Tailgating at Soldier Field

Tailgater Supply · Game-day sheet

Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against soldierfield.com and chicagobears.com. Rules change; check the official pages the week of the game.

4 hrslots open before kickoff

19 lbsmax propane tank on campus

No tentscanopies of any size banned

2 hrspostgame, day games only

Where to park

South Lot: Open-air surface lot south of 18th Street. Grills allowed. Season coupon lot.
Waldron Deck: Just south of the stadium. Grills on the open-air upper level only; the lower level is a no-flame zone.
North Garage: Enclosed garage on the north end. No grills. Park here, cook somewhere else.
East Museum / Adler: Surface lots by the Field Museum and the Adler Planetarium. Tailgating allowed.
Family Friendly: Alcohol-free lots south of the Adler Planetarium and at the 31st Street Beach Lot.
Bus / RV: Oversize vehicles reserve at the Adler Lot on SoldierFieldParking.com. Buses and RVs can also use McCormick Place Lot B when there's room.
Accessible: Every lot has ADA spaces, but near-stadium lots need a prepaid coupon. No coupon? Park at Lot B or the Millennium garages and take the accessible shuttle to Gate 14.
No tailgating: Millennium garages, Grant Park North and South, and McCormick Place Lakeside Lot C. McCormick Lots B, D and E allow it before the game only.

Ride the shuttle. The free shuttles to the Millennium garages and McCormick Place Lot B load at the 18th Street turnaround and run until 2 hours after the game.
Take the CTA. Board the #128 or #146 along the East Museum Lot at McFetridge and Special Olympics Drive, or walk to Roosevelt for the trains.
Stay for the second act. After a day game, tailgating runs 2 more hours. Let the Drive clear while you finish the leftovers.

Skip this: Have a rideshare meet you at the stadium. Balbo is the only pickup spot, so expect a walk north and a wait.

Grills: Allowed in open-air lots and on the upper Waldron Deck. Propane tanks top out at 19 lbs. No fryers or oil cooking.
Alcohol: None in Family Friendly lots, no drinking games, and no open containers outside the lots or on shuttles.
Tents: Tents and canopies of any size are banned.
Your space: Soldier Field allows up to 8 feet behind your space; the Bears' guide says setups can't exceed one space. Keep the aisle clear and don't save spots.
Who's allowed: Ticketed guests only. Staff may check tickets at the lots.
Not allowed: Fire pits, open flames, heaters of any kind, drones, fireworks, oversized inflatables, setups on sidewalks or streets.
When it ends: No tailgating during the game. After day games it ends 2 hours after the game; after night games it doesn't restart.
Bags at the gate: Clear, up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or a 1-gallon freezer bag, plus a small bag up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. No coolers.
Gates open: 2 hours before kickoff, with metal detectors at every gate. No re-entry.

The full guide: tailgatersupply.com/blogs/stadium-guides/tailgating-at-soldier-field-chicago