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 Soldier Field in 2022 | |
  Soldier Field Location in Chicago  Soldier Field Location in Illinois  Soldier Field Location in the United States | |
| Former names | Municipal Grant Park Stadium (1924–1925) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1410 Special Olympics Drive |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°51′44″N 87°37′00″W / 41.8623°N 87.6167°W[1] |
| Public transit | |
| Owner | Chicago Park District |
| Operator | SMG |
| Executive suites | 133 |
| Capacity |
|
| Acreage | 7 acres (2.8 ha)[3] |
| Surface |
|
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 11, 1922 |
| Built | 1922–1924 |
| Opened | October 9, 1924 |
| Renovated | 2002–2003 |
| Closed | January 19, 2002–September 26, 2003 (renovations) |
| Reopened | September 29, 2003 (renovations) |
| Construction cost | US$13 million (original;[3] $231 million in 2015 dollars)[4] US$632 million (renovations;[5] $1.05 billion in 2015 dollars[4]) |
| Architect |
|
| Project manager | Hoffman Associates (renovations)[6] |
| Structural engineer | Thornton Tomasetti (renovations) |
| Services engineer | Ellerbe Becket (renovations)[6] |
| General contractor | Turner/Barton Malow/Kenny (renovations)[6] |
| Tenants | |
List
| |
| Website | |
| soldierfield.com | |
| Designated | February 27, 1987 |
| Delisted | February 17, 2006 |
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National Football League (NFL) since 1971,[a] as well as Chicago Fire FC of Major League Soccer (MLS) from 1998 to 2006 and since 2020.[b] It also regularly hosts stadium concerts and other large crowd events. The stadium has a football capacity of 62,500, making it the smallest stadium in the NFL. Soldier Field is also the oldest stadium established in the NFL and 3rd oldest in MLS.
The stadium's interior was rebuilt as part of a major renovation project in 2002, which modernized the facility but lowered its seating capacity, eventually causing it to be delisted as a National Historic Landmark in 2006. Soldier Field has served as the home venue for a number of other sports teams in its history, including the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL and University of Notre Dame football. It hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, and multiple CONCACAF Gold Cup championships. In 1968, it hosted the inaugural World Games of the Special Olympics, as well as its second World Games in 1970. Other historic events have included large rallies with speeches, including by Amelia Earhart, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King Jr.
- ^ "Soldier Field". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Soldier Field". ESPN.com. January 9, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
- ^ a b "Stadium History and Timeline". Official website. Soldier Field. 2010. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
- ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Riess, Steven A. (2005). "Soldier Field". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
- ^ a b c "After a quick build, showtime in Chicago". SportsBusiness Journal. October 6, 2003. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
- ^ Hall, Andrew (January 18, 2015). "Report: Annual Blue-Gold Spring Game May Be Moved to Soldier Field". slapthesign.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
- ^ Ford, Liam T. A. (2009). Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City (1st ed.). Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. p. 91.
In 1929 a new stadium was under construction at Notre Dame, and the team played its entire home season at Soldier Field
- ^ Ford, Liam T.A. Ford (2009). Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City (1st ed.). Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. p. 236.
UIC started playing football at Soldier Field in 1966
- ^ Ford, Liam T. A. Ford (2009). Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City (1st ed.). Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. p. 236.
their last home game at Soldier Field, on November 3, 1973
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