For those eagerly awaiting this Chicago Bears season at Soldier Field, the time has finally arrived.
Caleb Williams (No. 1) and Rome Odunze (No. 9) were selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft in April. Training camp was documented by HBO’s “Hard Knocks”, which is directed by Shannon Furman.
The active roster has been trimmed to 53 players after the Bears went undefeated during the preseason, but now it’s time to play football that counts.
One thing is uncertain: Although the Bears have called Soldier Field home since 1971, we don’t know how long they will continue playing by Lake Michigan (more on that here).
Here’s what to know if you’re going to a Bears home game during the 2024 season.
What’s the schedule?
The Williams era begins Sept. 8 at Soldier Field when the Bears open the 2024 regular season against the Tennessee Titans.
In Week 2 of his rookie year, Williams will be featured in prime time against the Houston Texans and quarterback C.J. Stroud, the 2023 offensive rookie of the year. That game at NRG Stadium in Houston will be played on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.” The Bears will follow with a trip to face coach Matt Eberflus’ former team, the Indianapolis Colts.
Chicago Bears 2024 schedule: Here’s who they’ll play — and our predictions for each game
Along with the prime-time games, the Bears will play two other featured games: Oct. 13 against the Jacksonville Jaguars at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Nov. 28 against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving at Ford Field.
The Bears haven’t played an international game since a group led by Khalil Mack and Chase Daniel lost 24-21 to the then-Oakland Raiders on Oct. 6, 2019, also at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Bears also played a regular-season game in London in 2011 and a preseason game there in 1986.
The season moves pretty fast.
If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. pic.twitter.com/MpXMPEcTD6
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 16, 2024
The Bears will be the host for this year’s London game, meaning they’ll have only eight home dates at Soldier Field.
That includes three straight home games in Weeks 10-12 against the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. The Bears will host the defending NFC North champion Lions in Week 16.
What’s the ticket policy?
Only mobile tickets will get you into Soldier Field. Purchasers can manage their tickets on their mobile device or online, including the ability to share tickets or post tickets for resale. Here’s how to do that.
We recommend adding your ticket to your phone’s digital wallet before heading out in case of weak signals or slow Wi-Fi on site. Screenshots of tickets are not valid for entry.
If you’re new to Soldier Field, here’s a seating chart — and how the field looks from that view.
Game times could shift because of the NFL’s flexible scheduling, so check those tickets closer to game day.
What time do the gates open?
Gates open two hours before kickoff, so 10 a.m. for noon starts or 1:25 p.m. for 3:25 starts. With increased screening and metal detectors at all games, arriving early is strongly encouraged.
What’s the bag policy — and what’s prohibited?
One bag per person is allowed, but that bag must be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and cannot exceed 12-by-6-by-12 inches. Clear fanny packs that fit those dimensions are allowed. If you don’t have a bag that fits that requirement, a one-gallon resealable clear freezer bag or clutch purse no larger than 4-by-6 inches is acceptable. Medical bags are allowed as well.
Leave these items at home
- Weapons/firearms
- Aerosol cans (mace, pepper spray, hair spray, etc.)
- Alcoholic beverages
- Balloons and beach balls
- Cameras with lenses that exceed 6 inches when fully extended
- Cans, bottles or other beverage containers (including sealed plastic water bottles)
- Clothing or signage with offensive or vulgar language or that blocks fans’ view
- Confetti
- Coolers (unless medically necessary) and ice chests (including soft-sided)
- Fireworks or smoke bombs
- Illegal drugs
- Laser pens and pointers
- Noise-making devices (horns, whistles, etc.)
- Poles of any kind, including selfie sticks
- Seat cushions with zippered covers, pockets or flaps
- Strollers
- Umbrellas
- Video or movie cameras
- Smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes, vaping, using smokeless or e-cigarettes and chewing smokeless tobacco also is prohibited
- Unmanned Aircraft Systems (drones)
Can I pay for things with cash once inside?
Everything inside Soldier Field is cash-free. So that means credit, debit, prepaid card or mobile payment for concessions, retail gear and roving food and beverage vendors. Fans can transfer cash to a Visa prepaid card for no fee at the ticket office window at Gate 0, the “Water Wall” pro shop and the pro shop on the Club 100 level.
What’s new on the menu?
Chicago-based Levy Restaurant Group, the Bears’ new hospitality partner, unveiled a new concessions menu at a preview event at Soldier Field, showcasing items such as the bear paw pretzel, carne asada waffle fries, an over-the-top doughnut and updated odes to regional favorites like the Italian beef sandwich.
Michael Arcomone, executive chef for Levy Restaurant Group, said the menu is a reimagined take on classic stadium food.
“Everything is new because (Levy) is brand new here,” Arcomone said. “Of course, an Italian beef and sausage isn’t a new thing, but the way we’ll present it and do it might be new to the guests at (Soldier Field).”
What’s the best way to get to Soldier Field?
Soldier Field is located at 1410 Special Olympics Drive in Chicago.
Chicago Transit Authority
Check out transitchicago.com for fare information, route schedules and maps.
By bus: Use 128 Soldier Field Express or 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express. The Soldier Field Express operates for every Bears home game this season (view Bears schedule here) and has buses that leave Ogilvie Transportation Center and Union Station starting about 2½ hours before game time until 30 minutes after kickoff and resume for an hour after the game on a load-and-go basis. Each route stops in front of the stadium.
By “L” train: Take the Red, Green or Orange lines to Roosevelt Station, which is less than a mile (15-minute walk) to the stadium entrance. Don’t want to walk? Take the 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express from Roosevelt Station to the stadium (drop-off and pickup at the corner of McFetridge and Special Olympics drives).
Metra
Six Metra lines connect to Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center:
BNSF Railway, Milwaukee North and Milwaukee West lines arrive and depart from Union Station.
Union Pacific North, Union Pacific Northwest and Union Pacific West lines arrive and depart from Ogilvie.
Metra offers two weekend-pass options. Unlimited rides on Saturday or Sunday are $7. Up to three children age 11 and under can ride free with each fare-paying adult. A weekend pass includes unlimited rides for $10, available only in the Ventra app.
For weeknight games, there are two all-day pass options available only in the Ventra app. The $10 day pass allows unlimited rides across the entire Metra system while the $6 day pass allows unlimited rides within three fare zones. Fares may be purchased in advance.
Check metra.com for route schedules and maps.
From Ogilvie Transportation Center (southbound on Clinton Street at Madison Street) and Union Station (bus stop on Jackson Street east of Canal Street): Take the nonstop 128 Soldier Field Express to the stadium. The round-trip bus fare is $5 for adults or $2.50 for seniors and children ages 7-11. The express service is available starting about 2½ hours before game time until 30 minutes after kickoff and resumes for an hour after the game on a load-and-go basis.
South Shore Line: Metra Electric Line tracks run from South Bend, Ind., to downtown Chicago. Select trains will stop at Metra’s 18th Street Station, which connects passengers directly to the stadium’s entrance via a pedestrian walkway. As 18th Street Station is not a regularly scheduled stop, passengers utilizing it on these days should purchase tickets for Museum Campus/11th Street.
Metra Electric Line: Extra service provided during Bears home games with trains stopping at the 18th Street Station and the Museum Campus/11st Street Station, which is near Soldier Field.
Pace
A limited number of Pace buses will be available at each boarding location — on Routes 236, 768, 769 and 776 — for transportation to Soldier Field during weekend home games only during the regular season. All riders will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis. Buses begin boarding up to 30 minutes before departure. Cost is $4.50 each way. Check pacebus.com for the latest information.
By bike, personal scooter, ride share or taxi
Pregame drop-off: Locations are the 18th Street turnaround just west of Lake Shore Drive and Balbo Drive at Columbus Drive
Postgame pickup: Balbo Drive at Columbus Drive
How much is parking? And where’s the best spot?
It varies. See complete details here.
At the stadium
All parking areas surrounding the stadium require a prepaid parking pass, which will be sent to fans electronically after purchase. Fans can either print their pass and display it on the rearview mirror of their vehicle or have it scanned from the Bears app.
These lots open four hours before kickoff and close two hours after the game.
Off-site parking
Some off-site lots — including Museum Campus, Millennium Garages and McCormick Place Lots B, C and D — allow fans to purchase passes in advance.
Lots that accept cash for drive-up parking on game day
Grant Park South (entrance on Michigan Avenue between Jackson Boulevard and Van Buren Street): Regular daily posted rate if not purchased in advance. No tailgating allowed. No shuttle service. Cost: $25.
McCormick Place Lakeside Garage Lot C (entrance on Fort Dearborn Drive): No tailgating allowed. No shuttle service. Cost: $45.
Millennium Garages (entrance on Columbus Drive between Monroe and Randolph streets): No tailgating. No shuttle service. Game-day, drive-up and advance, prepaid parking are available. Cost: $39-$48.
Burnham Harbor Lot (entrance on Waldron and Special Olympics drives): Available beginning in November after boating season. Tailgating allowed. Cost: $70-$125.
Lots with shuttle service to Soldier Field
31st Street McCormick Place Lot B (3050 S. Moe Drive): Shuttle operates two hours before kickoff to two hours after the end of the game, with limited return service available during the game. Tailgating allowed. Cost: $50-55.
Millennium Park Garage (entrance on Columbus Drive between Monroe and Randolph streets): Free shuttle departs from lower Randolph Street and arrives at 18th Street. Service begins three hours before kickoff and ends two hours after the end of the game. No tailgating. Game-day, drive-up and advance, prepaid parking are available. Cost: $45-$48.
Alcohol-free, family-friendly lots
No alcohol consumption is allowed in the lot south of the Adler Planetarium (1300 S. Lynn White Drive) for $50, 18th Street Lot D (1832 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive) for $70 and 31st Street Beach Lot (548 Fort Dearborn Drive) for $50. More information available at soldierfield.clickandpark.com.
Residential areas
No parking is allowed within this area surrounding Soldier Field during Bears home games. Violators could be ticketed and towed.
Can I tailgate?
Fans can tailgate on all surface lots of the Museum Campus, the upper level of the Waldron Deck and the Southwest Parking Facilities (McCormick Place 31st St. Lot B, D and E only) — but keep the setup to your parking spot. Tailgating during the games or after night games and consuming alcohol in the “Family Friendly” No Alcohol lots are prohibited.
Keep it simple, a die-hard Bears tailgater says.
“By the time I get in and set up and get everything rolling, it’s time to get in for the game,” said Ken Michalski, who has faithfully tailgated at Bears games for 38 years and was inducted into the Tailgating Hall of Fame in 2021. “It’s very limited on time.”
Precook food in foil pans that can be heated quickly on the grill, or stick to simple entrees such as hot dogs and hamburgers. Michalski also recommends streamlining what you bring, so breakdown is easier before you head into the game.
Everyone knows the old-guard options of how to fill that cooler: Bud Light, Miller Lite, Modelo and, of course, welcome to the club, White Claw. But a tastier tailgate can be had. Here are 10 recommendations.
Leave these items — or behaviors — at home
- Advertising banners or displays
- Disorderly conduct
- Deep fryers or any oil-based cooking or frying
- Picketing or political campaigning
- Tents or canopies of any size
- Tethered blimps, balloons and other oversized inflatables
- Fire pits, open fires and open flame heaters
- Propane tanks larger than 19 pounds
- Fireworks
- Setups or games utilizing sidewalks and/or streets
What about eating around the South Loop before or after the game?
There are spots — both indoors and outdoors — where non-tailgaters can grab some pregame grub (and a few bars too).
What should I see before going to my seat?
Well, first of all, it’s in Chicago — so there are nice views of downtown to the north, Lake Michigan to the east and a backed-up Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive to the west.
Those entering the stadium from the north can walk into the stadium past the Memorial Water Wall, a 250-foot-long granite wall adorned with eight medallions and seals to honor each branch of the armed services. There is also a sculpture to celebrate Special Olympics, which started in 1968 at Soldier Field, between the Field Museum and the north end of the stadium.
A doughboy statue to honor World War I servicemen can be found in the courtyard inside Gate 0.
Statues of George Halas and Walter Payton were unveiled outside Soldier Field in 2019. The two 12-foot, 3,000-pound creations are both at Gate 0, the entrance on the stadium’s south side.
A walk along the upper southern wall of the old stadium not only gives a sense of scale to the huge new structure as well as the far smaller old one, but also is adorned with memorials.
Soak it all in, Bears fans.
What’s that I hear?
Among the longest-running traditions in the Bears’ long history is their fight song:
“Bear Down, Chicago Bears”
Bear down, Chicago Bears, make every play clear the way to victory
Bear down, Chicago Bears, put up a fight with a might so fearlessly
We’ll never forget the way you thrilled the nation, with your T-formation
Bear down, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you’re wearing the crown
You’re the pride and joy of Illinois, Chicago Bears, bear down
The song, which is played every time the Bears score at Soldier Field, was created in 1941 by composer Al Hoffman, under the pseudonym Jerry Downs. “Bear Down, Chicago Bears” was released the year after the Bears won the 1940 NFL championship by defeating Washington 73-0.
Sources: Chicago Bears; Soldier Field; NFL; Tribune research, archives and photos
