Chicago Bears Tickets

Bears seats in one paragraph

For most Chicago Bears fans, the seat to target at Soldier Field is on the west sideline, the Bears' side. The sweet spot is sections 235–239 on the 200 level, which sit near midfield and under the media deck overhang, so you get a sideline angle and some protection from rain or snow. If you want to be right behind the team, the lower sections around 133 face the Bears bench. If budget leads, the steep 400 level is the most affordable way into a big game. With only 62,500 seats, the second-smallest capacity in the NFL, every one of these options gets scarce for the biggest dates.

West side, east side: the sideline decision

Soldier Field's field runs north to south, which gives you two very different sidelines.

West: the Bears sideline

The home team's bench sits in front of the lower-level sections around 133. For a seat right behind the bench, look at 132, 133 and 134. Above them, the 200-level sections from about 232 to 242 sit under the media deck, the best covered seating in the building for regular ticket holders.

East: the visitors' sideline and the United Club

The visiting team stands on the east side. Here the United Club fills sections 202–216 and 301–317. Spread over three levels, it is an enclosed club with its own bars, food service and restrooms. On a frigid December afternoon, the ability to step inside is worth a lot.

A caution about front rows

On either sideline, the first handful of rows look perfect on a map. In person, players, coaches and staff along the bench block much of the near side of the field. You will see more football from the middle and upper rows of the 100 level, or from the 200 level between the 20-yard lines.

Wind, cover and the low autumn sun

Soldier Field has no roof and sits on the edge of Lake Michigan. Weather is part of the ticket.

• Wind: lake wind blows through every late-season game. Up top, the patio behind section 354 offers drink rails and a look at the lake, and it catches more wind than almost anywhere else in the building.
• Rain and snow: the media deck overhang shelters part of the west 200 level, roughly sections 232–242. Few other regular seats have any cover.
• Sun: as a rule of thumb, the fall afternoon sun hangs low in the southwest. East-side fans look toward it, while the tall west grandstand throws its own shade. In September, that makes the west side more comfortable. In December, the sunny east side can feel warmer.

Bring layers to anything after mid-October. Umbrellas are not allowed inside, so a poncho is the practical choice for rain.

The 100, 200 and 400 levels compared

• 100 level (the lower bowl): the closest seats, with the best feel for speed and contact. Choose the middle and upper rows on the sideline for a clear view.
• 200 level: the balance point. Between the 20s, you see plays develop, and on the west side you may also get overhead cover.
• United Club (east, 200 and 300 sections): the comfort option, with indoor space and food service.
• 400 level (the upper deck): pitched sharply, so even high rows hang over the field rather than drifting away from it, which is why it is the value pick. The climb is long, though, so it is a poor fit for anyone with limited mobility or small children.

The compact bowl is a big reason sightlines are good from most of the stadium. The rebuild cut capacity from 66,944 to 62,500 to bring fans closer to the action, and that is a trade you benefit from in almost any section.

When demand peaks: Packers week and beyond

A Bears season brings August preseason games, eight or nine regular-season home dates from September into early January, and any playoff games. With so few seats, listings for the top games are thin and move fast.

• Green Bay Packers: the biggest ticket every year. The series dates to 1921, has passed 200 meetings and draws fans from both Illinois and Wisconsin.
• Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings: the other NFC North games, strongest late in the year when standings tighten.
• Night games: Sunday, Monday or Thursday night home games pull a national audience and often sell faster than a Sunday afternoon slot.
• Preseason: the low-demand way to see Soldier Field.

Weather moves the late-season market in both directions. A bitter forecast for a non-division game can bring extra resale listings in the last few days. A division game with playoff stakes tends to hold firm or rise. Home playoff games go on sale quickly and draw the year's strongest demand. Orders on Reserved Seat are backed by a 100% guarantee, useful when you buy in that last-minute window.

On the road, Lambeau Field is a few hours north, and Bears fans make the trip often, though nearly every Lambeau ticket comes through resale because Packers season tickets stay in families for decades. Detroit and Minneapolis play indoors at Ford Field and U.S. Bank Stadium, so December trips there carry no weather risk. Most NFL stadiums have no set visitors' section; buying seats together in one listing beats matching singles later.

Getting to the Museum Campus

Soldier Field is at 1410 Special Olympics Drive on the lakefront Museum Campus. Driving is the hardest option, so plan transit first.

• CTA rail: take the Red, Orange or Green line to Roosevelt, then walk east or catch the #146 bus.
• Soldier Field Express: the #128 bus links the downtown Metra stations with the stadium before and after games.
• Commuter rail: Metra Electric serves Museum Campus/11th Street and 18th Street; the South Shore Line stops at McCormick Place.
• Rideshare: drop-offs and pickups happen on Balbo Drive and Columbus Drive, north of the stadium.

Lots next to the stadium, such as the Waldron Deck, the South Lot and other Museum Campus lots, need a prepaid pass. Tailgating is allowed on the Museum Campus surface lots, the top level of the Waldron Deck and select McCormick Place lots, but not during the game or after night games, and never postgame at McCormick Place. Tents, open flames and propane tanks over 19 pounds are banned.

As of the 2026 season, the team's guide says gates open two hours before kickoff, the stadium is cashless, and entry requires mobile tickets in the Bears app (no screenshots). There is no re-entry. The clear-bag rule allows one see-through bag no bigger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches (a gallon freezer bag also works) and a hand-size clutch; backpacks, coolers and umbrellas are prohibited. Check the Bears gameday A to Z guide before you head out, since rules change.

A founding franchise in the NFL's oldest stadium

The Bears started in 1920 as the Decatur Staleys, a works team sponsored by the A. E. Staley starch firm of Decatur, Illinois. Staley hired George Halas and Edward "Dutch" Sternaman to run it, the club moved to Chicago in 1921, and it became the Bears in 1922. Halas coached the team on and off for 40 seasons, an NFL record.

• Nine league titles: eight before the Super Bowl era, plus Super Bowl XX after the 1985 season.
• Two league records: more retired jerseys and more Hall of Fame inductees than any other franchise.
• Identity: the "Monsters of the Midway" nickname from the 1940s and the fight song "Bear Down, Chicago Bears."
• Oldest continuing series: the Cardinals, a crosstown rival until 1959.

After 50 seasons at Wrigley Field, the Bears moved to Soldier Field in 1971. The stadium opened on October 9, 1924, and is the oldest in the NFL. In 2002 the interior was torn out and rebuilt while the team played at Memorial Stadium in Champaign; the stadium reopened in late September 2003. Crews kept the old outer walls and the Doric colonnades lining the east and west sides and set the new bowl inside and above them, and and the rebuild led to Soldier Field losing its National Historic Landmark listing in 2006. Ownership sits with the Chicago Park District, the turf has been Bermuda grass since 2022, and Chicago Fire FC of MLS has shared it since 2020.

Where the new-stadium story stands

The Bears have chased a new stadium for years, and the plan has changed more than once. Here is the sequence as publicly reported through June 2026. Nothing has been built, and Soldier Field remains home.

• Arlington Heights: a purchase deal for the old Arlington International Racecourse (326 acres) came together in September 2021 and closed on February 15, 2023.
• The lakefront: in April 2024 the team proposed a domed stadium just south of Soldier Field; without public funding, it stalled.
• Back to Arlington: attention swung back to the racecourse site in 2025; that September, Kevin Warren, the team president, said building there would not require state construction money.
• Indiana: on December 17, 2025, Warren said the search would widen to Northwest Indiana. In February 2026, Indiana passed Senate Bill 27, creating a stadium authority and naming Hammond. By June 5, 2026, the team's board had voted to move forward in Hammond, though a specific parcel had not been chosen.

For your ticket, the practical takeaway is that games are at Soldier Field for the foreseeable future. Check current news before treating any future plan as settled.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Chicago Bears
• Wikipedia – Soldier Field
• Wikipedia – Chicago Bears Stadium (stadium plans timeline)
• Chicago Bears – Gameday A to Z Guide
• Chicago Bears – Parking and Transit Guide
• SeatGeek – Chicago Bears fan guide to Soldier Field (orientation)
• RateYourSeats – Soldier Field seating (orientation)