Packers Heritage Trail

Packers Heritage Trail
A logo that says "Packers Heritage Trail"; the "Packers" is on a small flag and a football is located below the text
LocationGreen Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
EstablishedNovember 2011
DesignationHeritage trail
UseWalking/Biking/Trolley
Maintained byGreen Bay Packers Hall of Fame
WebsiteOfficial website
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The Packers Heritage Trail is a self-guided walking and biking heritage trail that traverses locations relating to the history of the Green Bay Packers, an American football team in the National Football League (NFL).[1] All of the 25 sites have bronze commemorative plaques that explain the history of the site and its association to the Green Bay Packers.[2] Each plaque, which has individual sponsors, is either affixed to the side of the relevant building or placed on a pole in front of the site.[3] The Trail is split into three sections: the City Walk, which includes 16 sites and the Packers Heritage Plaza generally in downtown Green Bay; the Packing Plant Spur, which includes 4 sites along Baird Creek; and the Lambeau – Lombardi Spur, which includes another 4 sites along the Fox River.[4]

The Packers Heritage Trail was developed by sportswriter Cliff Christl, who would go on to become the team historian of the Packers. It was modeled after the Freedom Trail in Boston and opened in 2012.[5][6] It was originally led by the Packers Heritage Trail Foundation, Inc., which was formed by Christl and his wife Shirley. Two years later, the Heritage Trail Plaza was opened on the corner of Cherry St. and Washington St. in downtown Green Bay.[7] In 2017, the Foundation was taken over by the Packers and is now part of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. The Packers offer combined tickets for touring Lambeau Field, entrance to the Packers Hall of Fame and trolley tours of the Packers Heritage Trail.[8] That same year, Christl published a book covering the Trail titled Packers Heritage Trail: The Town, The Team, The Fans From Lambeau to Lombardi.[3] The Packers Heritage Plaza, which was updated and renovated in 2022, provides a larger overview history of the team with various plaques and statutes of past Packers players and coaches.[9] However, the site of the plaza has been identified for future development, which would require its relocation to another site in downtown Green Bay.[10] The city agreed to fund the removal of the plaza, while the Packers agreed to take possession of the statues, plaques and bricks that make up the landmark. The future location of the plaza is not yet decided.[11]

The City Walk portion of the Trail includes various buildings with connections to the Packers. This includes two historic train depots that the Packers utilized for away games, multiple office buildings that either the Packers utilized or key figures worked at, cultural and religious sites, and past Packers stadiums. The entirety of downtown Green Bay is identified as one of the historic sites, with the commemorative plaque located on the CityDesk, the name of Green Bay's riverfront. The Packing Plant Spur follows Baird Creek, just outside of downtown Green Bay and includes the remains of the packing plants for the Indian Packing Company, the Riverside Ballroom, and other historic playing fields. As the name implies, the Lambeau – Lombardi Spur focuses on the history of two key Packers coaches: Curly Lambeau and Vince Lombardi.[4] This spur is the only one that has sites with differences in their commemorative plaques: the plaques for Lombardi's home and Lambeau's gravesite are located a short distance from the house and the cemetery along the Fox River trail.[12][13]

  1. ^ "Packers Heritage Trail". NevillePublicMuseum.org. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  2. ^ "Packers Heritage Trail". GreenBay.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Christl 2017.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference SITES was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Williams, Scott Cooper (May 9, 2012). "Packers Heritage Trail nears completion: Part 1". The Post-Crescent (clipping). p. A3. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Williams, Scott Cooper (May 9, 2012). "Packers Heritage Trail nears completion: Part 2". The Post-Crescent (clipping). p. A5. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Ryman, Richard (September 15, 2013). "Heritage Trail Plaza open in downtown Green Bay". Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. A10. Archived from the original on September 16, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Lambeau Field Stadium Tours". PackersHoFandTours.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  9. ^ "Packers Heritage Trail Plaza Gets Facelift". The Press Times. July 10, 2022. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  10. ^ Bollier, Jeff (April 10, 2024). "Green Bay committee gets first look at plans for Adams Street parking lot". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  11. ^ Ryman, Richard (November 13, 2024). "Green Bay will pay to remove Packers Heritage Trail Plaza; also talks about Lambeau lease". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  12. ^ "Vince Lombardi's Home". HMDB.org. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  13. ^ "Curly Lambeau's Gravesite Home". HMDB.org. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.