Soldier Field Tailgating
Chicago Bears · Chicago, IL
Tailgating is permitted in every stadium-controlled lot on Museum Campus, and the venue calls it a long-standing tradition — but Soldier Field's rules are stricter than the reputation suggests. No tents of any kind are permitted, anywhere. Fire pits and open fires are banned in all lots, deep fryers and oil-based cooking with them, and no open flame at all is allowed inside the enclosed North Garage or the lower Waldron Garage. Propane tanks are capped at 19 pounds. Tailgating stops during the game, and after night games it does not resume.
Tips & Fan Reports
Show up with beer and food to any tailgate and people will welcome you. This is Chicago, everyone is friendly. Check out the CHGO tailgate on Cermak or just find any group with a grill going.
After a night game the lots do not reopen for tailgating, so plan the evening around leaving rather than staying.
Bring no tent. Soldier Field is unusual in banning them outright rather than capping their size, so a 10x10 canopy that is fine at most stadiums will not be here.
Check whether your lot is a Family Friendly lot before you buy — alcohol is not permitted in those.
If you want to grill, park outdoors. The North Garage and lower Waldron Garage are enclosed, and no flame of any kind is permitted in either.
Where to Tailgate
Stadium-controlled lots on Museum Campus
The open-air lots around the stadium on Museum Campus, where tailgating is permitted and where grilling is possible — unlike the enclosed structures. Aisles have to stay clear of equipment so emergency vehicles can pass.
Known for Tailgating permitted · Grilling possible outdoors · Keep the aisle clear
North Garage and lower Waldron Garage
The two enclosed garages on the campus. Tailgating is allowed in both, but no open flame of any kind is — no grilling, no infrared panels, no propane heaters — because a garage is an enclosed lot area. The trade here is shelter over cooking.
Known for Enclosed and sheltered · No open flame at all · No heaters
Family Friendly lots
Designated lots on the same campus where alcohol consumption is not permitted. Worth knowing before you park rather than after.
Known for No alcohol · Family designated
Adler Lot
The lot by the Adler Planetarium end of Museum Campus, which hosts the stadium's private and hospitality tailgate options rather than general open tailgating.
Known for Private tailgate options · Hospitality setups
Rules to Know
What Soldier Field allows, and what it does not.
- Tailgating at Soldier Field is permitted within all stadium-controlled parking lots on Museum Campus.
- No tents of any kind are permitted.
- Fire pits and open fires are not allowed in any lot.
- No open flame, grilling or otherwise, is permitted in an enclosed lot area — the North Garage and lower Waldron Garage.
- No open flame, infrared panel or propane heaters of any type are allowed in any lot.
- Deep fryers and any oil-based cooking or frying are prohibited.
- Propane tanks larger than 19 pounds are prohibited.
- Consumption of alcohol is not permitted in the Family Friendly lots.
- All tailgating in stadium-controlled parking lots is prohibited during the game, and after night games.
- Weapons, fireworks, drones, tethered blimps, balloons and other oversized inflatables are prohibited, as is overnight parking.
- An aisle clear of tailgate equipment must be maintained to accommodate emergency vehicles.
What to Bring
- A bag the gate will accept
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.
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Food for personal consumption may enter when its container complies with the NFL bag policy; beverage containers are prohibited.
- A card or a phone wallet
Concessions, in-seat vending, and retail transactions are cashless and accept credit cards, debit cards, and supported mobile wallets.
- Your tickets on a charged phone
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.
- Winter layers, gloves and a hat
January lows average 19°F in the seats at Soldier Field.
- A poncho, not an umbrella
Umbrellas are on Soldier Field's prohibited list, and October averages 3.5 inches of rain.
Tailgate Gear
Lots open before the game, ending once the game begins.
- A grill you can run outdoors — no flame is permitted in the North or lower Waldron garages
- A propane tank of 19 pounds or less, which is the stadium's hard cap
- No tent or canopy: they are banned outright at Soldier Field, unlike most stadiums
- Cooking that is not oil-based — deep fryers and frying are prohibited
- A setup narrow enough to leave the emergency-vehicle aisle clear
Chicago Bears Tailgate Gear
Canopies, grills, coolers, and official Chicago Bears gear for the ultimate tailgate.
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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.
- Pregame
Soldier Field official site, Plan Your Visit — Tailgating
- Venue policies
Chicago Bears and Soldier Field A-Z, bag-policy, and mobile-ticket pages reviewed for visitor-facing policies.
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals