HISTORY
A Look At
The Past And
Present Of
Soldier Field
1919
Winners of Stadium Design Competition!
On 12/3/1919, the South Park Commission hired Holabird & Roche to design a municipal stadium in Grant Park.
1922
Soldier Field Construction Begins
On 8/11/22, the contractors Blome-Sinek and John Griffiths & Son Companies began construction atop the ashes of the Chicago fire in the still swampy eastern area of the park. Construction of the colonnades, Great Hall and initial bleachers was completed at a cost of $13M in September of 2024, and several high school and college football games and a Chicago Police Field Day were held before the official dedication as Grant Park Stadium on 10/9/24.
1924
Municipal Grant Park Stadium Debuts
The new stadium, Chicago's $5M lake front improvement, was formally dedicated at Chicago Day ceremonies which marked the 50th Anniversary of the rebirth of the city after the devastating fire of 1871. The ceremony included speeches by the South Park Board Commissioners, a program of military maneuvers, police and fire department drills and a polo match.
1925
The Stadium Was Renamed Soldier Field
11/11/1925 On Armistice Day, the Stadium is renamed Soldier Field at the request of the Gold Star Mothers and Fathers in honor of the sons who gave their lives in the Great War, which was just beginning to be called World War I.
1926
110,000 Attend ARMY vs. NAVY Game
Chicago Tribune dubbed it to be "one of the greatest football games ever played", and proclaimed that it had been seen by "the largest crowd that ever saw a football game in this country".
1933
Worlds Fair of 1933
The Chicago Century of Progress World's Fair was formally opened on May 27, 1933, by U.S. Postmaster General James Farley at a four-hour ceremony at Soldier Field, which served as a main stage for events.
1944
Presidential Address
On October 28 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.
1946
Armed Forces Benefit Football Game
George Halas, WWII Naval Veteran and Owner of the Chicago Bears, begins the annual preseason Armed Forces Benefit Football Game, which would run through 1970. Proceeds totaling more than $1M were donated to Military Relief Funds.
1951
Douglas MacArthur Addresses 50,000
US General during World War II Douglas MacArthur addressed a crowd of 50,000 at Soldier Field during his first visit to the United States in 14 years.
1962
100,000 Gather to Hear Billy Graham
Sunday, June 17, 1962 Billy Graham, who graduated from Wheaton College and became pastor of the Village Church in Western Springs, IL, fills Soldier Field with over 100,000 of the faithful for the closing ceremony of his Greater Chicago Crusade.
1968
The First Special Olympics Games
The first Special Olympics games for participants with intellectual challenges was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver and held in Soldier Field. Over 1000 participants from 26 US states and Canada would compete this year and again in 1970. The 50th anniversary of these games was commemorated by the dedication of the Eternal Flame of Hope sculpture on 7/20/2018.
1986
Chicago Bears Win Super Bowl XX
The 1985 Chicago Bears won the Super Bowl XX championship by defeating the New England Patriots 46-10 on January 26, 1986 in New Orleans, after hosting key playoff games in Soldier Field.
1994
World Cup Opening At Soldier Field
The ceremony, emceed by Oprah Winfrey, saw such dignitaries as United States President Bill Clinton, Chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl and President of Bolivia Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada. In addition, Daryl Hall, Jon Secada and Diana Ross gave musical performances.
2003
Adaptive Reuse of Soldier Field Debuts
After a short 20 month construction period, the modern stadium is ready for debut. The Bears Developer's Representative is Hoffman Management Partners, with Architects Wood & Zapata and Lohan Caprile Goetsch and Construction Managers Kenney, Turner and Barton Malow. The first event held is Maggie Daley's After School Matters fundraiser, with dinner tables filling the field as shown in this photo. The first Bears game is held 9/29/2003.
2003
Memorial Water Wall
11/11/2003 Dedication Ceremonies are held at the North entrance to Soldier Field. The 250' granite wall and fountain were designed by Benjamin Wood. The 9 service branch medallions were sculpted by Anna Koh and Jeffrey Hanson Varilla, who also designed and sculpted the nearby bronze "Tribute to Freedom".
2003
WWI Quotation Benches Installed
The WWI quotation benches with medals and 116,516 falling leaves (one for each American soldier who died in WWI) were designed by Kathryn Quinn, Architect, and installed by the Chicago Park District.
2003
Spirit Of The American Doughboy
Originally located in Garfield Park, this bronze was sculpted in 1926 by E.M. Viquezney and fell into disrepair. It was restored by Andrzej Dajnowski, placed on a granite pedestal in front of an American flag and rededicated at the opening football game in the fully renovated Soldier Field on 9/29/2003.
2004
Memorial Day Soldier Field Races
The first Memorial Day Soldier Field 10K & 10 Mile races were held, with an honor guard and Gate 0 open to the WWI Memorial area. The 5/24/2025 annual event is depicted in this photo.
2006
Flags of Our Fathers Movie
Clint Eastwoods' movie "Flags of our Fathers" features Iwo Jima survivors re-enacting the flag raising at a patriotic rally at Soldier Field.
2007
Bears Win the NFC North Division Title
The Bears earned their second trip to the Super Bowl with their 39-14 win against the New Orleans Saints on 1/21/2007 at Soldier Field.
2009
First Lacrosse Match at Soldier Field
5/30/2009 Soldier Field hosted the first professional lacrosse match ever played in Chicago, when the Chicago Machine faced the Boston Cannons at Soldier Field.
2009
Courage Opening Ceremony
9/15/2009 The Congressional Medal of Honor society held its Commit to Courage Opening Ceremony at Soldier Field for its 51st annual convention, with 50+ recipients of the Medal of Honor in attendance as honored guests of the City of Chicago over 5 days.
2012
NATO Summit Held at Soldier Field
5/20/2012 The Chicago Summit, the first NATO Summit ever held in the US that wasn't in Washington DC was held at Soldier Field, while Coast Guard Boats stationed at Burnham Harbor. President Barack Obama took some time out to throw a football on the field.
2012
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Existing Building Certification (LEED-EB)
5/31/2012 Soldier Field becomes the first existing North American Stadium to receive LEED-EB Certification by the US Green Building Council for the Chicago Park District's energy efficiency and low environmental impact operational efforts.
2014
Rugby Match - New Zealand vs. USA
11/1/2014 Soldier Field hosts its first international rugby union test match between New Zealand and the USA with a sell-out crowd of 61,500, surpassing the previous record by over 40,000.
2015
Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Victory
6/18/2015 A Soldier Field crowd of 65,000 cheered the Chicago Blackhawks at their 2015 Stanley Cup Victory Rally.
2015
The Annual Veterans Day Ceremony
11/11/2015 The annual Veterans Day Ceremony at Soldier Field featured two Purple Heart Recipients: Captain William Albracht as the keynote speaker and Representative Tammy Duckworth, along with the decorated veteran Senator Mark Kirk, Governor Bruce Rauner, all hosted by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
2016
Copa America Centenario 100th Anniversary
6/5-6/22/2016 Copa America Centenario holds four of its 100th Anniversary international soccer matches at Soldier Field, including the Semi Final between Columbia and Chile.
2020
The Chicago Fire Soccer Team
The Chicago Fire resume play in Soldier Field after a 15 year run at Bridgeview. The COVID pandemic prohibits fans from attending their first season, which was televised on WGN-TV, ESPN+, with some games televised on ABC, FS1, Univision and Unimas.
2020
Penguins Stretch Wings at Soldier Field
The Shedd Acquarium's penguins were exercised from Soldier Field's locker room to the field during the pandemic. This allowed them to experience new sights, smells and sounds and improve their well-being during the Shedd's shut-down.
2023
Beyonce Concert Sets Box Office Records
7/22-23/2023 The Beyonce concert breaks box office records, grossing $30.1M over two nights, prompting the sellout of 95% of hotels in Chicagoland, and bringing hundreds of millions of dollars of economic impact to Chicago. With the Chicago Sun-Times Music festival this year (which also included 3 nights of Taylor Swift's Eras tour), Soldier Field is acknowledged as the premier concert facility in the midwest, and one of the top facilities in the USA, having hosted 7 of the 10 top 2023 artists, and 13 of the top 20 highest grossing tours of all time, despite Soldier Field's lack of availability for most major concerts from August through December because of the Bears' seasons.
2024
Chicago Bears Propose New Stadium Next to a Demolished Soldier Field
4/24/24 The Chicago Bears hold a press conference in the club lounge at Soldier Field detailing their proposal to construct a new stadium in the Waldron Deck and South Lot areas, and showing Soldier Field demolished except for the colonnades, triggering numerous veterans organizations' outrage and efforts by prominent Chicagoans, architects and engineers to save Soldier Field. These efforts included multiple presentations to the Bears of designs to dome, roof and/or expand Soldier Field to attempt to meet their needs.
2025
Soldier Field Receives Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certification
9/16/2025 Soldier Field receives LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, recognizing the venue's continued leadership in sustainable stadium operations, meeting stringent standards for energy, water, and waste efficiency.
2025
Soldier Field Foundation is Formed
9/29/25 Soldier Field Foundation is established to preserve and enhance the memorial stadium and its surrounding monuments to honor those who have served our Country. The Foundation appoints Leadership and Board of Trustees.
1919
Winners of Stadium Design Competition!
On 12/3/1919, the South Park Commission hired Holabird & Roche to design a municipal stadium in Grant Park.
1922
Soldier Field Construction Begins
On 8/11/22, the contractors Blome-Sinek and John Griffiths & Son Companies began construction atop the ashes of the Chicago fire in the still swampy eastern area of the park. Construction of the colonnades, Great Hall and initial bleachers was completed at a cost of $13M in September of 2024, and several high school and college football games and a Chicago Police Field Day were held before the official dedication as Grant Park Stadium on 10/9/24.
1924
Municipal Grant Park Stadium Debuts
The new stadium, Chicago's $5M lake front improvement, was formally dedicated at Chicago Day ceremonies which marked the 50th Anniversary of the rebirth of the city after the devastating fire of 1871. The ceremony included speeches by the South Park Board Commissioners, a program of military maneuvers, police and fire department drills and a polo match.
1925
The Stadium Was Renamed Soldier Field
11/11/1925 On Armistice Day, the Stadium is renamed Soldier Field at the request of the Gold Star Mothers and Fathers in honor of the sons who gave their lives in the Great War, which was just beginning to be called World War I.
1926
110,000 Attend ARMY vs. NAVY Game
Chicago Tribune dubbed it to be "one of the greatest football games ever played", and proclaimed that it had been seen by "the largest crowd that ever saw a football game in this country".
1933
Worlds Fair of 1933
The Chicago Century of Progress World's Fair was formally opened on May 27, 1933, by U.S. Postmaster General James Farley at a four-hour ceremony at Soldier Field, which served as a main stage for events.
1944
Presidential Address
On October 28 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.
1946
Armed Forces Benefit Football Game
George Halas, WWII Naval Veteran and Owner of the Chicago Bears, begins the annual preseason Armed Forces Benefit Football Game, which would run through 1970. Proceeds totaling more than $1M were donated to Military Relief Funds.
1951
Douglas MacArthur Addresses 50,000
US General during World War II Douglas MacArthur addressed a crowd of 50,000 at Soldier Field during his first visit to the United States in 14 years.
1962
100,000 Gather to Hear Billy Graham
Sunday, June 17, 1962 Billy Graham, who graduated from Wheaton College and became pastor of the Village Church in Western Springs, IL, fills Soldier Field with over 100,000 of the faithful for the closing ceremony of his Greater Chicago Crusade.
1968
The First Special Olympics Games
The first Special Olympics games for participants with intellectual challenges was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver and held in Soldier Field. Over 1000 participants from 26 US states and Canada would compete this year and again in 1970. The 50th anniversary of these games was commemorated by the dedication of the Eternal Flame of Hope sculpture on 7/20/2018.
1986
Chicago Bears Win Super Bowl XX
The 1985 Chicago Bears won the Super Bowl XX championship by defeating the New England Patriots 46-10 on January 26, 1986 in New Orleans, after hosting key playoff games in Soldier Field.
1994
World Cup Opening At Soldier Field
The ceremony, emceed by Oprah Winfrey, saw such dignitaries as United States President Bill Clinton, Chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl and President of Bolivia Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada. In addition, Daryl Hall, Jon Secada and Diana Ross gave musical performances.
2003
Adaptive Reuse of Soldier Field Debuts
After a short 20 month construction period, the modern stadium is ready for debut. The Bears Developer's Representative is Hoffman Management Partners, with Architects Wood & Zapata and Lohan Caprile Goetsch and Construction Managers Kenney, Turner and Barton Malow. The first event held is Maggie Daley's After School Matters fundraiser, with dinner tables filling the field as shown in this photo. The first Bears game is held 9/29/2003.
2003
Memorial Water Wall
11/11/2003 Dedication Ceremonies are held at the North entrance to Soldier Field. The 250' granite wall and fountain were designed by Benjamin Wood. The 9 service branch medallions were sculpted by Anna Koh and Jeffrey Hanson Varilla, who also designed and sculpted the nearby bronze "Tribute to Freedom".
2003
WWI Quotation Benches Installed
The WWI quotation benches with medals and 116,516 falling leaves (one for each American soldier who died in WWI) were designed by Kathryn Quinn, Architect, and installed by the Chicago Park District.
2003
Spirit Of The American Doughboy
Originally located in Garfield Park, this bronze was sculpted in 1926 by E.M. Viquezney and fell into disrepair. It was restored by Andrzej Dajnowski, placed on a granite pedestal in front of an American flag and rededicated at the opening football game in the fully renovated Soldier Field on 9/29/2003.
2004
Memorial Day Soldier Field Races
The first Memorial Day Soldier Field 10K & 10 Mile races were held, with an honor guard and Gate 0 open to the WWI Memorial area. The 5/24/2025 annual event is depicted in this photo.
2006
Flags of Our Fathers Movie
Clint Eastwoods' movie "Flags of our Fathers" features Iwo Jima survivors re-enacting the flag raising at a patriotic rally at Soldier Field.
2007
Bears Win the NFC North Division Title
The Bears earned their second trip to the Super Bowl with their 39-14 win against the New Orleans Saints on 1/21/2007 at Soldier Field.
2009
First Lacrosse Match at Soldier Field
5/30/2009 Soldier Field hosted the first professional lacrosse match ever played in Chicago, when the Chicago Machine faced the Boston Cannons at Soldier Field.
2009
Courage Opening Ceremony
9/15/2009 The Congressional Medal of Honor society held its Commit to Courage Opening Ceremony at Soldier Field for its 51st annual convention, with 50+ recipients of the Medal of Honor in attendance as honored guests of the City of Chicago over 5 days.
2012
NATO Summit Held at Soldier Field
5/20/2012 The Chicago Summit, the first NATO Summit ever held in the US that wasn't in Washington DC was held at Soldier Field, while Coast Guard Boats stationed at Burnham Harbor. President Barack Obama took some time out to throw a football on the field.
2012
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Existing Building Certification (LEED-EB)
5/31/2012 Soldier Field becomes the first existing North American Stadium to receive LEED-EB Certification by the US Green Building Council for the Chicago Park District's energy efficiency and low environmental impact operational efforts.
2014
Rugby Match - New Zealand vs. USA
11/1/2014 Soldier Field hosts its first international rugby union test match between New Zealand and the USA with a sell-out crowd of 61,500, surpassing the previous record by over 40,000.
2015
Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Victory
6/18/2015 A Soldier Field crowd of 65,000 cheered the Chicago Blackhawks at their 2015 Stanley Cup Victory Rally.
2015
The Annual Veterans Day Ceremony
11/11/2015 The annual Veterans Day Ceremony at Soldier Field featured two Purple Heart Recipients: Captain William Albracht as the keynote speaker and Representative Tammy Duckworth, along with the decorated veteran Senator Mark Kirk, Governor Bruce Rauner, all hosted by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
2016
Copa America Centenario 100th Anniversary
6/5-6/22/2016 Copa America Centenario holds four of its 100th Anniversary international soccer matches at Soldier Field, including the Semi Final between Columbia and Chile.
2020
The Chicago Fire Soccer Team
The Chicago Fire resume play in Soldier Field after a 15 year run at Bridgeview. The COVID pandemic prohibits fans from attending their first season, which was televised on WGN-TV, ESPN+, with some games televised on ABC, FS1, Univision and Unimas.
2020
Penguins Stretch Wings at Soldier Field
The Shedd Acquarium's penguins were exercised from Soldier Field's locker room to the field during the pandemic. This allowed them to experience new sights, smells and sounds and improve their well-being during the Shedd's shut-down.
2023
Beyonce Concert Sets Box Office Records
7/22-23/2023 The Beyonce concert breaks box office records, grossing $30.1M over two nights, prompting the sellout of 95% of hotels in Chicagoland, and bringing hundreds of millions of dollars of economic impact to Chicago. With the Chicago Sun-Times Music festival this year (which also included 3 nights of Taylor Swift's Eras tour), Soldier Field is acknowledged as the premier concert facility in the midwest, and one of the top facilities in the USA, having hosted 7 of the 10 top 2023 artists, and 13 of the top 20 highest grossing tours of all time, despite Soldier Field's lack of availability for most major concerts from August through December because of the Bears' seasons.
2024
Chicago Bears Propose New Stadium Next to a Demolished Soldier Field
4/24/24 The Chicago Bears hold a press conference in the club lounge at Soldier Field detailing their proposal to construct a new stadium in the Waldron Deck and South Lot areas, and showing Soldier Field demolished except for the colonnades, triggering numerous veterans organizations' outrage and efforts by prominent Chicagoans, architects and engineers to save Soldier Field. These efforts included multiple presentations to the Bears of designs to dome, roof and/or expand Soldier Field to attempt to meet their needs.
2025
Soldier Field Receives Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certification
9/16/2025 Soldier Field receives LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, recognizing the venue's continued leadership in sustainable stadium operations, meeting stringent standards for energy, water, and waste efficiency.
2025
Soldier Field Foundation is Formed
9/29/25 Soldier Field Foundation is established to preserve and enhance the memorial stadium and its surrounding monuments to honor those who have served our Country. The Foundation appoints Leadership and Board of Trustees.
