SportsQuest
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Week 16, Fri, Dec 25, 12:00 PM local

Green Bay Packersat Chicago Bears

Soldier Field, Chicago. Fly into ORD.

Build the quest

Kickoff slot

Early

Lots open before breakfast.

Lots open

8:00 AM

Local time on game day.

Where to stay

In the city

Tailgate from 8:00 AM, then the game.

The matchup

Form, ESPN's model and the stat leaders
Form

The Packers are 1-2 after 3 games, 4th in the NFC North.

They are 1-1 on the road.

The Bears are 2-1 after 3 games, 3rd in the NFC North.

They are 1-1 at home.

What we know about Soldier Field

Where visiting fans stay

Checked at the source
  • South Loop. 18 min. walk from Roosevelt / South Loop. The closest area with actual hotels is South Loop. Soldier Field sits on the Museum Campus, a lakefront park with museums but no hotels or bars of its own, so "near the stadium" in Chicago means South Loop, about 0.6 to 0.9 miles north-west. Best Western Grant Park, Marriott Marquis Chicago, and Hyatt Regency McCormick Place are all within 0.7 miles. You can walk to the game in about 15 to 20 minutes in decent weather, and if the weather is bad you can catch the Red, Green, or Orange line at Roosevelt instead.
  • The Loop. 15 min. CTA 128 Soldier Field Express, nonstop from Union Station / Ogilvie. Most fans miss this one: CTA route 128, the Soldier Field Express, runs nonstop between Union Station, Ogilvie Transportation Center, and Soldier Field on every Bears home game, for a $5 round-trip cash fare. Book a Loop hotel near either station and you get a direct, cheap game bus both ways, plus all the bars and restaurants the Loop has that the Museum Campus doesn't.
  • River North / Near North. 30 min. CTA Red Line to Roosevelt then bus 146 or a 3/4-mile walk. Do your pre-game in the Loop or Near North instead of by the stadium. Near North has the biggest cluster of bars and restaurants in the city and it's a straight shot down to Roosevelt on the Red Line. It's a bit farther out, but the night after the game is much better here.

Around the stadium

From a specialist guide
There is no hotel-and-bar cluster at Soldier Field, and there can't be one. The stadium sits inside the Museum Campus, a lakefront park it shares with the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium, bordered 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 miles, Kim and Carlo's at 0.5 miles, and Burger Bar Chicago South Loop at 0.5 miles. If someone tells you to stay near Soldier Field, book South Loop or the Loop instead.

Getting in from the airport

Checked at the source
O'Hare International (ORD) connects to the Loop in 40 minutes on the CTA Blue Line, which runs 24 hours a day, for a $5 O'Hare premium fare.

Getting to the stadium

Checked at the source
CTA 128 Soldier Field Express, about 15 min. It drops you off east on McFetridge Drive, right at the stadium. CTA 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express, about 10 min. It sets you down at the stadium entrance on McFetridge Drive. Metra Electric Line to 18th Street station, about 8 min. The 18th Street station is a short walk from the stadium. The Bears describe it as "walk one block north to Soldier Field," and it's noticeably closer than the Roosevelt L station. CTA Red / Green / Orange Lines to Roosevelt. It's three-quarters of a mile to the stadium entrance, according to the stadium's own directions page. If the weather is bad, switch to the 146 bus instead.

Tailgating

Checked at the source
You need a vehicle for this one. There's no walk-up tailgate at Soldier Field. Tailgating is confined to the Museum Campus surface lots, the upper level of the Waldron Deck, and McCormick Place 31st Street Lots B, D and E, and all of them require a pre-paid parking pass, so you need a car to use them. You can't set up a party or grill that takes up more than one parking space, and tailgating is banned during the game or after night games. If you don't have a car, plan your pre-game in the Loop or South Loop instead of the campus. Parking lots right around the stadium open four hours before kickoff and need that pre-paid pass.

Getting in

Checked at the source
  • Bag policy: You can bring a clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag up to 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches, or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus one small non-clear bag up to 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches. Diaper bags are listed as not allowed unless medically necessary, and diapers have to go in the clear bag instead. This is the opposite of SoFi Stadium, which allows diaper bags by name, and it's the thing most likely to catch a family off guard at the gate.
  • Re-entry: Re-entry is not allowed. Both Chicago sources confirm this separately: soldierfield.com says fans may not exit and re-enter and that no re-entry passes will be issued, and the Bears A-Z says the same, no re-entries permitted.
  • Prohibited items: A few things stand out on the prohibited list: umbrellas of any kind, strollers (which get checked at Gate 10 or Gate 8), seat cushions with zippers, pockets, or flaps, cameras with lenses longer than 6 inches extended, video cameras, banners and flags attached to poles or anything that blocks views, outside food and alcohol, noise-making devices, aerosols, and drones.

Touring the stadium

From a specialist guide
The public tour program doesn't run on Bears gamedays, it's a weekday operation only. The tour covers the south courtyard, the visitors' locker room and interview room, the skyline suite, the colonnades, and the field.

After the final whistle

From a specialist guide
There's no official clearance time published for leaving the stadium. Here's what we do know: Metra runs an extra outbound train from the Museum Campus/11th Street station about 30 minutes after every game, and the CTA 128 express runs back to the Metra stations for about an hour after the game. So the transit exit is organized and fast. The slow part is the road exit off the Museum Campus onto Lake Shore Drive, which is one more reason not to book a car.

One thing to avoid

From a specialist guide
Don't book a hotel assuming the Roosevelt L station is right at the stadium. It's a 3/4-mile walk according to Soldier Field's own directions page, and on game day it feels closer to a mile. In November and December, with wind off Lake Michigan on an exposed lakefront, that walk can turn a good day into a miserable one. Book near Union Station or Ogilvie for the 128 express, or near the 18th Street Metra Electric stop, instead of defaulting to Roosevelt. Also don't count on the seasonal CTA #130 Museum Campus bus, it only runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day and won't be running for most of the NFL season.

Bars near the stadium

Checked at the source

  • The Staley

    1736 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60616 (South Loop)

    This is the strongest real Bears connection near the stadium, and it's new enough that most lists miss it. Israel Idonije, the Nigerian-born former Bears defensive end who played eight seasons in Chicago, opened it with chef Stephen Gillanders.

    Away fans: mostly home fans.

  • Fatpour Tap Works - McCormick

    2206 S Indiana Ave, Chicago, IL 60616 (Motor Row District)

    This is the real answer if you're asking where to get a drink near Soldier Field. It calls itself the largest beer venue in the South Loop, spread over two floors with a keg wall, a long bar, private event space and an outdoor patio.

    Away fans: mixed crowd. It's attached to a hotel by McCormick Place, so it draws a lot of out-of-town visitors.

  • Jake Melnick's Corner Tap

    41 E Superior St, Chicago, IL 60611 (River North)

    Jake Melnick's holds official bar status for the Bears, the Blackhawks, and the Cubs, a rare triple that makes it about as close as Chicago gets to a sanctioned team bar, even though it's nowhere near the stadium. The reputation comes from its wings: The Infatuation voted it best chicken wings in Chicago, and Time Out Chicago named it one of the best sports bars.

    Away fans: mixed crowd. It's a downtown room with official status for multiple teams.

What to eat

The local food this city is known for: italian beef and the Chicago dog.

Inside the stadium, 2026 season

  • Mr. Beef ran a stand near Section 134 in 2025, alongside Vienna Beef dogs. The 2026 line-up is not yet confirmed. Reported, not confirmed by the stadium. Source

The best-known local spot

  • Mr. Beef, the shop that inspired the TV show The Bear. Reported, not confirmed by the stadium. Source

Stand line-ups change every season.

Sidequests in Chicago

Listed in the order they happen. Each one earns points.

  1. Tour100 points

    Soldier Field Classic Tour

    This hour-long tour covers the south courtyard, visitors' locker room, Skyline Suite, colonnades and field, and you book it ahead on TicketWeb. Dates post monthly, and there are no weekend tours, so none run on Sunday game days.

    $$. The day before. Bookable

  2. Landmark65 points

    Field Museum next door

    It's a natural history museum right north of the stadium, open 9 am to 5 pm with last entry at 4 pm. Adults get in for $30. Works as a Saturday trip or a morning stop before a 3:25 pm kickoff.

    $$. The day before

  3. Outing40 points

    Shedd Aquarium

    This lakefront aquarium is a ten-minute walk north of the stadium and has belugas, penguins, sharks and sea otters. It's open 9 am to 5 pm from Labor Day to Memorial Day, and it closes on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

    $$. The day before

  4. Eat65 points

    Italian beef at Al's on Taylor Street

    This is the original Al's #1 Italian Beef stand in Little Italy, open since 1938. Order it dipped with giardiniera, but go on Saturday since it's closed Sunday, open 10 AM to 11 PM that day.

    $. The day before

  5. Eat65 points

    Deep dish at Lou Malnati's South Loop

    This Chicago deep dish chain was founded in 1971, and the South Loop branch has a full bar and a large dining room. It's open until midnight on Friday and Saturday, 11 PM on Sunday, so give the pizza 30 minutes to bake.

    $$. 18 hours before kickoff

  6. Eat65 points

    Lou Mitchell's diner breakfast

    This West Loop diner has been open since 1923 on old Route 66, serving eggs, pancakes and omelets starting at 7 AM on weekends. They hand out free donut holes and Milk Duds when you arrive, but it's closed Monday and Tuesday.

    $. 5 hours before kickoff

  7. Drink25 points

    The Staley, the bar that replaced Kroll's

    This sports bar is owned by ex-Bear Israel Idonije and sits in the former Kroll's space, across from the 18th Street pedestrian bridge to the stadium. It opens at 9 AM when the Bears kick off at noon.

    $$. 3 hours before kickoff

  8. Drink25 points

    Weather Mark Tavern

    This nautical-themed South Loop tavern is a few blocks up Michigan Avenue from the stadium. It opens at 9 AM on Soldier Field game days for food and drinks before kickoff, and 10 AM on normal weekends.

    $$. 3 hours before kickoff

  9. Ritual25 points

    Walk in from Roosevelt station through Museum Campus

    Take the CTA Red, Orange or Green Line to Roosevelt and walk three quarters of a mile east through Museum Campus to the gates, or catch the #146 bus to McFetridge Drive instead.

    $. 2 hours before kickoff

  10. Tailgate65 points

    Miller Lite Ultimate Tailgate on the Field Museum terrace

    This free public tailgate runs on the north side of the stadium, on the Field Museum terrace, with music, tailgate games, TVs, and food and drink for sale from two hours before kickoff to one hour after.

    Free. 2 hours before kickoff

  11. Photo25 points

    Halas and Payton statues on the south side

    George Halas and Walter Payton stand as twelve-foot bronzes on the stadium's south side. The colonnades behind them frame the skyline and Lake Michigan, and it's open every day.

    Free. 1 hour 40 minutes before kickoff

  12. Landmark65 points

    Colonnades, Doughboy and Memorial Water Wall

    The 1924 colonnades are open to the public year-round on non-event days. The 1926 Doughboy statue stands at Gate O, and a 250-foot granite Memorial Water Wall with service medallions frames the north entrance.

    Free. 1 hour 30 minutes before kickoff

Seats and views

Where each part of Soldier Field sits, and what you see from it.

What kind of game day do you want?

Pick one and Scout shows you where to sit.

Lower level, end zoneLower level, corner, home sideLower level, home sidelineLower level, corner, home sideLower level, end zoneLower level, corner, visitor sideLower level, visitor sidelineLower level, corner, visitor sideUnited Club levels, end zoneUnited Club levels, corner, home sideUnited Club levels, home sidelineUnited Club levels, corner, home sideUnited Club levels, end zoneUnited Club levels, corner, visitor sideUnited Club levels, visitor sidelineUnited Club levels, corner, visitor sideMedia Deck and Colonnade levels, end zoneMedia Deck and Colonnade levels, corner, home sideMedia Deck and Colonnade levels, home sidelineMedia Deck and Colonnade levels, corner, home sideMedia Deck and Colonnade levels, end zoneMedia Deck and Colonnade levels, corner, visitor sideMedia Deck and Colonnade levels, visitor sidelineMedia Deck and Colonnade levels, corner, visitor sideWest Grandstand and Miller Lite Loft, end zoneWest Grandstand and Miller Lite Loft, corner, home sideWest Grandstand and Miller Lite Loft, home sidelineWest Grandstand and Miller Lite Loft, corner, home sideWest Grandstand and Miller Lite Loft, end zoneWest Grandstand and Miller Lite Loft, corner, visitor sideWest Grandstand and Miller Lite Loft, visitor sidelineWest Grandstand and Miller Lite Loft, corner, visitor sideHomeVisitors
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.