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    Home games at Soldier Field · 62,500 seats · season runs Aug–Jan

    A charter NFL franchise playing in the league's oldest stadium. Here is how to pick a Soldier Field seat, time your purchase and plan a lakefront gameday.

    By the Good Seats editorial teamUpdated How we research

    Upcoming Chicago Bears dates

    Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.

    A charter franchise on the Chicago lakefront

    The Chicago Bears play their home games at Soldier Field, the open-air stadium on Chicago's lakefront Museum Campus. Preseason games fall in August, the regular season runs from September into early January, and a home playoff game is possible after that. With 62,500 seats, Soldier Field is the second-smallest stadium in the NFL, so Bears tickets are a tight market even before demand is counted.

    The franchise is one of the league's founding members. It began as the Decatur Staleys, a company team of the A. E. Staley starch company in Decatur, Illinois, which hired George Halas and Edward "Dutch" Sternaman to run it in 1920. The club moved to Chicago in 1921 and took the name Bears in 1922. Halas went on to coach the team, on and off, for forty seasons, an NFL record.

    The Bears have won nine league championships: eight before the Super Bowl era and Super Bowl XX after the 1985 season. The team also holds NFL records for the most Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinees and the most retired jersey numbers. The nickname "Monsters of the Midway" dates to the 1940s, and the fight song is "Bear Down, Chicago Bears."

    Rivalries define the schedule. The Green Bay Packers series dates to 1921 and has passed 200 meetings. The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings share the NFC North, and the series with the Cardinals, a crosstown rival until 1959, is the oldest continuing matchup in the NFL.

    Soldier Field: an old shell around a rebuilt bowl

    Soldier Field opened on October 9, 1924, which makes it the oldest stadium in the NFL. The Bears moved there in 1971 after fifty seasons at Wrigley Field. In 2002 the interior was demolished and rebuilt, with the Chicago Bears playing that season at the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium in Champaign, and the stadium reopened in late September 2003. Only the exterior walls and the Doric colonnades on the east and west sides were preserved, and the new seating bowl rises above them. The rebuild cost the stadium its National Historic Landmark status in 2006.

    The Chicago Park District owns the building. The playing surface has been Bermuda grass since 2022, and Chicago Fire FC of Major League Soccer has shared the stadium since 2020. The football capacity of 62,500 is lower than the 66,944 the old stadium held before the rebuild, a trade made to put fans closer to the field.

    The compact bowl is the reason sightlines are good from most of the building, and also the reason supply is thin. Fewer seats mean fewer resale listings for the biggest games, and those listings move quickly.

    Choosing a seat: home sideline, covered rows and the 400 level

    Which side is which

    The Bears use the west sideline, with their bench in front of the lower-level sections around 133. Sections 132 to 134 put you directly behind the team. The visitors use the east sideline, where the United Club occupies sections 202 to 216 and 301 to 317. The United Club is a three-level indoor club with private restrooms, bars and food service, and on a December afternoon that indoor access matters.

    Front rows are not always better

    Low rows behind either bench look close on a seating map, but players, coaches and staff standing on the sideline block much of the near side of the field. For a full view of plays developing, rows in the middle and upper part of the 100 level, or the 200 level between the 20-yard lines, usually give a better angle than the first handful of rows.

    Wind, rain and cover

    Soldier Field sits on Lake Michigan, and wind off the lake is part of every late-season game. On the west side, the media deck overhangs part of the 200 level, roughly sections 232 to 242, which gives some protection from rain and snow. Sections 235 to 239 combine that cover with a sideline position near midfield. The patio above section 354 has lake views and drink rails, but it is one of the windiest spots in the building.

    Sun on afternoon games

    The field runs north to south. In the fall, the afternoon sun sits low in the southwest, so fans on the east side face toward it while the tall west grandstand casts its own shade. In September that makes the west side the comfortable choice. In December, the sunny east side can feel warmer.

    The 400 level

    The upper deck is steep. That steepness keeps you closer to the field than the height suggests, and the 400 level is usually the most affordable way into a big game. The trade-off is a long climb, so it is a poor choice for anyone with limited mobility or small children.

    The games that sell first, and when to buy

    A Bears season includes preseason games in August, eight or nine regular-season home games, and any playoff games. Demand is not even across that schedule.

    • Packers games are the top draw every season,, and the rivalry draws fans from both Illinois and Wisconsin, which squeezes supply further.
    • Lions and Vikings games carry division stakes and draw well, especially late in the season when standings are on the line.
    • Prime-time games on Sunday, Monday or Thursday night pull national attention and often sell faster than Sunday afternoon games.
    • Preseason games are the lowest-demand dates and the easiest way to see Soldier Field without paying a big-game premium.

    Weather moves the late-season market. A cold, windy December forecast against a non-division opponent can loosen resale listings in the final days, while a division game with playoff implications tends to stay firm or climb. Home playoff games go on sale on short notice and draw the strongest demand of the year. Every order on GoodSeats is backed by a 100% guarantee, which matters most when you are buying in that last-minute window.

    Getting to the lakefront: transit, parking and tailgating

    As of the 2026 season, the team's gameday guide says gates open two hours before kickoff. Soldier Field is cashless, mobile tickets in the team's app are required, and screenshots are not accepted. There is no re-entry once you leave the stadium. The clear-bag policy limits you to a clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus a small clutch about 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Backpacks, coolers and umbrellas are prohibited. Policies change, so check the current rules before you go.

    Transit

    • CTA trains: the Red, Orange and Green lines stop at Roosevelt, a walk east to the stadium or a transfer to the #146 bus.
    • Soldier Field Express: the #128 bus runs from the downtown Metra terminals before and after games.
    • Metra and South Shore Line: the Metra Electric stops at Museum Campus/11th Street and 18th Street, and the South Shore Line stops at McCormick Place.
    • Rideshare: drop-off and pickup are limited to Balbo Drive and Columbus Drive, north of the stadium.

    Parking and tailgating

    The lots immediately around the stadium, including the Waldron Deck, the South Lot and the other Museum Campus lots, require a prepaid parking pass bought in advance. Tailgating is allowed on the Museum Campus surface lots, the upper level of the Waldron Deck and select McCormick Place lots. It is not allowed during the game or after night games, and the McCormick Place lots allow no postgame tailgating at all. Tents, open fires and propane tanks over 19 pounds are banned. The full rules are in the Chicago Bears' gameday A to Z guide.

    Following the Bears on the road

    The division schedule makes the Chicago Bears an easy team to follow. Lambeau Field in Green Bay is a few hours north by car, and Bears fans regularly make the trip, although nearly every Lambeau ticket comes through the resale market because Packers season tickets are held for decades. Minneapolis and Detroit both play under a roof, at U.S. Bank Stadium and Ford Field, so a December road game there carries no weather risk.

    Most NFL stadiums do not set aside a visitors' block, so traveling fans sit wherever their tickets land. If you want to sit near other Bears fans, sections behind the visiting bench are the usual gathering point, and buying a block of seats together in one listing is easier than matching singles later.

    The stadium question: what has been reported, and when

    The Bears have spent years pursuing a new stadium, and the plans have changed several times. The timeline below reflects public reports through June 2026. Nothing has been built, Soldier Field remains the home stadium, and no opening date for a new building has been confirmed.

    • September 2021: the team agreed to buy the former Arlington International Racecourse, a 326-acre site in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The sale closed on February 15, 2023.
    • April 2024: the Bears unveiled a proposal for a domed stadium on the lakefront, south of Soldier Field. It stalled without public funding.
    • 2025: the team returned its focus to Arlington Heights, and in September team president Kevin Warren said that project would not require state money for construction.
    • December 17, 2025: Warren announced the team would widen its search to Northwest Indiana after infrastructure funding and property tax issues went unresolved.
    • February 2026: Indiana enacted Senate Bill 27, creating a Northwest Indiana stadium authority and naming Hammond as the site.
    • June 5, 2026: the Bears said their board voted to advance a stadium project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site not yet determined.

    For ticket buyers, the practical point is simple: games through at least the near future are at Soldier Field. Check current reporting before treating any future stadium plan as final.

    Frequently asked questions

    Where do the Chicago Bears play home games?

    The Bears play at Soldier Field, an open-air stadium on Chicago's lakefront Museum Campus at 1410 Special Olympics Drive. The team has played there since 1971, except for the 2002 season during the rebuild.

    How many seats does Soldier Field have?

    Soldier Field holds 62,500 for football, the second-smallest capacity in the NFL. The smaller bowl keeps sightlines close but limits ticket supply for big games.

    Which sideline is the Bears sideline at Soldier Field?

    The Bears use the west sideline, with their bench in front of the lower sections around 133. The visitors use the east sideline, where the United Club seats are located.

    Does Soldier Field have a roof?

    No. The stadium is open to the weather, and wind off Lake Michigan is a factor late in the season. Part of the west 200 level sits under the media deck overhang, which gives some cover from rain and snow.

    Are the Bears moving to a new stadium?

    The team has pursued sites in Arlington Heights, on the lakefront and in Hammond, Indiana, and in June 2026 its board voted to advance a Hammond project. As of that date nothing had been built and Soldier Field remained the home stadium.

    What is the bag policy at Soldier Field?

    As of the 2026 season, fans may carry a clear bag up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus a small clutch about 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Check the team's current gameday guide before you go.

    Sources