Soldier Field
The NFL's oldest stadium lost its National Historic Landmark status because of the renovation meant to save it.
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Opened in 1924 on the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, Soldier Field is the oldest stadium in both the NFL and MLS. It has hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the inaugural 1968 Special Olympics World Games, and speeches by MLK, FDR, and Amelia Earhart. A 2002–2003 interior rebuild modernized the facility, cut seating to 62,500, and triggered its delisting as a National Historic Landmark in 2006 — an irony worth standing in the middle of.
What to look for
- The rebuilt interior from the 2002–2003 renovation — the project that directly caused delisting as a National Historic Landmark
- A capacity of 62,500 seats — second-smallest in the NFL, despite being the league's oldest venue
- The Near South Side site where, in November 1924, Notre Dame defeated Northwestern 13–6 in the stadium's first college football game
On the Near South Side; home to the Chicago Bears (NFL, fall) and Chicago Fire FC (MLS, spring–fall) — check schedules if a game-day atmosphere is what you want.
Soldier Field is one of 37 sights worth the detour in Chicago, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Chicago pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Chicago
- Willis TowerIt held the world's tallest title for nearly 25 years after opening in 1973 — and the Skydeck is still the highest observation deck in the United States.
- Art Institute of ChicagoFour paintings you've seen your whole life — Nighthawks, La Grande Jatte, The Old Guitarist, American Gothic — hang in the same building.
- John Hancock Center (875 N Michigan Ave)A moving platform pivots you 30 degrees outward over the Magnificent Mile — 1,128 feet of nothing beneath your feet.
- Aon CenterWhen it opened in 1973 as "Big Stan," this 83-floor tower was the fourth-tallest building on Earth — and clad entirely in marble.
- United CenterThe Bulls hardwood floor is literally assembled over the Blackhawks ice and taken apart game by game — two teams, one frozen surface, shared by puzzle.
- Home Insurance Building SiteChicago halted construction mid-job — city officials had never seen a steel skeleton carry a building instead of its own walls and stopped work to investigate its safety.