Hits at War 'Credit' Claim". Chicago Daily Tribune.
  67. ^ Franklin D. Roosevelt, "Campaign Address at Soldier Field", Oct. 28, 1944
  68. ^ "Postwar Goal: 60 Million Jobs". Los Angeles Times. October 29, 1944.
  69. ^ "Record Crowd In Chicago". Chicago Defender. November 4, 1944.
  70. ^ Kennedy, David M. (1999). Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945. New York City: Oxford University Press. pp. 767–769, 774–775.
  71. ^ "Checkered Flag Waves for NASCAR Legends story – Soldier Field". Laidbackracing.com. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  72. ^ Higgins, Tom (July 9, 2010). "Chicago's storied Soldier Field was once a NASCAR track". www.thatsracin.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  73. ^ "Throwback Thursday: Chicagoland". NASCAR. September 12, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  74. ^ "Freedom Summer in Chicago: An Anticlimax". www.uic.edu. University of Illinois at Chicago Library. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  75. ^ Cohen, Adam; Taylor, Elizabeth (2000). American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley: His Battle for Chicago and the Nation. Boston: Little, Brown. p. [page needed]. ISBN 0-316-83403-3. OCLC 42392137.
  76. ^ Oehmke, Ted (January 6, 2000). "Cell Phones Ruin the Opera? Meet the Culprit". The New York Times. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
  77. ^ "Soldier Field – Building #84001052". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 1984. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  78. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Listings". National Park Service. April 28, 2006. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  79. ^ Noel, Josh; Elejalde-Ruiz, Alexia (July 16, 2006). "Pride, Support, Protest Mark Opening", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  80. ^ "President Obama throws football at Soldier Field". Chicago Bears. May 21, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  81. ^ Siege #1
  82. ^ Avengers (vol. 4) #1
  83. ^ "Powers of Ten". Film and description. Organisation Européenne pour la Recherche Nucléaire (CERN). June 14, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2011. The zoom-out continues, to a view of 100 meters (10^2 m), then 1 kilometer (10^3 m), and so on, increasing the perspective. The picnic is revealed to be taking place near Soldier Field on Chicago's waterfront, and continuing to zoom out to a field of view of 10^24 meters, or the size of the observable universe.
  84. ^ Turan, Kenneth (October 20, 2006). "Movie Review: Flags of Our Fathers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 21, 2010.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Soldier Field.
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