Step inside one of the most iconic and historic stadiums in the NFL for a glimpse of where the Packers play.
When the leaves in the trees start to change colors, and there is a cool chill in the air, that can only mean one thing: football season is approaching. In Wisconsin, only one National Football League (NFL) team is worth rooting for: the Green Bay Packers. One of the oldest franchises in the NFL, the Packers play at Lambeau Field, a storied stadium that has seen the team through seven decades.
You don’t have to wait until football season to see inside Lambeau Field, though. For true Cheeseheads, the best way to see the stadium is by catching a game there, but there are other ways, too: stadium tours. The Green Bay Packers offer several different tours of the stadium, including one led by former players.
Visitors and locals alike can take part in one of the team’s numerous offerings, or make their own history-inspired Packers trip by following along the Packers Heritage Trail. Either way, they’ll get a better understanding of the place the Green and Gold call home.
When did the Packers start as a team?
In 1919, Earl “Curly” Lambeau and George Calhoun, both Green Bay natives and former high school football players, joined together to form a football team. Lambeau received funds from his employer, the Indian Packing Company, a meat packing company that had a facility in Green Bay, and was given $500 for uniforms and equipment, as long as the team was named after the company, and the Green Bay Packers were born.
Two years later, the team was granted a franchise as part of the American Professional Football Association and joined the National Football League. Green Bay proved to be a dominant team throughout its history, winning 9 NFL championships before the league merged with the American Football League, and four Super Bowls since then.
Where do the Packers play?
The Green Bay Packers are still located in Green Bay, and are the team that has played in their original city longer than any other NFL team, playing at the city’s Lambeau Field each home game.
Located in Green Bay’s Titletown District, the stadium is located at 1265 Lombardi Avenue, named for former coach Vince Lombardi, who served as the head coach for the team from 1959 to 1967. Throughout his tenure as the coach of the Packers, Lombardi led the team to five NFL championships, including wins in the first two Super Bowls. The street that the stadium is on was renamed after Lombardi in 1968, after Lombardi stopped serving as the team’s head coach.
When did Lambeau Field open?
Although the team has been around for more than a century, the Packers have only been playing at Lambeau Field since 1957. Prior to that, the team played at Hagermeister Park and Bellevue Park, both in Green Bay, before moving to City Stadium, where the team played from 1925 to 1956. The field was used by both the Green Bay Packers and Green Bay East High School, and held approximately 25,000 people. The city built a more than 32,000-seat stadium in the 1950s, which opened in time for the 1957 season and was named for one of the team’s founders, Curly Lambeau. The Packers have played there ever since, although the stadium has drastically increased in size—it currently has 72,515 seats.
In 1933, the Packers started playing some of the team’s home games at various Milwaukee stadiums until 1994, when the team moved to Lambeau Field full-time. The field is the oldest continually-operating NFL stadium in the country. While Chicago’s Soldier Field is older, the Bears didn’t start playing there until 1971.
Were there any famous games played at Lambeau Field?
While every game is important to the Green Bay Packers and the team’s fans, one game played at Lambeau Field stands out above the rest: the Ice Bowl. In 1967, American football wasn’t yet a single league; it was divided between the NFL and the American Football League. The NFL held its championship game at Lambeau Field, and the winner of that game would go on to play the champion of the AFL in Super Bowl II. During that championship game, played Dec. 31, 1967, the Green Bay Packers took on the Dallas Cowboys for the title.
If playing a football game under high-stress conditions wasn’t tough enough, the weather certainly didn’t help make it any easier. At gametime, the temperature in Green Bay was minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, and minus 48 degrees Fahrenheit with windchill. The field’s turf-heating system malfunctioned, and the field essentially became a sheet of ice. The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse marching band, which was scheduled to perform at the game’s pre-game and halftime shows, had to cancel its performances because several members were hospitalized due to hypothermia during warmups, and some of the brass instruments stuck to the band members’ mouths due to the cold. Even referees were unable to use their whistles during the game because the metal would get stuck to their lips.
The Packers ended up winning the Ice Bowl, 21-17, and moved on to Super Bowl II, where the team defeated the Oakland Raiders, 33-14. Now, the game is considered one of the greatest in NFL history and remains the coldest game ever played in the league.
Is it possible to tour Lambeau Field?
Packers fans can always get an inside glimpse at the stadium during the NFL season, but for dedicated fans, or even semi-interested tourists, the stadium also offers several different tours, which go through some of the highlights of the stadium, and give tourgoers an opportunity to see places fans normally don’t have access to, like locker rooms and the press box. Each tour is part of a package that also includes admission to the Packers’ Hall of Fame.
What tours can visitors take of Lambeau Field?
The Green Bay Packers offer several tours that visitors can take of the stadium, including three with different lengths and areas, a trolley tour, and a tour led by Packers alumni.
Are there any discounts available?
Yes, seniors over the age of 62, members of the military, college students, and Brown County residents are all eligible for discounted admission to the Hall of Fame and tours of Lambeau Field. To receive discounted pricing, senior citizens, military members, college students, and Brown County residents need to bring proper identification. Brown County residents can only get discounted admission if their tickets are purchased in person.
Classic Stadium Tour
Cost: $23 for adults, $20 for seniors, military, and college students, $14 for kids between the ages of 6 and 17, and free for children under the age of 5
Home Game Weekend Cost: $39 for adults, $33 for seniors, military, and college students, $27 for kids between the ages of 6 and 17, and free for children under the age of 5
The Classic Stadium Tour, which is the most affordable option for touring the historic NFL stadium, provides visitors with an hour-long tour of Lambeau Field that travels approximately a half mile through the stadium. The Classic Stadium Tours allows visitors to tour the Lambeau Field Atrium, which was recently renovated, the stadium’s east side seating areas, the team tunnel, and get a glimpse of the stadium from the field level.
Champions Stadium Tour
Cost: $29 for adults, $28 for seniors, military, and college students, $22 for kids between the ages of 6 and 17, and free for children under the age of 5
Home Game Weekend Cost: $43 for adults, $39 for seniors, military, and college students, $34 for kids between the ages of 6 and 17, and free for children under the age of 5
The Champions Stadium Tour takes 90 minutes to show visitors even more of Lambeau Field. Over the course of a mile, visitors can see everything on the Classic Stadium Tour, as well as the end zone rooftop areas, and the bars and clubs at the rooftop areas.
Legendary Stadium Tour
Cost: $38 for adults, $36 for seniors, military, and college students, $30 for kids between the ages of 6 and 17, and free for children under the age of 5
Home Game Weekend Cost: $55 for adults, $50 for seniors, military, and college students, $41 for kids between the ages of 6 and 17, and free for children under the age of 5
The Legendary Stadium Tour is the most expensive tour option, outside of the Alumni Tour, but offers the opportunity to see more of Lambeau Field than the other tour offerings. The tour allows visitors to see all of the same things as the Champions Stadium Tour: the seating areas, atrium, team tunnel, a field view, and the rooftop areas, as well as the Lee Remmel Press Box and the visiting team’s locker room. The tour is Lambeau Field’s longest, taking two hours to complete, with participants walking approximately 1.5 miles.
Alumni Tour
Cost: $64
Home Game Weekend Cost: $78 for adults, $75 for seniors, military, and college students, and kids between the ages of 6 and 17, $67 for children under the age of 5
For visitors who want a tour of the field and information on what it is actually like to work and play there, the Alumni Tour offers the opportunity to hear from an insider: former Packers players. The tour follows the route of Lambeau Field’s Classic Stadium Tour, which includes a field view, the team tunnel, seating areas, and the atrium, with a Packers player telling stories unique to their experience with the team. Opportunities to take photos with the player and tour guide are available at the end of every Alumni Tour. The tours are only offered on select dates.
Packers Heritage Trail Trolley Tour
Cost: $42
Home Game Weekend Cost: $45
Not all Packers tours take place inside Lambeau Field. Some bring visitors through the streets of Green Bay, like the Packers Heritage Trail Trolley Tour. The 90-minute tour goes to places that are important in Packers history, like Curly Lambeau’s office at 305 East Walnut St., or Vince Lombardi’s house, at 667 Sunset Circle. Heritage Trail Trolley Tours are only available on select dates, and private trolley tours can be booked. Visitors can also walk, drive, or bike along their own route on the Packers Heritage Trail if they don’t feel like riding the trolley.
