Your Chicago quest
Buccaneers at Bears
Soldier Field
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Buccaneers at Bears
Soldier Field. Sunday, November 8, 7:20 PM.
2 travellers, 2 nights, Sat, Nov 7 to Mon, Nov 9.
Flight
Fly into ORD
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Hotel
Stay in the city and ride in for the game
Finding rooms for your dates
Game
Buccaneers at Bears
Sunday 7:20 PM, Soldier Field.
3 sellers, all-in prices.
Game day
- 3:20 PMMiller Lite Ultimate Tailgate on the Field Museum terrace
- 5:20 PMWalk in from Roosevelt station through Museum Campus
- 6:50 PMBe in your seat
- 7:20 PMKickoff, Buccaneers at Bears
Local picks
- tailgate, 65 points
- eat, 65 points
- tour, 100 points
- ritual, 25 points
Estimated trip, per person
Pricing flights and rooms
Scout
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Scout's briefing
Flights
Fly into ORD
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Know before you go
Gates, bags, payment and access at Soldier Field.
Arrive by
The Bears strongly encourage fans to arrive early. They say get to your seats at least 20 minutes before kickoff. Gates open two hours before kickoff.
Entry mechanism
Entry is mobile-only. All guests must enter Bears home games at Soldier Field using a mobile ticket. Tickets live in the free Chicago Bears Official App. Screenshots are not valid for entry, so do not screenshot your ticket to dodge roaming charges. No international caveat is published.
Gate finder
No interactive gate finder exists on either official site. The Bears A-Z has no gate-to-section tool. What is published is a static seating map on soldierfield.com, plus gate references scattered through the A-Z: Gate 0/Ticketmaster Plaza, Gates 1, 8, 10, 14, 17, 25. A fan cannot look up a section and get a gate from an official source.
Bag policy
Bring a clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches, or a one-gallon clear freezer bag. One non-clear bag up to 4.5 by 6.5 inches is also allowed. Diaper bags are listed as prohibited unless medically necessary; diapers must travel inside the clear bag. SoFi allows diaper bags by name, Soldier Field does not. This is the most likely thing to strand a family at the gate.
Prohibited items
Umbrellas of any kind are banned. Strollers get checked at Gate 10 or Gate 8. Seat cushions with zippers, pockets or flaps are banned. Cameras with lenses over 6 inches extended are banned, as are video cameras. Banners and flags cannot attach to poles or block views. Outside food and alcohol, noise-making devices, aerosols and drones are all banned.
Re-entry
No re-entry is allowed. Soldier Field states fans may not exit and re-enter, and no re-entry passes are issued. The Bears A-Z confirms no re-entries are permitted.
Payment
Soldier Field is cashless. Accepted payment is credit card, debit card or mobile wallet. The ATMs listed on the A-Z, at Dr Pepper Patio, Sections 128 and 350, Lexus North Garage Level 4, and outside Gate 10, are ordinary cash-dispensing PNC machines. They do not convert cash to card. No cash-to-card kiosk is published, so a fan without a working card has no published option.
Accessible entry
Gate 8 is the one gate the Bears call out by name. It is the gate for service animals and for exchanging a mobile ticket for a wheelchair-accessible seat. ADA drop-off is outside Gate 14 on the south-east side. Neither official site lists which gates are step-free for general entry, and the 1924 colonnades should not be assumed uniform. Gate 8's role is confirmed, but a full step-free gate list is not published.
Accessible seating
Buy through the Bears Ticket Sales and Services Team at (847) 615-BEAR (2327), also the ADA Coordinator line. Soldier Field confirms wheelchair-accessible and companion seating is sold for every ticketed event. Gameday exchanges for a wheelchair-accessible seat happen at Gate 8. No advance-notice period is published.
Sensory accommodations
Sensory bags are available only at Ticketmaster Plaza, Gate 0. Enter at any other gate and you must walk to Gate 0 first. Assistive listening devices are at the Fan Services booth at Ticketmaster Plaza, Gate 0. No sensory room, no KultureCity certification, and no ASL interpreter policy or notice period is published by the Bears or Soldier Field. Lambeau, by comparison, publishes a 48-hour interpreter notice.
Family amenities
There is a nursing suite in the Dr Pepper Patio/South Courtyard, a nursing space in the First Aid Office inside Gate 17, and two Mamava pods at Gate 25 and behind Section 230. Family and all-gender restrooms are at Sections 121, 146, 154, 320, 354, 435, 437, 439, the United Club 100 Level, and Sections 202 and 216. Every restroom has a baby-changing station and is ADA accessible. Lost children go to the Gate 1 Guest Services office. Child ID wristbands are issued at Fan Services booths.
Connectivity
Two Wi-Fi networks are published. Connect to Soldier Field Free Wi-Fi, or Bears Wi-Fi on game days. No DAS or cell-capacity guidance is published by the venue or the club.
Area guide
Getting in
ORD, Chicago O'Hare International. 40 minutes via CTA Blue Line to the Loop, 24 hours a day. $5 O'Hare premium fare. MDW, Midway. Orange Line to downtown in about 25 minutes, standard $2.50 CTA fare. Faster and cheaper into the Loop than O'Hare. The Orange Line also serves Roosevelt station, the walk-in station for Soldier Field. If your carrier flies both airports, pick Midway for this trip.
Getting to the stadium
CTA 128 Soldier Field Express, about 15 minutes from Union Station (east on Jackson at Canal) and Ogilvie Transportation Center (south on Clinton at Madison). Round-trip cash fare is $5 full fare, $2.50 reduced. Cash or Ventra Card only. This fare differs from the normal CTA bus fare. Drops east on McFetridge Drive, at the stadium. CTA 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express, about 10 minutes from Roosevelt station and northbound along Michigan Avenue / Inner Drive. Standard CTA bus fare is $2.25 with Ventra or contactless, or $2.50 cash. Covered by the $5 1-Day Pass. Sets down at the stadium entrance on McFetridge Drive. Metra Electric Line to 18th Street station, about 8 minutes from Millennium Station (downtown) and the south suburbs; also the South Shore Line from Indiana. The $7 Sunday Day Pass on Metra covers the whole day. Up to three children aged 11 and under ride free on Family Fares. This is the cheapest all-day option in the city. 18th Street station is a short walk. The Bears say walk one block north to Soldier Field. It sits closer to the stadium than the Roosevelt L station.. CTA Red / Green / Orange Lines to Roosevelt from Anywhere on the Red. $2.50 L fare, or $5 for a 1-Day Pass. It is three-quarters of a mile to the stadium entrance, per the stadium's own directions page. Switch to the 146 bus if the weather turns bad..
Leaving after the game
No official clearance time is published. Metra runs an extra outbound train from the Museum Campus/11th Street Station about 30 minutes after every game. The CTA 128 express runs back to the Metra stations for about an hour after the game. Getting out by transit is quick. Getting out by car off Lake Shore Drive is the slow part, another reason to skip driving.
Rideshare
Drop-off and pick-up happen at two different spots, a common mix-up. Drop-off is at the 18th Drive turnaround just west of DuSable Lake Shore Drive, and at Balbo at Columbus. Pick-up after the game is at Columbus and Balbo, just north of the stadium. Do not wait at the 18th Drive turnaround for a post-game ride.
The mistake to avoid
Do not assume the Roosevelt L station sits at the stadium. It is a three-quarter-mile walk, per Soldier Field's own directions page, and feels closer to a mile. In November and December, with wind off Lake Michigan, that walk can ruin the day. Book near Union Station or Ogilvie for the 128 express, or near the 18th Street Metra Electric stop, instead of defaulting to Roosevelt. Skip the seasonal CTA #130 Museum Campus bus too, it runs only Memorial Day to Labor Day and will not run during most of the NFL season.
Parking and tailgating
Lots open four hours before kickoff, every time. For a 12:00 p.m. kickoff, lots open at 8:00 a.m. For 3:25 p.m., they open at 11:25 a.m. For 7:00 p.m., they open at 3:00 p.m. For 7:20 p.m., they open at 3:20 p.m. Stadium gates open two hours before kickoff. You need a car to tailgate here. There is no walk-up tailgate at Soldier Field. Tailgating happens in the Museum Campus surface lots, the upper level of the Waldron Deck, and McCormick Place 31st Street Lots B, D and E. All of these need a pre-paid parking pass, so you need a vehicle. Setups and grills can't take up more than one parking space. No tailgating during the game or after night games. Parking lots near the stadium open four hours before kickoff. If you don't have a car, plan your pre-game in the Loop or South Loop instead.
Where to stay
South Loop: 18 min on foot from Roosevelt / South Loop. The closest area with real hotel inventory. Soldier Field sits on the Museum Campus, a lakefront park with museums and no hotels or bars of its own. The Loop: 15 min by CTA 128 Soldier Field Express, nonstop from Union Station / Ogilvie. CTA route 128, the Soldier Field Express, runs nonstop between Union Station, Ogilvie Transportation Center and Soldier Field on every Bears home game. Round-trip cash fare is $5.
Around the stadium
There is no hotel-and-bar cluster at Soldier Field, and there cannot be one. The stadium sits inside the Museum Campus, a lakefront park shared with the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium, bounded by DuSable Lake Shore Drive and the lake. The nearest bars and restaurants are 0.4 to 0.5 miles away in the South Loop: Giordano's at 0.4 mi, Kim and Carlo's at 0.5 mi, Burger Bar Chicago South Loop at 0.5 mi. If told to stay near Soldier Field, book South Loop or the Loop instead.
How long to stay
Chicago is worth a trip on its own, and the Soldier Field tour does not run on Sundays. So plan Friday arrival, Saturday tour, Sunday game. Book two nights minimum. Three nights is easy to justify.
Where to stay
Finding rooms for your dates
Stay in the city and ride in for the game.
CTA Red, Orange or Green line to Roosevelt, then the lakefront walk.
Where visiting fans stay
South Loop
18 min on foot from Roosevelt / South Loop. The closest area with real hotel inventory. Soldier Field sits on the Museum Campus, a lakefront park with museums and no hotels or bars of its own.
The Loop
15 min by CTA 128 Soldier Field Express, nonstop from Union Station / Ogilvie. CTA route 128, the Soldier Field Express, runs nonstop between Union Station, Ogilvie Transportation Center and Soldier Field on every Bears home game. Round-trip cash fare is $5.
River North
30 min by CTA Red Line to Roosevelt then bus 146 or a 3/4-mile walk. Do pre-game in the Loop or Near North, not by the stadium. Near North has the most bars and restaurants in the city.
Tickets
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The view from every part of the stadiumParking and tailgate lots
- 2 tickets on TickPick
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The matchup
Form, ESPN's model and the stat leaders
- Form
The Buccaneers are 0-3 after 3 games, 4th in the NFC South.
They have lost 3 in a row.
They are 0-1 on the road.
The Bears are 2-1 after 3 games, 3rd in the NFC North.
They are 1-1 at home.
Where the fans drink
The bars fans pick on game day, and how each one treats a visiting fan.
- ~0.7 mi / 15-min walk, or a short ride
Mostly home fans.
Israel Idonije opened this bar. He's a former Bears defensive end from Nigeria who played eight seasons in Chicago. He partnered with chef Stephen Gillanders.
Opens noon on weekends, 3pm on weekdays. Reservations available through OpenTable. Book ahead if you can. Full food menu. The Decatur Staleys name was the Bears' original name.
- ~0.5 mi / 10-12 min walk - the closest sizeable bar to the stadium
Mixed crowd. It's attached to a hotel near McCormick Place, so expect out-of-town fans too.
This is where you get a drink near Soldier Field. It calls itself the largest beer venue in the South Loop. It spans two floors with a keg wall, a long bar, private event space and an outdoor patio.
Open Sunday 10am to 2am, Saturday 10am to 3am, Monday to Friday 11am to 2am. Open well before a noon kickoff. Call (312) 878-9292. Fatpour also has a location in Wicker Park, five miles away. For game day, go to the McCormick Place branch.
Seats and views
Lower level101 to 155United Club levels202 to 216 and 301 to 317Media Deck and Colonnade levels218 to 256 and 318 to 357West Grandstand and Miller Lite Loft422 to 425 and 427 to 447Tap any part of the stadium to see its view.
The weekend, day by day
The day before Sat, Nov 7
- 10:00 AM
Arrive in Chicago
Fly into ORD.
- 11:00 AM
Landmark
The 1924 colonnades stay open to the public year-round on non-event days. The 1926 Doughboy statue stands at Gate O. A 250-foot granite Memorial Water Wall with service medallions frames the north entrance.
- 12:30 PM
Eat
This is the original Al's #1 Italian Beef stand in Little Italy, open since 1938. Order it dipped with giardiniera. Closed Sunday; open Saturday 10 am to 11 pm.
- 2:00 PM
Tour
This hour-long tour covers the south courtyard, visitors' locker room, Skyline Suite, colonnades and field. Book ahead on TicketWeb; dates post monthly. No weekend tours, so none on Sunday game days.
- 7:00 PM
Eat
This Chicago deep dish chain started in 1971; the South Loop branch has a full bar and a big dining room. Open until midnight Friday and Saturday, 11 pm Sunday. Give the pizza 30 minutes to bake.
- 9:00 PM
Drink
This nautical South Loop tavern sits a few blocks up Michigan Avenue from the stadium. It opens 9 am on Soldier Field game days for food and drinks before kickoff, 10 am on normal weekends.
- 10:00 AM
Game day Sun, Nov 8
- 9:00 AM
Eat
This West Loop diner has served eggs, pancakes and omelets since 1923 on old Route 66. Weekends it opens at 7 am, with free donut holes and Milk Duds at the door. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
- 11:00 AM
Landmark
Natural history museum just north of the stadium. Open 9 am to 5 pm, last entry 4 pm, adults $30. Good for a Saturday or a morning stop before a 3:25 pm kickoff.
- 3:20 PM
Tailgate
This free tailgate runs on the Field Museum terrace, north side of the stadium. It has music, tailgate games, TVs, and food and drink for sale, from two hours before kickoff to one hour after.
- 5:20 PM
Ritual
Take the CTA Red, Orange or Green Line to Roosevelt, then walk three quarters of a mile east through Museum Campus to the gates. Or catch the #146 bus to McFetridge Drive.
- 6:50 PM
Be in your seat
- 7:20 PM
Kickoff, Buccaneers at Bears
- 10:50 PM
Final whistle
The game ends near 10:30 PM. No official clearance time is published. Metra runs an extra outbound train from the Museum Campus/11th Street Station about 30 minutes after every game. The CTA 128 express runs back to the Metra stations for about an hour after the game. Getting out by transit is quick. Getting out by car off Lake Shore Drive is the slow part, another reason to skip driving.
- 9:00 AM
The day after Mon, Nov 9
Depart Chicago
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Sidequests on this trip
Each one earns points when you check in. More tours and tickets in Chicago on GetYourGuide
- Tailgate65 points
This free tailgate runs on the Field Museum terrace, north side of the stadium. It has music, tailgate games, TVs, and food and drink for sale, from two hours before kickoff to one hour after.
Free
- Eat65 points
This West Loop diner has served eggs, pancakes and omelets since 1923 on old Route 66. Weekends it opens at 7 am, with free donut holes and Milk Duds at the door. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
$
- Tour100 points
This hour-long tour covers the south courtyard, visitors' locker room, Skyline Suite, colonnades and field. Book ahead on TicketWeb; dates post monthly. No weekend tours, so none on Sunday game days.
$$
- Ritual25 points
Take the CTA Red, Orange or Green Line to Roosevelt, then walk three quarters of a mile east through Museum Campus to the gates. Or catch the #146 bus to McFetridge Drive.
$
- Drink25 points
This nautical South Loop tavern sits a few blocks up Michigan Avenue from the stadium. It opens 9 am on Soldier Field game days for food and drinks before kickoff, 10 am on normal weekends.
$$
- Landmark65 points
The 1924 colonnades stay open to the public year-round on non-event days. The 1926 Doughboy statue stands at Gate O. A 250-foot granite Memorial Water Wall with service medallions frames the north entrance.
Free
- Eat65 points
This is the original Al's #1 Italian Beef stand in Little Italy, open since 1938. Order it dipped with giardiniera. Closed Sunday; open Saturday 10 am to 11 pm.
$
- Landmark65 points
Natural history museum just north of the stadium. Open 9 am to 5 pm, last entry 4 pm, adults $30. Good for a Saturday or a morning stop before a 3:25 pm kickoff.
$$
- Eat65 points
This Chicago deep dish chain started in 1971; the South Loop branch has a full bar and a big dining room. Open until midnight Friday and Saturday, 11 pm Sunday. Give the pizza 30 minutes to bake.
$$