Field: Wrigley Field
Official Site: https://www.mlb.com/cubs/ballpark
Year Completed: 1914
Capacity: 41,649
Covered: No – Rainout/Postponement Policy
Mascot: Clark the Cub
The Game We’ll See: Sunday, August 20: Kansas City Royals vs. Chicago Cubs (see all 30 here!)
Parking & Transportation:
The Chicago Cubs have several parking lots. Advanced purchases are recommended and available through SpotHero. The Cubs also offer free remote parking for weekend and evening games. A shuttle services begins two hours before first pitch and runs until an hour after the end of the game. The service picks up and drops off fans on Irving Park Road between Clark Street and Seminary Avenue.
Tailgating is not allowed in any of the Chicago Cubs-operated parking lots.
Oversized vehicle: There is no mention of parking for oversized vehicles in Wrigley Field lots.
Wrigley Field encourages the use of public transportation, and there are several options from which to choose. Find more information about public transportation options here. The most popular option is the CTA (also known as the “El”). You can purchase a one-day Ventra ticket for $5 that allows you to travel on the El for 24 hours. This easier than standing in line to purchase a single fare after the game ends!
Stadium Tours:
The public tour of Wrigley Field, the MLB’s second-oldest ballpark, costs $30 and includes the bleachers and the field. On non-game days, it also includes the dugout and the visiting clubhouse. The tour is 75 to 90 minutes long.
General Information:
Bags: Wrigley Field does not allow backpacks, but it does allow drawstring bags, clutches, soft-sided coolers, and other bags no larger than 16” x 16” x 8” into the park. Medical bags and diaper bags may exceed this size constraint. The Cubs do not offer any storage.
Food & Beverages: Fans may bring personal quantities of food and factory-sealed, plastic bottles of non-alcoholic beverages. Empty plastic bottles are also permitted.
Cashless transactions: All transactions are cashless.
Signs: Signs are permitted if they are baseball-related, don’t block views, interfere with the game, contain advertising, or contain offensive materials. They must be made of cloth, paper, or other light, flexible materials and may not be affixed to anything.
Foul Balls: Fans may keep foul balls, as long as they don’t interfere with play or enter the playing area to retrieve them.
Gates: For most games, gates open 90 minutes prior to first pitch.
Cameras: Cameras are allowed. Monopods and tripods are not.
Umbrellas: Umbrellas are permitted if they are 10” or less in size (collapsible) and do not have a metal tip. Please be considerate when using one.
Where to Sit:
In general, Wrigley seats are expensive and tend to sell out quickly because they are in the historic stadium. The quintessential Wrigley Field seats are the bleachers. You’ll want to bring a cushion, because they are basic, metal seats! They are also general admission, so it is better to arrive early.
Sections 316 to 318 are also bleacher seats, but the have assigned spots. This makes them more appealing if you plan to move around.
Section 101A has excellent views and is a family section, which means no alcohol is allowed.
For shade, look for seats in the front rows of the Terrace Infield on the third base side. Terrace Infield or Terrace Home Plate sections are also good choices (Sections 209 – 213).
If you aren’t on a tight budget, aim for Field Boxes behind home plate (Sections 112 to 122).
The best value seats include 205 to 237 on rainy nights, 308L to 314L and 319R to 326R.
For the most cost-effective seats, in addition to the bleachers, try Sections 410 to 430.
Avoid standing room only tickets and Sections 403 L to 431 R in the Upper Reserved and Terrace Sections. Also, avoid the top deck, particularly in the back rows, because of obstructed views.
Fortunately, there are a number of sites (and books) that talk about where to sit. The most common warning is to check the sight lines carefully online before making your purchase. Because this stadium is old, there are many obstructed views.
Food:
- Ballpark Savvy suggests eating outside Wrigley Field, as the food will be better. However, if you do decide to eat at the ballpark, try Gilbert Craft Sausage, Hot Doug’s, Big Slugger Nachos, or North Side Pretzel Twist. Baseball E-Guides says you can find Hot Doug’s in the bleacher section behind the center scoreboard, and they are well worth the journey (and likely the wait!). Big Slugger Nachos, served in a plastic souvenir helmet, can be purchased at Portables (Sections 228, 307, 327) or Sheffield Corner (Section 134). Northside Pretzel Twists are available the the Pizza Stand in Sections 103 and 129. Unfortunately, I can’t find a current listing for Gilbert Craft Sausages. These may no longer be available at Wrigley.
- Vienna Beef franks are the signature dog at Chicago Dogs. Try one that has been “dragged through the garden,” and it will include sauerkraut, relish, onions (raw or grilled), tomatoes, peppers, mustard, and celery salt. Find them on Platform 14, and in Sections 108, 115, 119, at Chicago Dogs. You can also find them at Portables in Sections 217, 311, and 323, and at the Vienna Beef Grill in 131.
- Outside the park, Murphy’s has been serving beer to Cubs fans for over 80 years.
- Also outside the park, Wellspring Family Services’ banker, Chris Frankovich, recommends a visit to Pequod’s Pizza. This recommendation was seconded by fans on Facebook’s Ballpark Chasers group.
First Time Visitors:
First Timer’s Certificates are available from the First Timer’s Booth on the main concourse, inside the Marquee Gate, directly behind home plate.
Autographs:
There isn’t anything on the MLB’s official site, but TripAdvisor recommends heading to the seats between the dugout and the third base foul pole before the game. A Ballpark Chaser on Facebook recommended heading to the left field wall by the fire house to see Cubs players walk to their cars. The visiting team exits by Addison and Sheffield.
Other Stadium Tips & Highlights:
One local Ballpark Chaser on Facebook recommended entering the stadium for the first time from behind home base. They said: “you walk up the old, darkish ramp and, as you come to the top, the field bursts into view. Best view in all of baseball. I get emotional just writing this.”
If you want to visit the bleachers, you will need a bleachers ticket. Only fans with bleachers tickets are allowed to visit the bleachers.
Stop by the new CD Peacock Trophy Room inside the Marquee Gate entrance to see the 2016 World Series trophy. You can also visit the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame, which opened in 2021. The Hall of Fame is located in the Left Field Budweiser Bleacher concourse.
Snap a photo of yourself next to one of the statues at the park. Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo, and Billy Williams stand on the north side of Gallagher Way. Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray is outside the Budweiser Bleacher Gate.
Gallagher Way plaza on the ballpark’s third base side is accessible to ticketholders during the game and includes a large Cubs store.
Anheuser-Busch sponsors a designated driver program. Guests who register at the Fan Services Booth located behind home plate will receive a free, regular-sized fountain soft drink from the Marquee Classics concession stand located near Section 117.
The foul poles both have signs that read “Hey, hey,” a tribute to Hall of Fame Cubs broadcaster Jack Brickhouse, who served as broadcaster from 1948 – 1981. On top of the foul poles are pinstripe flags with the numbers of the six retired numbers, plus 42 for Jackie Robinson. These include:
- 10 – Ron Santo
- 14 – Ernie Banks
- 23 – Ryne Sandberg
- 26 – Billy Williams
- 31 – Greg Maddux
- 31 – Ferguson Jenkins
- 42 – Jackie Robinson (retired by the MLB)
Advice from Friends:
Jim Gayton recommended a visit to Billy Goat Tavern because of its connections to baseball history. It sounds like a great choice for a double “cheeseborger”!! He also sent a great YouTube video about its rich history.
