Editing Soldier Field (section)

{{Short description|Stadium in Chicago, Illinois}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Soldier Field
| nickname = 
| logo_image = Soldier Field Logo.svg
| logo_size = 200
| image = Soldier Field S.jpg
| image_size = 250
| caption = Soldier Field in 2022
| address = 1410 Special Olympics Drive
| location = [[Chicago, Illinois]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|41.8623|N|87.6167|W|type:landmark_scale:2000_region:US-IL|display=inline,title}}<ref>{{Cite GNIS|418694|Soldier Field}}</ref>
| pushpin_map = United States Chicago#Illinois#USA
| pushpin_relief = yes
| pushpin_label = Soldier Field
| pushpin_mapsize = 250
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in [[Chicago]]##Location in [[Illinois]]##Location in the [[United States]]
| broke_ground = {{Start date|1922|08|11}}
| built = 1922–1924
| opened = {{Start date and age|1924|10|09}}
| renovated = 2002–2003
| closed = {{Start date|2002|01|19}}–{{End date|2003|09|26}} (renovations)
| demolished = 
| reopened = {{Start date|2003|09|29}} (renovations)
| nrhp = {{designation list|embed=yes|designation1=NHL|designation1_date=February 27, 1987|delisted1_date=February 17, 2006}}
| owner = [[Chicago Park District]]
| operator = [[SMG (property management)|SMG]]
| surface = {{Plainlist|
* [[Cynodon dactylon|Bermuda grass]] (2022–present)
* [[Poa pratensis|Kentucky Bluegrass]] (1924–1970, 1988–2022)
* [[AstroTurf]] (1971–1987)
}}
| construction_cost = US$13 million (original;<ref name="sfnet">{{cite web|url=http://www.soldierfield.net/content/stadium-history|title=Stadium History and Timeline|year=2010|work=Official website|publisher=Soldier Field|access-date=May 21, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717055344/http://www.soldierfield.net/content/stadium-history|archive-date=July 17, 2011}}</ref> ${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|13000000|1924}}}} in 2015 dollars){{inflation-fn|US}}<br />US$632 million (renovations;<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1165.html|title=Soldier Field|last=Riess|first=Steven A.|year=2005|encyclopedia=The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago|publisher=Chicago Historical Society|access-date=May 21, 2010|archive-date=April 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409011725/http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1165.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|632000000|2003}}}} in 2015 dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
| architect = {{ubl|[[Holabird & Roche]] (original)|[[Benjamin T. Wood|Wood + Zapata, Inc.]]|Lohan Caprile Goettsch Architects (renovations)}}
| project_manager = Hoffman Associates (renovations)<ref name="sportsbusinessdaily.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2003/10/20031006/Facilities/After-A-Quick-Build-Showtime-In-Chicago.aspx|title=After a quick build, showtime in Chicago|work=SportsBusiness Journal|date=October 6, 2003|access-date=March 10, 2012|archive-date=January 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106195724/http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2003/10/20031006/Facilities/After-A-Quick-Build-Showtime-In-Chicago.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>
| structural engineer = [[Thornton Tomasetti]] (renovations)
| services engineer = [[Ellerbe Becket]] (renovations)<ref name="sportsbusinessdaily.com"/>
| general_contractor = [[Turner Construction|Turner]]/Barton Malow/Kenny (renovations)<ref name="sportsbusinessdaily.com"/>
| former_names = Municipal Grant Park Stadium (1924–1925)
| tenants = {{collapsible list|
* [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1929)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://slapthesign.com/2015/01/07/report-annual-blue-gold-spring-game-may-move-soldier-field/ |title=Report: Annual Blue-Gold Spring Game May Be Moved to Soldier Field |last=Hall |first=Andrew |date=January 18, 2015 |website=slapthesign.com |access-date=January 18, 2015 |archive-date=February 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215033320/https://slapthesign.com/2015/01/07/report-annual-blue-gold-spring-game-may-move-soldier-field/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Ford |first1=Liam T. A. |year=2009|title=Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City |edition=1st |location=Chicago |publisher=University Of Chicago Press |page=91| quote=In 1929 a new stadium was under construction at Notre Dame, and the team played its entire home season at Soldier Field}}</ref>
* [[Chicago Rockets|Chicago Rockets/Hornets]] ([[All-America Football Conference|AAFC]]) (1946–1949)
* [[Chicago Cardinals]] ([[National Football League|NFL]]) (1959)
* [[Chicago Circle Chikas football]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1966–1973)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ford |first1=Liam T.A. Ford |year=2009|title=Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City |edition=1st |location=Chicago |publisher=University Of Chicago Press |page=236| quote= UIC started playing football at Soldier Field in 1966}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Ford |first1=Liam T. A. Ford |year=2009|title=Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City |edition=1st |location=Chicago |publisher=University Of Chicago Press |page=236| quote= their last home game at Soldier Field, on November 3, 1973}}</ref>
* [[Chicago Spurs]] ([[National Professional Soccer League (1967)|NPSL]]) (1967)
* [[Chicago Owls]] ([[Continental Football League|CFL]]) (1968–1969)
* [[Chicago Bears]] ([[National Football League|NFL]]) (1971–2001, 2003-present){{efn|name=urbana}}
* [[Chicago Sting]] ([[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|NASL]]) (1975–1976)
* [[Chicago Fire (WFL)|Chicago Fire]] ([[World Football League|WFL]]) (1974)
* [[Chicago Winds]] ([[World Football League|WFL]]) (1975)
* [[American Football Association (1977-1983)|Chicago Fire]] ([[American Football Association (1977-1983)|AFA]]) (1981)
* [[Chicago Blitz]] ([[United States Football League|USFL]]) (1983–1984)
* [[Chicago Fire FC]] ([[Major League Soccer|MLS]]) (1998–2005, 2020–present){{efn|name=naperville}}
* [[Chicago Enforcers]] ([[XFL (2001)|XFL]]) (2001)
}}
| suites = 133
| seating_capacity = {{ubl|66,944 (1994–2003)|62,500 (2003–present)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/chi|title=Soldier Field|work=ESPN.com|date=January 9, 2012|access-date=July 24, 2012|archive-date=August 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806074845/http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/chi|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
| acreage = {{convert|7|acre}}<ref name="sfnet"/>
| publictransit = {{ubl|{{rint|rail}} {{rint|chicago|metra}} [[Metra]]: [[18th Street (Metra station)|18th Street]]|{{rint|chicago|l}} [[Roosevelt (CTA station)|Roosevelt]] | {{rint|chicago|red}} {{rint|chicago|orange}} {{rint|chicago|green}}}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.soldierfield.com/|soldierfield.com}}
}}

'''Soldier Field''' is a [[multi-purpose stadium]] on the [[Near South Side, Chicago|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,{{efn|name=urbana}} as well as [[Chicago Fire FC]] of [[Major League Soccer]] (MLS) from 1998 to 2006 and since 2020.{{efn|name=naperville}} It also regularly hosts stadium concerts and other large crowd events. The stadium has a football capacity of 62,500, making it the [[List of current National Football League stadiums|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 [[History of the Chicago Cardinals|Chicago Cardinals]] of the NFL and [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|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 Special Olympics Summer World Games|1968]], it hosted the inaugural [[Special Olympics World Games|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.]]