Soldier Field

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Soldier Field

Stadium in a Park
Soldier Field in 2006
Former names	Municipal Grant Park Stadium (1924-1925)
Location	1410 S Museum Campus Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605
Coordinates	41°51′44″N 87°37′0″W / 41.86222°N 87.616667°W / 41.86222; -87.616667Coordinates: 41°51′44″N 87°37′0″W / 41.86222°N 87.616667°W / 41.86222; -87.616667
Broke ground	1922
Opened	October 9, 1924 Reopened September 29, 2003
Renovated	2002-2003
Closed	January 19, 2002 - September 26, 2003
Owner	Chicago Park District / City of Chicago
Operator	SMG / Soldier Field Joint Venture
Surface	Grass (1924-1970, 1988-present) AstroTurf (1971-1987)
Construction cost	$10 million USD $600 million USD (2001-2003 Renovation)
Architect	Holabird & Roche
Capacity	61,500
Tenants
Chicago Bears (NFL) (1971-2001, 2003-present) Chicago Fire (MLS) (1998-2001, 2003-2005) Chicago Enforcers (XFL) (2001) Chicago Blitz (USFL) (1983-1984) Chicago Sting (NASL) (1975-1976) Chicago Winds (WFL) (1975) Chicago Fire (WFL) (1974) Chicago Cardinals (NFL) (1959) Chicago Rockets/Hornets (AAFC) (1946-1949) Chicago Spurs (NPSL) (1967) 1968 International Special Olympics Games

Soldier Field (formerly Municipal Grant Park Stadium) is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, and is currently home to the NFL's Chicago Bears. It reopened on September 29, 2003 after a complete rebuild (the second in the stadium's history).

With the current stadium capacity of 61,500, Soldier Field became the smallest stadium in the NFL when the Indianapolis Colts moved out of the RCA Dome and into Lucas Oil Stadium in 2008.

The closest '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 and South Shore lines, and 18th Street, which is only on 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.

History

Previously it was the site of the former College All-Star Game, an exhibition between the last year's NFL champion (or, in its final years, Super Bowl champion) and a team of collegiate all-star players of the previous season prior to their reporting to the training camps of their new professional teams. This game was discontinued after the 1976 game because of the risk of injury to the all-stars in what was essentially a meaningless exhibition, and the lack of competitiveness of the game, which in its waning years was almost always won by the professional champions. The final game in 1976 was halted in the third quarter when a torrential thunderstorm broke out and play was never resumed.

Early configuration

In its earliest configuration Soldier Field was capable of seating nearly 74,000 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, bringing the seating capacity to over 100,000. The largest crowd for any event at Soldier Field was 103,274 on September 23, 1954, for the Catholic Church's Marian Year Tribute.[1]

Early years with the Chicago Bears

Although used as the site for many sporting events and exhibitions, it was not until September 1971 that the Chicago Bears first made it their home. They previously played at Wrigley Field, best known as the home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. Seating capacity was reduced to 57,000 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. Beginning in 1978, the plank seating was replaced by individual seats with backs and armrests. By 1994, additional seating was added bringing the capacity to 66,944. [2]

AstroTurf replaced the grass in 1971, when the Bears moved to the stadium. Grass returned for the 1988 football season.

Origin of name and design model

The field serves as a memorial to American soldiers who died in wars, hence its name. It was designed in 1919 and completed in the 1920s. It officially opened on October 9, 1924 (the 53rd anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire), as Municipal Grant Park Stadium, changing its name to Soldier Field on November 11, 1925. With its formal dedication as Soldier Field on Saturday, November 27, 1926 during the 29th annual playing of the Army vs Navy game. Its design is modelled on the Greco-Roman architectural tradition, with doric columns rising above the stands. However, after being rebuilt, the modern stands now dwarf the columns. The new stadium seats 61,500 people—5,444 fewer than the old.

The field features many memorials to past Bears heroes. It is said that it has twice as many memorials than any other stadium.

Renovation

In 2001, the Chicago Park District, which owns the structure, faced substantial criticism from the Chicago Tribune when it announced plans to alter the stadium. Proponents, however, argued the renovation was direly needed citing aging and cramped facilities.

Reaction to the renovation was mixed. The New York Times ranked the facility as one of the five best new buildings of 2003,^[1] while the Chicago Tribune architecture critic dubbed it the "Eyesore on the Lake Shore."^[2] While Bears fans generally regard the renovated exterior appearance as strange and ugly, they find the interior to be a pleasant and comfortable place to watch a football game.^{[citation needed]}

On September 23, 2004, as a result of the 2003 renovation,^[3] a 10-member federal advisory committee unanimously recommended that Soldier Field be delisted as a Landmark. The recommendation to delist was prepared by Carol Ahlgren, architectural historian at the National Park Service's Midwest Regional Office in Omaha, Nebraska. Ms. 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, primarily due to the extent of the renovations.^[4]

The current design of the stadium, with the Greek style columns being the primary remnant of the older facility, has prompted some fans to refer to the stadium as the "Spaceship on Soldier Field".^[5] This is because of how the new stadium bowl rises above and hangs over the columns, which was largely not the case in the older design. Also with the renovation front row 50-yard line seats are now only 55 feet away from the sidelines. This is currently the shortest distance of all NFL stadiums. When completed, the Meadowlands Stadium will eclipse this mark, with a distance of 46 feet.^{[citation needed]}

Events hosted

Mainly thought of as the long-time home of the NFL's Chicago Bears, the stadium on the shores of Lake Michigan hosted the Jack Dempsey–Gene Tunney championship fight in 1927, track and field competitions and several major college football games, including Army–Navy and Notre Dame–USC.

The stadium was the site of numerous races. A ¼ mile board track was built,^[6] and the first two midget car races at the track in 1939 were won by Sam Hanks.^[7] The track was also used for motorcycle races. The board track was removed and replaced with a paved half-mile oval track. In 1956, NASCAR sanctioned its only Sprint Cup Series race at Soldier Field. Twenty-five cars started the 200-lapper, with Fireball Roberts averaging 61.037 mph to win $850. The NASCAR Convertible Division held three races at the track in 1956 and 1957. These races were won by Tom Pistone, Curtis Turner, and Glen Wood respectively.^[8] The racetrack was torn out in 1970. Soldier Field even hosted a Tractor pull in 1985, which was so loud that it echoed off the tall Downtown buildings.^{[citation needed]}

In 1984, Soldier Field was listed in the National Register of Historic Places program managed by the National Park Service, and it was later designated a National Historic Landmark until shortly after its renovations were completed in 2003.

In 1994, Soldier Field was used as one of the venues for the FIFA World Cup, including the opening match between Germany and Bolivia.

Irish rock band U2 kicked off the first North American leg of their U2 360° Tour at Soldier Field on September 12, 2009. Attendance was maximized by a one-of-a-kind staging in the round which includes a suspended, circular video screen viewable from any angle. A visualization of this innovative staging can be seen at the band's website, U2.com.

At Soldier Field on July 9, 1995, The Grateful Dead hosted their last show ever with lead guitarist Jerry Garcia, who died a month later. The 2 ¹/₂-hour set started with "Touch of Grey", and ended with fan favorite and emotional "Box of Rain."

Further Reading

• Ford, Liam T. A., Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2009, ISBN 9780226257068

Image gallery

Aerial view of Soldier Field, circa 1988. Behind it is the Field Museum of Natural History.	A sailor and his family, gazing eastward, over Lake Michigan. Detail of a sculpture at Soldier Field.	Soldier Field as seen from Northerly Island	Westerly view of Exterior of Soldier Field
Northerly view in front of Bronze Mural 2007-Jan-10	Front of Bronze Mural 2007-Jan-10	Back of Bronze Mural 2007-Jan-10	Southerly view against skyline backdrop from Lake Shore Drive 2007-Jan-10
Soldier Field viewed from McCormick Place.		Soldier Field with view of new additions to top
Soldier Field 2006 NFL game kickoff Chicago Bears vs San Francisco 49ers

References

External links

• BearsHistory.com Soldier Field page
• Stadium web site
• Encyclopedia of Chicago entry
• National Trust for Historic Preservation online magazine
• Local Live (Virtual Earth) Imagery showing Soldier Field under renovation.

v • d • e U.S. National Register of Historic Places Keeper of the Register · History of the National Register of Historic Places · Property types · Historic district · Contributing property List of entries National Park Service · National Historic Landmarks · National Battlefields · National Historic Sites · National Historical Parks · National Memorials · National Monuments