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Soldier Field Information
The original Soldier Field opened in 1924, today the new Soldier Field that opened in 2003 preserves part of the original building while providing a sleek modern look for Bears fans. The Chicago Bears began wanting a new stadium in the late 1990's when other modern state of the art stadiums were being built in other cities. The Bears had a rich tradition of playing football at Soldier Field, the NFL's oldest stadium. Several options on where a new stadium should be built were discussed, but the Bears decided to move nowhere. The Bears decided to build a new stadium on the same site of their current home, Soldier Field. Because of its historical presence in Chicago, the Bears decided to leave the historic colonnades for which Soldier Field is best known. The rest of the stadium would be completely demolished and a new stadium would be built inside the exterior shell.
In order for a new stadium to be built, the Bears had to play the 2002 NFL season at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL. At the conclusion of the 2001 season, demolition and construction on the new stadium began. The Bears new stadium continues to carry the name Soldier Field.
The stadium has 66,000 blue seats in several tiers, improved seating, better sightlines, an enlarged concourse, two 96-foot-by-23-foot video-boards, 8,000 club seats, and 133 luxury suites. To preserve Soldier Field, the classic colonnades remain intact as a lasting monument to Soldier Field's glorious past, and a 250-foot granite-wall sculpture still serves as a memorial to the men and women who served in the armed forces. Fans also are able to walk among the colonnades and the horseshoe promenade. The Chicago Bears played their first game at Soldier Field II on September 29, 2003.
Name: Soldier Field II
Location: Chicago, IL
Tenant: Chicago Bears
Capacity: 63,000
Surface: Grass
Construction Began: Winter 2001
Opened: September 29, 2003
Cost: $365 Million
Architect: Lohan Caprile Goettsch Architects and Wood
Seating Chart
Stadium Address:
425 East McFetridge
Chicago, IL 60605
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