Soldier Field Game Day Guide
Chicago Bears · Chicago, IL
Know Before You Go
Essential details checked against official venue information.
- Bag policy
Clear bags may be no larger than 12 x 6 x 12 inches; one-gallon clear freezer bags and non-clear bags no larger than 4.5 x 6.5 inches are also permitted.
Applies to: Chicago Bears games
- Medical bags are accepted after inspection, while diapers must be carried in an approved clear bag unless medically necessary.
- Bag storage
Gameday lockers for prohibited items are available for a $10 credit-card-only rental fee.
Applies to: Chicago Bears games
- Locker locations are at the Field Museum East Terrace near McFetridge Drive and at the 18th Street turnaround west of DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
- Gate opening
Soldier Field gates open two hours before kickoff for Bears games.
Applies to: Chicago Bears games
- Mobile tickets
Bears home games require a mobile ticket in the Bears app, Ticketmaster app, or a phone's mobile wallet; PDFs and screenshots are not accepted.
Applies to: Chicago Bears games
- Add tickets to the mobile wallet before arrival, and use the Gate 10 ticket office for gameday help.
- Re-entry
Guests may not exit and re-enter Soldier Field; no re-entry passes are issued.
Applies to: Chicago Bears games
- Prohibited items
Soldier Field prohibits weapons, alcohol, non-compliant bags, beverage containers, coolers, strollers, umbrellas, drones, fireworks, noisemakers, laser pointers, large camera lenses, and other listed items.
Applies to: Chicago Bears games
- Review the complete official list before leaving home because security may confiscate prohibited items.
- First aid
First-aid stations are inside Gate 17, behind Section 339, and behind Section 304 on the United Club 300 Level, with roving medical teams also available.
Applies to: Chicago Bears games
- For medical help, contact an usher or security official, text 815-880-1920, or call 312-235-7999.
- Nursing and lactation
Nursing space is available in the South Courtyard suite, the First Aid office inside Gate 17, Mamava pods inside Gate 25 and behind Section 230, and a United Club family restroom.
Applies to: Chicago Bears games
- The Mamava pod inside Gate 25 is wheelchair accessible.
- Family restrooms
Family and all-gender restrooms are available throughout the general stadium and United Club, and all Soldier Field restrooms have baby-changing stations.
Applies to: Chicago Bears games
- General locations include Sections 121, 146, 154, 320, 354, 435, 437, and 439.
- Tickets for children
A child shorter than 32 inches may enter without a ticket after receiving a complimentary lap pass at the Gate 8 Ticket Office.
Applies to: Chicago Bears games
- The child must be present when the pass is issued, sit on a ticketed guest's lap, and may not occupy a seat; one lap pass is allowed per game ticket.
- Guest services
Fan Services booths are available across the general stadium and at United Club concierge desks.
Applies to: Chicago Bears games
- For gameday assistance, text the issue and location to 815-880-1920, call 312-235-7999, or contact a security officer, usher, or Fan Services team member.
- Service animals
Task-trained service animals and animals in training may enter at Gate 8; comfort and emotional-support animals are not permitted.
Applies to: Chicago Bears games
- Gate 8 also permits exit and re-entry when a service animal needs the relief area.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking, vaping, e-cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco are prohibited throughout Soldier Field, with no designated smoking areas inside or outside.
Applies to: Chicago Bears games
- Re-entry is prohibited, so guests cannot leave to smoke and return.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Soldier Field, hour by hour.
Parking Lots Open
South Lot and museum campus parking open. Tailgaters start setting up grills and claiming spots along the lakefront.
Tailgate Scene Builds
The South Lot and surrounding areas fill up with grills, music, and bags games. Walk the lakefront and soak in the atmosphere.
Gates Open
Stadium gates open. Head in early to explore the concourses, grab an Italian beef, and watch warmups from the lower bowl.
Player Warmups
Players take the field for warmups. Great photo opportunities from the end zone sections.
Find Your Seats
Get settled with food and drinks. The pregame video and player introductions are worth being in your seat for.
Game Time
Bear Down, Chicago Bears. Join 61,500 fans in one of the NFL's most storied venues with the Chicago skyline as your backdrop.
Exit Strategy
Walk north through Grant Park to reach CTA and Metra stations. Museum campus clears in 30-45 minutes. Many fans head to nearby South Loop bars.
Tips & Fan Reports
Best food is served in the parking lot honestly. The stadium food sucks but the polish sausage from the little stand on the second level is decent. Tailgate or eat right before you go in.
Bring hand warmers and layers for any game after October. Lake Michigan wind cuts right through you.
Dress for lakefront weather. It's always colder and windier at Soldier Field than the city forecast suggests.
Try the Italian beef sandwich dipped. It's the quintessential Chicago game-day food.
Italian beef sandwich dipped is the move. Do not get it dry - you are at a Bears game in Chicago, commit to the experience.
Tailgate in the south lots. The north lots along the museum campus are more scenic but the south side is where the real party is.
The lakefront wind is real. Whatever the forecast says for downtown, subtract 10-15 degrees for Soldier Field. Layer up.
Weather
Soldier Field is open air, so these are the conditions you sit in.
Across the NFL season the warmest month is September, with an average high of 76°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 19°F. October is the wettest month at 3.5 inches and January the driest at 1.5 inches.
That January low ranks 4th coldest of the 32 NFL venues, and October here ranks 19th wettest.
September
2.8 inchesOctober
3.5 inchesNovember
2.4 inchesDecember
1.8 inchesJanuary
1.5 inchesChicago Bears Clear Bag Policy
Most venues require a clear bag. Get an approved one before you travel.
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How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Game day timeline
Gate opening time checked against the venue's own gate-opening policy: Soldier Field gates open two hours before kickoff for Bears games.
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Chicago Bears and Soldier Field A-Z, bag-policy, and mobile-ticket pages reviewed for visitor-facing policies.