Soldier Field - wikipedia Soldier Field Soldier Field, the House that Mitchell will build `` Stadium in a Park '' Soldier Field in 2006 Former names Municipal Grant Park Stadium ( 1924 -- 1925 ) Address 1410 S Museum Campus Drive Location Chicago, Illinois Coordinates 41 ° 51 ′ 45 '' N 87 ° 37 ′ 0 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 41.86250 ° N 87.61667 ° W ﻿ / 41.86250 ; - 87.61667 Coordinates : 41 ° 51 ′ 45 '' N 87 ° 37 ′ 0 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 41.86250 ° N 87.61667 ° W ﻿ / 41.86250 ; - 87.61667 Public transit Museum Campus / 11th Street ( Metra station ) 18th Street ( Metra station ) Roosevelt station ( CTA ) Owner City of Chicago Operator SMG Executive suites 133 Capacity 66,944 ( 1994 ) 61,500 ( 2003 ) Acreage 7 acres ( 2.8 ha ) Surface Kentucky Bluegrass ( 1924 -- 1970, 1988 -- present ) AstroTurf ( 1971 -- 1987 ) Construction Broke ground August 11, 1922 Opened October 9, 1924 93 years ago Renovated 2002 -- 2003 Closed January 19, 2002 -- September 26, 2003 ( renovations ) Construction cost US $13 million ( original ) ( $182 million in 2015 dollars ) $632 million ( 2001 -- 2003 renovation ) Renovations : ( $823 million in 2015 dollars ) Architect Holabird & Roche Wood + Zapata, Inc. Lohan Caprile Goettsch Architects Project manager Hoffman Associates Structural engineer Thornton Tomasetti Services engineer Ellerbe Becket General contractor Turner / Barton Malow / Kenny Tenants Notre Dame Fighting Irish football ( NCAA ) ( 1929 ) Chicago Rockets / Hornets ( AAFC ) ( 1946 -- 1949 ) Chicago Cardinals ( NFL ) ( 1959 ) UIC Chikas football ( NCAA ) ( 1966 ) -- 1973 ) Chicago Spurs ( NPSL ) ( 1967 ) Chicago Owls ( CFL ) ( 1968 -- 1969 ) Chicago Bears ( NFL ) ( 1971 -- 2001, 2003 -- present ) Chicago Sting ( NASL ) ( 1975 -- 1976 ) Chicago Fire ( WFL ) ( 1974 ) Chicago Winds ( WFL ) ( 1975 ) Chicago Blitz ( USFL ) ( 1983 -- 1984 ) Chicago Fire ( MLS ) ( 1998 -- 2001, 2003 -- 2005 ) Chicago Enforcers ( XFL ) ( 2001 ) Former U.S. National Historic Landmark Designated Delisted 2006 Soldier Field is an American football stadium located in the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It opened in 1924 and is the home field of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League ( NFL ), who moved there in 1971. The stadium 's interior was mostly demolished and rebuilt as part of a major renovation project in 2002, which modernized the facility and lowered seating capacity, but also caused it to be delisted as a National Historic Landmark. Soldier Field has served as the home venue for a number of other sports teams in its history, including the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL, University of Notre Dame football, and the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, as well as games from the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 1999 FIFA Women 's World Cup, and multiple CONCACAF Gold Cup championships. With a football capacity of 61,500, it is the third - smallest stadium in the NFL. In 2016, Soldier Field became the second - oldest stadium in the league when the Los Angeles Rams began playing temporarily at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which opened a year earlier than Soldier Field. Contents 1 History 1.1 Early configuration 1.2 Chicago Bears move in 1.3 Replacement talks 1.4 Renovation and landmark delisting 2 Public transportation 3 Events 3.1 Football 3.1. 1 Single events 3.1. 2 NFL playoffs 3.1. 3 College football 3.2 Hockey 3.3 Soccer 3.3. 1 1994 FIFA World Cup 3.3. 2 1999 FIFA Women 's World Cup 3.3. 3 CONCACAF Gold Cups 3.3. 4 Copa América Centenario 3.3. 5 Single events 3.4 Special Olympics 3.5 Rugby union 3.6 Concerts 3.7 Other events 4 In popular culture 5 Gallery 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links History Sculpture of a sailor and his family, gazing eastward, over Lake Michigan Soldier Field was designed in 1919 and opened on October 9, 1924, as Municipal Grant Park Stadium. The name was changed to Soldier Field on November 11, 1925, as a memorial to U.S. soldiers who had died in combat. Its formal dedication as Soldier Field was on Saturday, November 27, 1926, during the 29th annual playing of the Army -- Navy Game. Its design is in the Neoclassical style, with Doric columns rising above the East and West entrances. The stadium cost $13 million to construct ( $182 million in 2015 dollars ), a very large sum for a sporting venue at that time ( in comparison, L.A. Memorial Coliseum had cost less than $1 million in 1923 dollars ). Early configuration In its earliest configuration, Soldier Field was capable of seating 74,280 spectators and was in the shape of a U. Additional seating could be added along the interior field, upper promenades and on the large, open field and terrace beyond the north endzone, bringing the seating capacity to over 100,000. Chicago Bears move in Soldier Field was used as a site for many sporting events and exhibitions. The Chicago Cardinals used it as their home field for their final season in Chicago in 1959. A dozen years later in September 1971, the Chicago Bears moved in, originally with a three - year commitment. They previously played at Wrigley Field, best known as the home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team, but were forced to move to a larger venue due to post-AFL -- NFL merger policies requiring that stadium capacities seat over 50,000 spectators. They had intended to build a stadium in Arlington Heights. In 1978, the Bears and the Chicago Park District agreed to a 20 - year lease and renovation of the stadium. Both parties pooled their resources for the renovation. The playing surface was AstroTurf from 1971 through 1987, replaced with natural grass in 1988. Replacement talks In 1989, Soldier Field 's future was in jeopardy after a proposal was created for a `` McDome '', which was intended to be a domed stadium for the Bears, but was rejected by the Illinois Legislature in 1990. Because of this, Bears president Michael McCaskey considered relocation as a possible factor for a new stadium. The Bears had also purchased options in Hoffman Estates and Aurora. In 1995, McCaskey announced that he and Northwest Indiana developers agreed to construction of an entertainment complex called `` Planet Park '', which would also include a new stadium. However, the plan was rejected by the Lake County Council, and in 1998, Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley proposed that the Bears share Comiskey Park with the Chicago White Sox. Renovation and Landmark delisting Aerial view of the stadium in 1988. Aerial view from 2002, showing Soldier Field with interior demolished. Meigs Field airport is to the right in the image. Soldier Field as seen from Lake Shore Drive. The modern grandstands, added in 2003, extend well above the original Neoclassical columns. Beginning in 1978, the plank seating was replaced by individual seats with backs and armrests. In 1982, a new press box as well as 60 skyboxes were added to the stadium, boosting capacity to 66,030. In 1988, 56 more skyboxes were added increasing capacity to 66,946. Capacity was slightly increased to 66,950 in 1992. By 1994, capacity was slightly reduced to 66,944. During the renovation, seating capacity was reduced to 55,701 by building a grandstand in the open end of the U shape. This moved the field closer to both ends at the expense of seating capacity. The goal of this renovation was to move the fans closer to the field. The front row 50 - yard line seats were then now only 55 feet ( 17 m ) away from the sidelines, the shortest distance of all NFL stadiums, until MetLife Stadium opened in 2010, with a distance of 46 feet. In 2001, the Chicago Park District, which owns the structure, faced substantial criticism when it announced plans to alter the stadium with a design by Benjamin T. Wood and Carlos Zapata of the Boston - based architecture firm Wood + Zapata. Stadium grounds were reconfigured by Chicago - based architecture firm of Lohan Associate, led by architect Dirk Lohan, the grandson of architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The stadium 's interior would be demolished and reconstructed while the exterior would be preserved. This is an example of facadism. A similar endeavor of constructing a new stadium within the confines of an historic stadium 's exterior was completed in Leipzig, Germany 's Red Bull Arena, which similarly build a modern stadium while persevering the exterior of the original Zentralstadion. Dozens of articles by writers and columnists attacked the project as an aesthetic, political, and financial nightmare. The project received mixed reviews within the architecture community, including criticism by civic and preservation groups. Prominent American architect and Chicagoan Stanley Tigerman called it `` a fiasco ''. The Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin dubbed it the `` Eyesore on the Lake Shore ''. The renovation was described by some as `` a spaceship landed on the stadium ''. Lohan responded, `` I would never say that Soldier Field is an architectural landmark. Nobody has copied it ; nobody has learned from it. People like it for nostalgic reasons. They remember the games and parades and tractor pulls and veterans ' affairs they 've seen there over the years. I would n't do this if it were the Parthenon. But this is n't the Parthenon. '' Proponents argued the renovation was direly needed citing aging and cramped facilities. The New York Times ranked the renovated Soldier Field as one of the five best new buildings of 2003. Soldier Field was given an award in design excellence by the American Institute of Architects in 2004. On September 23, 2004, as a result of the 2003 renovation, a 10 - member federal advisory committee unanimously recommended that Soldier Field be delisted as a National Historic Landmark. The recommendation to delist was prepared by Carol Ahlgren, architectural historian at the National Park Service 's Midwest Regional Office in Omaha, Nebraska. Ahlgren was quoted in Preservation Online as stating that `` if we had let this stand, I believe it would have lowered the standard of National Historic Landmarks throughout the country '', and, `` If we want to keep the integrity of the program, let alone the landmarks, we really had no other recourse. '' The stadium lost the Landmark designation on February 17, 2006. In May 2012, the stadium became the first NFL stadium to achieve LEED status. Public Transportation The closest Chicago ' L ' station to Soldier Field is the Roosevelt station on the Orange, Green and Red lines. The Chicago Transit Authority also operates the # 128 Soldier Field Express bus route to the stadium from Ogilvie Transportation Center and Union Station. There are also two Metra stations close by -- the Museum Campus / 11th Street station on the Metra Electric Line, which also is used by South Shore Line trains, and 18th Street, which is only served by the Metra Electric Line. Pace also provides access from the Northwest, West and Southwest suburbs to the stadium with four express routes from Schaumburg, Lombard, Bolingbrook, Burr Ridge, Palos Heights and Oak Lawn. Events Main article : List of events at Soldier Field Football Single events 1926 Army - Navy Game The stadium hosted its first football game, on October 4, 1924, between Louisville Male High School and Chicago Austin Community Academy High School. Louisville 's team won 26 -- 0. ( Chicago Tribune, October 2, 1924 ) Over 100,000 spectators attended the 1926 Army -- Navy Game. It would decide the national championship, as Navy entered undefeated and Army had lost only to Notre Dame. The game lived up to its hype, and even though it ended in a 21 -- 21 tie, Navy was awarded the national championship. The all - time collegiate attendance record of 123,000 + was established November 26, 1927, as Notre Dame beat the University of Southern California 7 -- 6. In 2016, 150,000 + attended a game between Virginia Tech and Tennessee at Bristol Speedway. Austin defeated Leo to win the 1937 Prep Bowl ; another contender for the highest attendance ever ( estimated at over 120,000 spectators ). The Chicago Prep Bowl games are held at Soldier Field yearly on the day after Thanksgiving. The bowl game is older than the IHSA state championship tournament held since the 1960s. The stadium was host to 41 College All - Star Games, an exhibition between the previous year 's NFL champion ( or, in its final years, Super Bowl champion ) and a team of collegiate all - star players prior to their reporting to their new professional teams training camps. This game was discontinued after the 1976 NFL season. The final game in 1976 was halted in the third quarter when a torrential thunderstorm broke out and play was never resumed. In 2012, Notre Dame hosted a game at Soldier Field against the University of Miami as part of their Shamrock Series. Four NFC Championship Games have been held at the stadium. NFL teams winless at Soldier Field : Baltimore Ravens ( 0 -- 3 ), Cleveland Browns ( 0 -- 3 ), and San Diego Chargers ( 0 -- 4 ). NFL teams unbeaten at Soldier Field : Houston Texans ( 2 -- 0 ). NFL playoffs Aerial view of the stadium in 2008 The 1985 NFC Championship Game took place in Soldier Field, where the Chicago Bears defeated the Los Angeles Rams 24 -- 0. The 1988 NFC Championship Game took place here, where the Chicago Bears lost to eventual Super Bowl XXIII champions San Francisco 49ers 28 -- 3. The 2006 NFC Championship Game granted the Chicago Bears their second trip to the Super Bowl, the first in 21 years, with a 39 -- 14 victory over the New Orleans Saints. The 2010 NFC Championship Game matched the Chicago Bears against the Green Bay Packers, where the Bears were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl XLV champions, 21 -- 14. Other Bears playoff games at Soldier Field : 1985 NFC Divisional Playoff : Chicago Bears 21, New York Giants 0 1986 NFC Divisional Playoff : Washington Redskins 27, Chicago Bears 13 1987 NFC Divisional Playoff : Washington 21, Chicago 17 1988 NFC Divisional Playoff : Chicago Bears 20, Philadelphia Eagles 12 ( this game is best remembered as the Fog Bowl, where a dense fog covered the stadium, reducing visibility to 15 -- 20 yards. ) 1990 NFC Wild Card : Chicago Bears 16, New Orleans Saints 6 1991 NFC Wild Card : Dallas Cowboys 17, Chicago Bears 13 2001 NFC Divisional Playoff : Philadelphia 33, Chicago 19. This was also the last home game before the renovations took place in 2002. 2005 NFC Divisional Playoff : Carolina Panthers 29, Chicago Bears 21 2006 NFC Divisional Playoff : Chicago Bears 27, Seattle Seahawks 24 ( OT ) 2010 NFC Divisional Playoff : Chicago Bears 35, Seattle Seahawks 24 College football NIU Huskies football plays select games at Soldier Field, all of which have featured the Huskies hosting a team from the Big Ten Conference. Northern Illinois University ( NIU ) is located in DeKalb, 65 miles ( 105 km ) to the west on Interstate 88. On September 1, 2007, NIU faced the University of Iowa in the first Division I College Football game at Soldier Field since renovations. The Hawkeyes defeated the Huskies, 16 -- 3. On September 17, 2011, the Huskies returned to play the Wisconsin Badgers in a game that was called `` Soldier Field Showdown II ''. The eventual Big Ten champion Badgers topped NIU, 49 -- 7. On September 1, 2012, NIU hosted the Iowa Hawkeyes in a season opener that was called `` Soldier Field Showdown III ''. The Hawkeyes narrowly defeated the Huskies, 18 -- 17. Notre Dame Fighting Irish football used the stadium as home field for the 1929 season while Notre Dame Stadium was being constructed. The school has used Soldier Field for single games on occasion both prior to and since the 1929 season. Hockey The 2014 NHL Stadium Series featuring the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Miami RedHawks played a doubleheader on February 17, 2013 with the Wisconsin Badgers and Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Hockey City Classic, the first outdoor hockey game in the history of the stadium. A Chicago Gay Hockey Association intra-squad game was held in affiliation with the Hockey City Classic. The Chicago Blackhawks played against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 1, 2014 as part of the NHL 's Stadium Series. The Blackhawks defeated the Penguins 5 - 1 before a sold - out crowd of 62,921. The team also held its 2015 Stanley Cup Championship celebration at the stadium instead of Grant Park, where other city championships have typically been held, due to recent rains. February 7, 2015 Soldier Field hosted another edition of the Hockey City Classic. The event had been delayed due to unusually warm weather ( 42 ° F ) and complications with the quality of the ice. The 2015 edition of the Hockey City Classic featured a match between Miami of Ohio and Western Michigan, followed by a match between the Big Ten 's Michigan and Michigan State February 5 the organizers of the Hockey City Classic organized the Unite on the Ice event benefiting St. Jude Children 's Research Hospital. The event was centered upon a celebrity hockey game with former NHL and AHL players, as well as a public free skate at Soldier Field. Participants in the celebrity game included Éric Dazé, Jamal Mayers and Gino Cavallini. Denis Savard was in attendance, serving as an ' honorary coach ' during the game. February 15, 2015 Soldier Field hosted another Chicago Gay Hockey Association intra-league match in association with the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field. Soccer 1994 FIFA World Cup Soldier Field before a soccer match Date Time ( CDT ) Team # 1 Result Team # 2 Round Spectators June 17, 1994 14 : 00 Germany 1 -- 0 Bolivia Group C / Opening Match 63,117 June 21, 1994 15 : 00 Germany 1 -- 1 Spain Group C 63,113 June 26, 1994 11 : 30 Greece 0 -- 4 Bulgaria Group D 63,160 June 27, 1994 15 : 00 Bolivia 1 -- 3 Spain Group C 63,089 July 2, 1994 11 : 00 Germany 3 -- 2 Belgium Round of 16 60,246 1999 FIFA Women 's World Cup Date Time ( CDT ) Team # 1 Result Team # 2 Round Spectators June 24, 1999 17.00 Brazil 2 -- 0 Italy Group B 65,080 19.00 United States 7 -- 1 Nigeria Group A 65,080 June 26, 1999 16.00 Ghana 0 -- 2 Sweden Group D 34,256 18.30 Norway 4 - 0 Japan Group C 34,256 CONCACAF Gold Cups 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup Date Team # 1 Result Team # 2 Round Spectators 21 June 2007 Canada 1 -- 2 United States Semifinals 50,760 Mexico 1 -- 0 Guadeloupe 24 June 2007 United States 2 -- 1 Mexico Final 60,000 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup Date Team # 1 Result Team # 2 Round Spectators 23 July 2009 Honduras 1 -- 2 United States Semifinals 55,173 Costa Rica 1 -- 1 ( 3 - 5 pen ) Mexico 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup Date Team # 1 Result Team # 2 Round Spectators 12 June 2011 El Salvador 6 -- 1 Cuba Group A 62,000 Mexico 4 -- 1 Costa Rica 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup Date Team # 1 Result Team # 2 Round Spectators 28 July 2013 United States 1 -- 0 Panama Final 57,920 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Date Team # 1 Result Team # 2 Round Spectators July 9, 2015 Trinidad and Tobago 3 -- 1 Guatemala Group C 54,126 Mexico 6 -- 0 Cuba Copa América Centenario Main article : Copa América Centenario Date Time ( CDT ) Team # 1 Result Team # 2 Round Spectators June 5, 2016 16 : 00 Jamaica 0 -- 1 Venezuela Group C 25,560 June 7, 2016 19 : 00 United States 4 -- 0 Costa Rica Group A 39,642 June 10, 2016 20 : 30 Argentina 5 -- 0 Panama Group D 53,885 June 22, 2016 19 : 00 Colombia 0 -- 2 Chile Semi-finals 55,423 Single events Over 15,000 spectators attended the first leg of the 1928 National Challenge Cup ( now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ) between soccer teams Bricklayers and Masons F.C. of Chicago and New York Nationals of New York City. The match ended in 1 -- 1 tie, and New York won the second leg 3 -- 0 in New York City. United States vs. Brazil in a friendly match -- September 9, 2007. Liverpool F.C. vs Olympiacos in the 2014 International Champions Cup with Liverpool F.C. winning 1 - 0 F.C. Bayern Munich vs A.C. Milan in the 2016 International Champions Cup with the game resulting in a 3 - 3 draw and A.C. Milan winning the penalty shootout 5 - 3. Site of the 2017 MLS All - Star Game, to be played on August 2, 2017 between Real Madrid and a group of all - stars representing Major League Soccer. Special Olympics The 1st International Special Olympics Summer Games were held at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 19 -- 20, 1968. The games spanned two days and more than 1,000 people with intellectual disabilities from 26 U.S. states and Canada competed in track and field and swimming, sparking a worldwide Special Olympics movement that now thrives today. Rugby union The stadium hosted its first international rugby union test match between the United States Eagles and New Zealand All Blacks on November 1, 2014 as part of the 2014 end - of - year rugby union tests. More than half of the 61,500 tickets were sold within two days. The All Blacks beat the Eagles 74 -- 6. The stadium hosted its second international rugby union match on September 5, 2015 with the United States hosting Australia as part of the 2015 Rugby World Cup warm - up matches shortly before both teams were due to travel to England for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The Eagles were defeated 47 -- 10. Ireland beat New Zealand 40 - 29 on November 5, 2016 at Soldier Field, as part of the 2016 end - of - year rugby union internationals -- the very first time Ireland had beaten the All Blacks in a Test match in 111 years of play. Concerts Fare Thee Well : Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead in 2015 Date Artist Opening act ( s ) Tour / concert name Attendance Revenue Notes August 21, 1937 Lily Pons Rudy Vallee Jascha Heifetz Bobby Breen N / A 8th Annual Chicagoland Music Festival N / A N / A August 15, 1964 Johnny Cash June Carter N / A Chicagoland Music Festival N / A N / A August 9, 1966 Barbra Streisand N / A An Evening with Barbra Streisand Tour N / A N / A July 18, 1970 Performers Chicago Illinois Speed Press The Illusion Pig Iron Iggy Pop The Stooges Dream Leon Russell MC5 Funkadelic Mason Proffit Bush Happy Day It Does n't Matter Joe Kelley Blues Band Bloomsbury People N / A WCFL 's Big Ten Summer Music Festival N / A N / A June 4, 1977 Emerson, Lake & Palmer Foghat The J. Geils Band Climax Blues Band ELP Works N / A N / A June 19, 1977 Pink Floyd N / A In the Flesh Tour 95,000 N / A July 9, 1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd Point Blank 77,197 N / A July 10, 1977 Ted Nugent Lynyrd Skynyrd REO Speedwagon Journey. 38 Special Super Bowl of Rock # 3 N / A N / A August 13, 1977 Peter Frampton Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band Rick Derringer UFO N / A N / A July 8, 1978 The Rolling Stones Journey Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes Peter Tosh The Rolling Stones US Tour 1978 N / A N / A Augst 26, 1978 Parliament - Funkadelic The Bar - Kays Con Funk Shun A Taste of Honey Funk Fest N / A N / A July 19, 1980 Smokey Robinson The O'Jays N / A N / A August 10 -- 18, 1983 Performers Buddy Guy Junior Wells The Beach Boys Stevie Ray Vaughan Double Trouble The Association The Hollies The Kind Laura Branigan N / A ChicagoFest N / A N / A August 9, 1985 Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band N / A Born in the U.S.A. Tour 71,222 / 71,222 $1,228,500 July 31, 1987 Madonna Level 42 Who 's That Girl World Tour 47,407 / 47,407 $1,066,658 July 29, 1990 Paul McCartney N / A The Paul McCartney World Tour 55,630 / 55,630 $1,807,975 June 22, 1990 Grateful Dead N / A N / A N / A June 25, 1992 Steve Miller Band June 26, 1992 June 18, 1993 Sting June 19, 1993 July 12, 1994 Pink Floyd N / A The Division Bell Tour 51,981 / 51,981 $2,056,105 July 23, 1994 Grateful Dead Traffic N / A N / A July 24, 1994 September 11, 1994 The Rolling Stones Lenny Kravitz Voodoo Lounge Tour 90,303 / 90,303 $4,194,320 September 12, 1994 July 8, 1995 Grateful Dead The Band N / A N / A The 1995 Grateful Dead concerts were the band 's last, as guitarist and vocalist Jerry Garcia died a month later. July 9, 1995 July 11, 1995 Pearl Jam Bad Religion Otis Rush Vitalogy Tour N / A N / A September 14, 1996 Little Feat Taj Mahal N / A N / A June 27, 1997 U2 Fun Lovin ' Criminals PopMart Tour 116,912 / 127,500 $5,956,587 June 28, 1997 June 29, 1997 July 18, 1997 Performers Bad Religion Blink - 182 Descendents Hed PE Jimmy 2 Times Lagwagon Latex Generation Less Than Jake Limp Bizkit The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Millencolin Murder City Devils Orange 9mm Pennywise Reel Big Fish Sick of It All Snot Social Distortion Strung Out Sugar Ray Trading Bryson Vision of Disorder White Kaps N / A Vans Warped Tour N / A N / A September 23, 1997 The Rolling Stones Blues Traveler Bridges to Babylon Tour 107,186 / 107,186 $6,260,000 September 25, 1997 May 10, 1998 George Strait N / A Country Music Festival Tour N / A N / A April 25, 1999 May 13, 2000 Wilco N / A N / A N / A June 29, 2000 Dave Matthews Band Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals Ozomatli N / A N / A June 30, 2000 June 16, 2001 NSYNC BBMak 3LW Dream PopOdyssey 85,650 / 103,903 $4,739,359 June 17, 2001 July 6, 2001 Dave Matthews Band Buddy Guy Angélique Kidjo N / A N / A July 7, 2001 September 10, 2005 The Rolling Stones Los Lonely Boys A Bigger Bang N / A N / A July 21, 2006 Bon Jovi Nickelback Have a Nice Day Tour 52,612 / 52,612 $3,988,455 October 11, 2006 The Rolling Stones Elvis Costello & The Imposters A Bigger Bang N / A N / A June 21, 2008 Kenny Chesney Keith Urban LeAnn Rimes Gary Allan The Poets and Pirates Tour N / A N / A October 11 -- 12, 2008 Performers Son Volt Cross Canadian Ragweed Gretchen Wilson Justin Townes Earle Lady Antebellum Luke Bryan Rissi Palmer Taylor Swift The Lawrence Peters Outfit Tift Merritt N / A Chicago Country Music Festival N / A N / A June 13, 2009 Kenny Chesney Lady Antebellum Miranda Lambert Montgomery Gentry Sugarland Sun City Carnival Tour 48,763 / 50,109 $3,184,606 September 12, 2009 U2 Snow Patrol U2 360 ° Tour 135,872 / 135,872 $13,860,480 September 13, 2009 June 12, 2010 Performers All Time Low Boys Like Girls Cady Groves Forever the Sickest Kids Good Charlotte Hellogoodbye LMFAO Simple Plan Third Eye Blind Drive A Great Big Planes Mercy Mercedes The Prices The Ready Set Stereo Skyline Vita Chambers N / A The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 N / A N / A Event held at Soldier Field parking lot June 19, 2010 Eagles Dixie Chicks JD & The Straight Shot Long Road Out of Eden Tour 29,233 / 32,420 $3,186,493 July 7, 2010 deadmau5 Rye Rye Brazilian Girls N / A N / A July 30, 2010 Bon Jovi Kid Rock The Circle Tour 95,959 / 95,959 $8,606,259 July 31, 2010 July 5, 2011 U2 Interpol U2 360 ° Tour 64,297 / 64,297 $5,786,335 August 23, 2011 Wayne Baker Brooks Sugar Blue N / A N / A July 7, 2012 Kenny Chesney Tim McGraw Jake Owen Grace Potter and the Nocturnals Brothers of the Sun Tour 51,100 / 51,100 $5,109,399 July 12, 2013 Bon Jovi The J. Geils Band Because We Can 45,178 / 45,178 $4,690,204 July 22, 2013 Jay - Z Justin Timberlake DJ Cassidy Legends of the Summer 52,671 / 52,671 $5,715,152 August 10, 2013 Taylor Swift Ed Sheeran Casey James Austin Mahone The Red Tour 50,809 / 50,809 $4,149,148 July 24, 2014 Beyoncé Jay - Z N / A On the Run Tour 50,035 / 50,035 $5,783,396 August 29, 2014 One Direction 5 Seconds of Summer Where We Are Tour 104,617 / 104,617 $9,446,247 August 30, 2014 August 31, 2014 Luke Bryan Dierks Bentley Lee Brice Cole Swindell DJ Rock That 's My Kind of Night Tour 50,529 / 50,529 $3,754,362 June 6, 2015 Kenny Chesney Miranda Lambert Brantley Gilbert Chase Rice Old Dominion The Big Revival Tour 43,630 / 48,278 $3,776,207 Chesney was the main headliner, Lambert joined as the co-headliner only for the Chicago show July 3, 2015 Grateful Dead N / A Fare Thee Well : Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead 210,283 / 210,283 $30,683,274 50th Anniversary concerts July 4, 2015 July 5, 2015 July 18, 2015 Taylor Swift Vance Joy Shawn Mendes HAIM The 1989 World Tour 110,109 / 110,109 $11,469,887 Andy Grammer and Serayah were special guests on the July 18 show July 19, 2015 Sam Hunt and Andreja Pejić & Lily Donaldson were special guests on the July 19 show August 23, 2015 One Direction Icona Pop On the Road Again Tour 41,527 / 41,527 $3,382,655 May 27, 2016 Beyoncé Rae Sremmurd The Formation World Tour 89,270 / 89,270 $11,279,890 May 28, 2016 DJ Scratch July 1, 2016 Guns N ' Roses Alice in Chains Not in This Lifetime... Tour 82,172 / 96,088 $8,843,684 July 3, 2016 July 23, 2016 Coldplay Alessia Cara Foxes A Head Full of Dreams Tour 95,323 / 95,323 $10,215,572 The July 23 show was cut short due to inclement weather. July 24, 2016 June 3, 2017 U2 The Lumineers The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 105,078 / 105,078 $13,435,925 June 4, 2017 June 18, 2017 Metallica Avenged Sevenfold Local H Mix Master Mike WorldWired Tour 51,041 / 51,041 $6,093,976 August 17, 2017 Coldplay AlunaGeorge Izzy Bizu A Head Full of Dreams Tour -- -- Other events President Franklin D. Roosevelt at Soldier Field Gen. Douglas MacArthur at Soldier Field Opening ceremonies of the 2006 Gay Games President Barack Obama throws a football at Soldier Field after the 2012 NATO summit. The 28th International Eucharistic Congress held three days of outdoor day and evening events from June 21 -- 23, 1926. The Long Count Fight, the second heavyweight championship bout between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney, was held at Soldier Field on September 22, 1927. June 24, 1932 a war show celebrating the bicentennial of George Washington 's birth featured Amelia Earhart. May 27, 1933 Soldier Field opening ceremonies of the Century of Progress Worlds Fair. Postmaster General and DNC - Chairman James Farley facilitated the opening ceremony. October 28, 1944, President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt made an appearance at Soldier Field, which was the only Midwestern speaking appearance he made in his last reelection campaign. This appearance was attended by over 150,000 ( with at least as many people attempting to attend who were unable to gain admission ). US General during World War II Douglas MacArthur addressed a crowd of 50,000 at Soldier Field, which was his first visit to the United States in 14 years in April 1951. Glenn `` Fireball '' Roberts won the only NASCAR Grand National race held at the stadium 's short track which ran across the old configuration, in 1956. Three Convertible Division races were held at the stadium. The Chicago Freedom Movement, led by Martin Luther King, held a rally here on June 21. As many as 75,000 came to hear Reverends Martin Luther King Jr. and Theodore Hesburgh ( president of Notre Dame University, Archbishop Arthur M. Brazier, and Minister Edgar Chandler among others. The Chicago Freedom Movement held a second rally here on July 10, 1966. As many as 60,000 people came to hear Dr. King as well as Mahalia Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Peter, Paul and Mary. The early - to - mid 1980s saw the US Hot Rod Association host Truck and Tractor Sled Pull Competitions and Monster Truck exhibitions here. The engines on some of the vehicles would echo through the skyscrapers in downtown Chicago as they made their pull. Damage to the stadium turf on a few of the event occasion 's led USHRA to move events to the Rosemont Horizon ( known today as Allstate Arena ). October 13 David D. Meilahn made the first - ever commercial cell phone call from his 1983 Mercedes - Benz 380SL at Soldier Field on a Motorola DynaTAC. This is considered a major turning point in communications. The call was to Bob Barnett, the former president of Ameritech Mobile Communications, who then placed a call on a DynaTAC from inside of a Chrysler convertible to the grandson of Alexander Graham Bell who was in Germany. The stadium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places beginning in 1984. Its National Historic Landmark status was removed in 2006. In the summer of 2006, the stadium hosted the Opening Ceremony of the Gay Games In 2012, United States President Barack Obama held the 2012 Chicago summit, a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ), at McCormick Place and Soldier Field. In popular culture In the Marvel Comics event Siege, Soldier Field is inadvertently destroyed mid-game by Thor 's friend Volstagg when he is tricked into fighting the U-Foes through Loki and Norman Osborn 's manipulations of events. The stadium is later seen being rebuilt by the heroes after Steve Rogers is appointed head of U.S. Security, following the aforementioned event. The 1977 documentary film Powers of Ten focuses on two people having a picnic on the east side of Soldier Field. The stadium appears in the 2006 Clint Eastwood -- directed movie Flags of Our Fathers, when the survivors of the Iwo Jima flag - raising reenact it for a patriotic rally. The opening match of the 1994 World Cup at Soldier Field was one of the five events covered in the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary June 17th, 1994. Soldier Field features ( much changed ) in August 4017a. d. in From The Highlands short story in David Weber 's anthology collection Changer Of Worlds. It appears to have gone through multiple renovations, rebuilds and even having been built over, until nothing but the open space of the original remained In the 13th Episode of Chicago Fire 's fourth season, Soldier Field was featured on one of their calls for a terrorist hoax. In the 21st Episode of Chicago Fire 's fifth season, Soldier Field was featured on one of their calls for a high angle rescue. Gallery Aerial view, c. 1988, behind the stadium is the Field Museum of Natural History View from Northerly Island Front of bronze mural View towards the western grandstand 's cantilever over the original western colonnade Soldier Field nearing completion, 1924 Soccer game See also List of events at Soldier Field Chicago portal References Jump up ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System : Soldier Field Jump up ^ `` Soldier Field ''. ESPN.com. January 9, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Stadium History and Timeline ''. Official website. Soldier Field. 2010. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Start Work On New Municipal Stadium In Grant Park, Chicago ''. The Christian Science Monitor. August 16, 1922. ^ Jump up to : Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. `` Consumer Price Index ( estimate ) 1800 -- ''. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved January 2, 2017. Jump up ^ Riess, Steven A. ( 2005 ). `` Soldier Field ''. The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved May 21, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Published October 6, 2003 ( October 6, 2003 ). `` After a quick build, showtime in Chicago ''. SportsBusiness Journal. Retrieved March 10, 2012. Jump up ^ Hall, Andrew ( January 18, 2015 ). `` Report : Annual Blue - Gold Spring Game May Be Moved To Soldier Field ''. slapthesign.com. Retrieved January 18, 2015. Jump up ^ Ford, Liam T.A. Ford ( 2009 ). Soldier Field : A Stadium and Its City ( 1st ed. ). Chicago : University Of Chicago Press. p. 91. In 1929 a new stadium was under construction at Notre Dame, and the team played its entire home season at Soldier Field Jump up ^ Ford, Liam T.A. Ford ( 2009 ). Soldier Field : A Stadium and Its City ( 1st ed. ). Chicago : University Of Chicago Press. p. 236. UIC started playing football at Soldier Field in 1966 Jump up ^ Ford, Liam T.A. Ford ( 2009 ). Soldier Field : A Stadium and Its City ( 1st ed. ). Chicago : University Of Chicago Press. p. 236. their last home game at Soldier Field, on November 3, 1973 ^ Jump up to : Rollow, Cooper ( March 14, 1971 ). `` Bears find home ; it 's Soldier Field ''. Chicago Tribune. p. 1, part 3. ^ Jump up to : `` Bears sign to play in Soldier Field ''. Milwaukee Journal. March 14, 1971. p. 21. Jump up ^ `` 110,000 to see game today ''. Chicago Daily Tribune. November 27, 1926. p. 1. ^ Jump up to : `` Historical timeline of Soldier Field ''. Chicago Bears. 2009. Retrieved December 18, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Soldier Field '', Chicago Architecture Info. Retrieved January 16, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Truman telss Chicago crowd U.S. must remain strong ''. Chicago Sunday Tribune. April 7, 1946. p. 10, part 1. Jump up ^ `` Closing meeting at Chicago 's Soldier Field ''. Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. ( photo ). November 25, 1962. p. 64. Jump up ^ Lugardo, Sara ( 2012 - 12 - 16 ). `` History of Tailgating in Chicago ''. WBBM - TV. Retrieved 2012 - 12 - 16. Jump up ^ `` Bears ' games at Soldier Field may be moved ''. Schenectady Gazette. New York. Associated Press. August 16, 1988. p. 26. Jump up ^ Taylor, Roy. `` Soldier Field History ''. Bearshistory.com. Retrieved July 24, 2012. Jump up ^ Barboza, David ( June 16, 2003 ). `` Chicago Journal ; Soldier Field Renovation Brings Out Boo - Birds ''. The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Sharoff, Robert ( November 2002 ). `` Field of Pain ''. Chicago Magazine. Jump up ^ Kamin, Blair ( April 5, 2001 ). `` Soldier field plan : On further Review, the Play Stinks ''. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 14, 2012. Jump up ^ Kamin, Blair ( June 11, 2001 ). `` The Monstrosity of the Midway ; Mr. Mayor : Stop the Madness and Admit That the Lakefront Is No Place for the Bears ''. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 14, 2012. Jump up ^ Kamin, Blair ( July 11, 2001 ). `` A tale of Hungry Bears and White Elephants ''. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 14, 2012. Jump up ^ Chapman, Steve ( September 14, 2003 ). `` A stadium deal that is hard to bear ''. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 21, 2010. Jump up ^ Muschamp, Herbert ( December 23, 2003 ). `` Architecture : The Highs ; The Buildings ( and Plans ) of the Year ''. The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2010. Jump up ^ Mayer, Larry. `` Soldier Field wins prestigious award ''. Chicago Bears. Retrieved October 7, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Soldier Field loses National Historic Landmark status ''. General Cultural Resources News. eCulturalResources. April 24, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2010. Jump up ^ Murray, Jeanne ( October 20, 2006 ). `` Leveling the Playing Field ''. Preservation Magazine. National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 22, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Weekly List of Actions taken on properties : 4 / 17 / 06 through 4 / 21 / 06 ''. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 28, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Soldier Field earns top building honor ''. Chicago Bears. May 31, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2012. Jump up ^ `` 1926 Army - Navy Game ''. Library Archives. United States Naval Academy. November 26, 2001. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved May 21, 2010. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Archived July 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. ^ Jump up to : Forman, Ross ( January 24, 2015 ). `` CGHA to skate at Soldier Field after Hockey City Classic ''. www.windycitymediagroup.com. Windy City Times. Retrieved February 1, 2015. Jump up ^ ( 2 ) Jump up ^ ( 3 ) Jump up ^ `` Michigan to Play Michigan State Outdoors at Soldier Field in Chicago ''. August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Michigan, MSU to play outdoor hockey at Soldier Field ''. August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Spartans Fall to Michigan at Soldier Field ''. www.msuspartans.com. February 8, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2015. Jump up ^ `` WMU Hockey Comes Up Short at Soldier Field ''. www.westernherald.com. Western Herald. February 8, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Michigan downs Michigan State, 4 - 1, in Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field ''. btn.com. Big Ten Network. February 8, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2015. Jump up ^ Sipple, George ( February 8, 2015 ). `` Sipple : Hockey City Classic in Chicago full of problems ''. www.freep.com. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 9, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Saturday, February 7, 2015 Miami ( MIA ) vs Western Michigan ( WMU ) ''. www.collegehockeystats.net. Retrieved November 3, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Michigan 4, Michigan State 1 ''. www.uscho.com. Retrieved November 3, 2015. Jump up ^ Romano, Sara ( February 4, 2015 ). `` PUBLIC SKATING, CHARITY GAME AT SOLDIER FIELD THURSDAY ''. news.medill.northwestern.edu. Northwestern University. Archived from the original on March 4, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015. Jump up ^ Liverpool Hold Off Olympiacos at Soldier Field Archived July 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. ICC.com July 28, 2014 Retrieved July 28, 2014 Jump up ^ `` All Blacks : Chicago likely test venue -- Sport -- NZ Herald News ''. Nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 2014 - 08 - 01. Jump up ^ `` More than 30,000 tickets sold for All Blacks matchup at Soldier Field '' Archived June 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine., USA Rugby, June 18, 2014. Jump up ^ Wise, Chad ( November 1, 2014 ). `` All Blacks Showcase World - Class Rugby at Soldier Field '' Archived January 18, 2016, at the Wayback Machine., USA Rugby. Retrieved February 7, 2016. Jump up ^ `` 2015 Wallabies Fixtures ''. Australian Rugby Union. Retrieved 2015 - 07 - 04. Jump up ^ `` Ireland 40 - 29 New Zealand : Joe Schmidt 's men taste historic victory over All Blacks as they run in five tries to record first win in 111 years ''. Daily Mail. 5 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016. Jump up ^ Scott, John W. ; Dolgushkin, Mike ; Nixon, Stu. ( 1999 ). DeadBase XI : The Complete Guide to Grateful Dead Song Lists. Cornish, New Hampshire : DeadBase. ISBN 1 - 877657 - 22 - 0. Jump up ^ Waddell, Ray ( July 4, 2015 ). `` Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well Sets Attendance Record at Chicago 's Soldier Field '', Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2016. Jump up ^ Legaspi, Althea ( 2016 - 07 - 24 ). `` Rain ca n't dampen Coldplay party at Soldier Field ''. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2016 - 07 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Planes Thrill Crowd at Military Show ''. Chicago Daily Tribune. June 25, 1932. Jump up ^ `` 1,500 Soldiers Will Move into Loop Wednesday ''. Chicago Daily Tribune. June 13, 1932. Jump up ^ Laughlin, Kathleen ( June 25, 1932 ). `` Amelia Flies to City ; Given Noisy Ovation ''. Chicago Daily Tribune. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Fair Opened by Farley ; Rays of Arcturus Start Lights ''. New York Times. May 28, 1933. Jump up ^ O'Donnell Bennett, James ( May 28, 1933 ). `` Exposition Starts with Pageant in Soldiers ' Field ''. Chicago Daily Tribune. Jump up ^ Gentry, Guy ( October 28, 1944 ). `` 700,000 Tickets Out for F.D.R. Rally Tonight ''. Chicago Daily Tribune. Jump up ^ `` Record Crowd Hears President Give Peace Program ''. Chicago Defender. November 4, 1944. Jump up ^ `` Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, `` Campaign Address at Soldier Field, Chicago '' October 28, 1944 ``. Associated Press. Jump up ^ Edwards, Willard ( October 29, 1944 ). `` F.D.R. Promises New Deal No. 2 ; Dewey Hits at War ' Credit ' Claim ''. Chicago Daily Tribune. Jump up ^ Franklin D. Roosevelt, `` Campaign Address at Soldier Field '', Oct. 28, 1944 Jump up ^ `` Postwar Goal : 60 Million Jobs ''. Los Angeles Times. October 29, 1944. Jump up ^ `` Record Crowd In Chicago ''. Chicago Defender. November 4, 1944. Jump up ^ Kennedy, David M. ( 1999 ). Freedom from Fear : The American People in Depression and War, 1929 -- 1945. New York City : Oxford University Press. pp. 767 -- 769 ; 774 -- 775. Jump up ^ `` Checkered Flag Waves for NASCAR Legends story -- Soldier Field ''. Laidbackracing.com. Retrieved November 30, 2014. Jump up ^ Higgins, Tom ( July 9, 2010 ). `` Chicago 's storied Soldier Field was once a NASCAR track ''. www.thatsracin.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Throwback Thursday : Chicagoland ''. NASCAR. September 12, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Freedom Summer in Chicago : An Anticlimax ''. www.uic.edu. University of Illinois at Chicago Library. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015. Jump up ^ Cohen, Adam ; Taylor, Elizabeth ( 2000 ). American Pharaoh : Mayor Richard J. Daley : His Battle for Chicago and the Nation. Boston : Little, Brown. p.. ISBN 0 - 316 - 83403 - 3. OCLC 42392137. Jump up ^ Oehmke, Ted ( January 6, 2000 ). `` Cell Phones Ruin the Opera ? Meet the Culprit ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 2009 - 05 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Soldier Field -- Building # 84001052 ''. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 1984. Retrieved May 21, 2010. Jump up ^ `` National Register of Historic Places Listings ''. National Park Service. April 28, 2006. Retrieved July 24, 2012. Jump up ^ Noel, Josh ; Elejalde - Ruiz, Alexia ( July 16, 2006 ). `` Pride, Support, Protest Mark Opening '', Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 5, 2016. Jump up ^ `` President Obama throws football at Soldier Field ''. Chicago Bears. May 21, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2012. Jump up ^ Siege # 1 Jump up ^ Avengers ( vol. 4 ) # 1 Jump up ^ `` Powers of Ten ''. Film and description. Organisation Européenne pour la Recherche Nucléaire ( CERN ). June 14, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2011. The zoom - out continues, to a view of 100 meters ( 10 ^ 2 m ), then 1 kilometer ( 10 ^ 3 m ), and so on, increasing the perspective. The picnic is revealed to be taking place near Soldier Field on Chicago 's waterfront, and continuing to zoom out to a field of view of 10 ^ 24 meters, or the size of the observable universe. Jump up ^ Turan, Kenneth ( October 20, 2006 ). `` Movie Review : Flags of Our Fathers ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 21, 2010. Further reading Ford, Liam T.A. ( 2009 ). Soldier Field : A Stadium and Its City. Chicago : The University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 226 - 25706 - 8. OCLC 317923072. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Soldier Field. Official website Soldier Field archive at the Chicago Tribune Soldier Field succession and navigation boxes Events and tenants Preceded by San Siro Milan FIFA World Cup Opening Venue 1994 Succeeded by Stade de France Paris ( Saint - Denis ) Preceded by Wrigley Field Memorial Stadium Home of the Chicago Bears 1971 -- 2001 2003 -- present Succeeded by Memorial Stadium current stadium Preceded by Comiskey Park Home of the Chicago Cardinals 1959 Succeeded by Busch Stadium Preceded by first stadium Cardinal Stadium Home of the Chicago Fire 1998 -- 2002 2003 -- 2005 Succeeded by Cardinal Stadium Toyota Park Preceded by Giants Stadium East Rutherford CONCACAF Gold Cup Final Venue 2007 Succeeded by Giants Stadium East Rutherford Preceded by Rose Bowl Pasadena CONCACAF Gold Cup Final Venue 2013 Succeeded by Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia Preceded by Candlestick Park RFK Stadium Qwest Field Louisiana Superdome Host of NFC Championship Game 1986 1989 2007 2011 Succeeded by Giants Stadium Candlestick Park Lambeau Field Candlestick Park Chicago Bears Founded in 1919 Formerly the Decatur Staleys ( 1919 -- 20 ) and the Chicago Staleys ( 1921 ) Based in Chicago, Illinois Headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois Franchise History Coaches Seasons Current season Records Records and statistics Franchise records All - time record versus NFL Team awards and honors Players Head coaches Pro Football Hall of Famers First - round draft picks Starting quarterbacks Stadiums Staley Field Wrigley Field Soldier Field Memorial Stadium Soldier Field II Lore Staley Swindle 1932 Playoff Game First NFL Championship Game `` The Sneakers Game '' 73 -- 0 15 -- 1 46 defense Super Bowl XX Fog Bowl 75th Anniversary League Team NFL All - Time Team Cardiac Kids 2006 game vs. Arizona Cardinals Monsters of the Midway T formation George S. 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Question: when did the bears start playing at soldier field
Answer: 1971