Chicago is one of the United States’ most famous cities, known for its vibrant music scene, iconic buildings and many elite sports teams. It is one of the nation’s most populous cities with almost 3 million inhabitants, and many of them are huge sports fans who enjoy watching their favourite team at one of the city’s iconic stadiums. Chicago is home to an NBA team, an NFL team and two MLB teams, which have all helped boost the city’s sporting legacy and encouraged sports organisations to invest heavily in their stadiums. The popularity of sports betting in Illinois, which has increased thanks to sites like OddsChecker and its multitude of options, is another factor that has added fuel to Chicago’s passionate sports fandom and encouraged fans to fill the arenas in huge numbers. Here are the best stadiums the city has to offer.
Wrigley Field
Situated in the North Side of the city is Wrigley Field, home of Major League Baseball giants the Chicago Cubs. It was built in 1915 and renamed in 1926, five years after chewing gum company owner William Wrigley Jr acquired the franchise. Wrigley Field fits over 40,000 fans and is regularly filled to capacity with passionate Cubs enthusiasts cheering their team on. It is steeped in history as the second oldest stadium in the MLB after Fenway Park in Boston, making it a popular destination for tourists visiting Chicago.
Guaranteed Rate Field
Chicago’s other, and arguably more famous, Major League Baseball team plays its home games at Guaranteed Rate Field on the South Side of the city, a short distance from the original Comiskey Park, where the team played their home games for 81 years. It seats over 40,000 fans today after the capacity was reduced from 47,000 for safety reasons. It was opened in 1991 and was renovated 10 years later, now featuring shops, restaurants and statues of White Sox legends like Frank Thomas, Paul Konerko and Billy Pierce.
United Center
The United Center is one of the USA’s most legendary sports venues due to the fact that it has been home to the Chicago Bulls since it opened in 1992, meaning fans got to see Michael Jordan and his teammates win multiple championships there. With a standing capacity of up to 23,000, it is the largest venue in the NBA. The United Center is also used by the Chicago Blackhawks, who play their home National League Hockey games there.
Soldier Field
Soldier Field holds the distinction of being the oldest stadium in two of the nation’s major sports leagues, the NFL and the MLS. It is home to the Chicago Bears of the NFL, who have played there since 1971, although the stadium opened in 1924 and hosted various events. Major League Soccer team Chicago Fire played there between 1998 and 2005, before spending 14 years at Toyota Park in Bridgeview. They returned to Soldier Field in 2020 to enjoy the raucous atmosphere created by the 60,000 fans who fill the arena.
