Soldier Field sits on the Museum Campus at the edge of downtown Chicago, which gives it the best transit access of any NFC stadium and a parking system that punishes anyone who did not plan. A prepaid coupon is required for the lots beside the stadium, and parking is for ticketed guests only, with the stadium reserving the right to check. Without a coupon, the Bears point you to the 31st Street McCormick Place Lot B, where free shuttles run to Gate 14. Meanwhile there is a nonstop express bus from Union Station and a train that drops you a walk away. Chicago's tailgating rules are also the strictest on this list, and the eight-foot limit is the one that catches groups.
The short answer
Cheapest: the CTA or Metra plus the #128 Soldier Field Express from Union Station or Ogilvie, running from two hours before kickoff. If you drive without a prepaid coupon: 31st Street McCormick Place Lot B, around $50 on the day, with a free shuttle to Gate 14. Prepaid lots by the stadium run coupon-only and open four hours before kickoff. Tailgating is allowed campus-wide but capped at eight feet behind your space, with no tents, no fire pits and no deep fryers. Worst plan: driving to the stadium lots without a coupon.
Compare every option
| Option | Cost | Walk | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31st Street McCormick Place Lot B, with the free shuttleOffsite lot | Around $50 day of game for cars, about $55 prepaid single game | None, free shuttles run to Gate 14 | Anyone driving without a prepaid coupon, which is most visiting fans |
| #128 Soldier Field Express busFree street | CTA fare | Nonstop to the stadium | Anyone arriving by train, and the cheapest way in |
| CTA rail plus the #146 bus, or walkFree street | CTA fare | A walk from Roosevelt station, or one bus connection | Anyone already in the city |
| Coupon lots by the stadium (North Garage, Waldron Deck, South Lot, East Museum, Adler)Stadium lot | Prepaid coupon, reported roughly $35 to $55 across tiers | At the stadium | Season holders and anyone who bought ahead |
| Downtown drive-up garages (Millennium, Grant Park)Offsite lot | Millennium Garage about $48 on the day, Millennium Lakeside about $39, Grant Park at regular daily rates | A walk north of the stadium | Driving in without a coupon and wanting to be downtown afterward |
| RV, bus and limo parking (Adler Planetarium)Stadium lot | About $165, or $175 prepaid, for limos, RVs and buses | At the Museum Campus | Groups arriving oversized |
| Rideshare and taxiStadium lot | Fare, surges after the game | Drop-off at 18th Street turnaround or Balbo and Columbus | Arriving from downtown |
Every option, in detail
Offsite lot
31st Street McCormick Place Lot B, with the free shuttle
Around $50 day of game for cars, about $55 prepaid single gameNone, free shuttles run to Gate 14 /// Shuttles start 2 hours before kickoff
This is the Bears' own recommendation for fans without a coupon, and the shuttles are free and ADA accessible, dropping at the ADA turnaround at Gate 14. Shuttles begin two hours before kickoff, run during the game with limited capacity, and continue until two hours after it ends.
Heads up: Return capacity during the game is limited, so if you plan to leave early it may not be waiting for you. Note the pricing quirk: it is cheaper on the day than prepaid online, which is backwards from every other lot here.
Via chicagobears.com (Official Bears parking and transit guide, including shuttle timing, the free ADA-accessible service and the Gate 14 drop-off)
Free street
#128 Soldier Field Express bus
CTA fareNonstop to the stadium /// From 2 hours before kickoff until 30 minutes after kickoff
A nonstop express bus running from Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center directly to Soldier Field. If you are coming in on Metra from the suburbs, this connects your train to the stadium without a walk or a transfer, at a fare that is a rounding error against a $50 lot.
Heads up: Inbound service stops 30 minutes after kickoff, so it is not a late-arrival option. Plan your return separately.
Via chicagobears.com (Official Bears parking and transit guide)
Free street
CTA rail plus the #146 bus, or walk
CTA fareA walk from Roosevelt station, or one bus connection /// CTA service hours
The Red, Orange and Green Lines all stop at Roosevelt station. From there you can transfer to the #146 Inner Drive Michigan Express bus or simply walk to the stadium. For a downtown stay this is the obvious move and it costs a fraction of parking.
Via chicagobears.com (Official Bears parking and transit guide)
Stadium lot
Coupon lots by the stadium (North Garage, Waldron Deck, South Lot, East Museum, Adler)
Prepaid coupon, reported roughly $35 to $55 across tiersAt the stadium /// 4 hours before kickoff
The lots beside the stadium run on colored coupons: Blue and Orange for the North Garage, White for the Waldron Deck, Red for the South Lot, Yellow for the East Museum Lot and Purple for Adler Planetarium. There is also a striped coupon for a family friendly, no alcohol lot, which is a genuinely useful option if you are bringing kids and would rather skip the drinking scene.
Heads up: A prepaid coupon is required and parking is for ticketed guests only, with the stadium reserving the right to confirm you have tickets before letting you into the lots. Do not drive here expecting to pay at the gate.
Via chicagobears.com (Official Bears parking and transit guide for the coupon system and lot names. Price range is an estimate from independent guides, since rates vary by game)
Offsite lot
Downtown drive-up garages (Millennium, Grant Park)
Millennium Garage about $48 on the day, Millennium Lakeside about $39, Grant Park at regular daily ratesA walk north of the stadium /// Standard garage hours
The downtown garages take drive-up traffic without a coupon and leave you in the Loop after the game, which is worth something if dinner is part of the plan. Grant Park North and South run at regular daily rates.
Heads up: No tailgating is permitted at Grant Park North or South. If the tailgate is the point, this tier is the wrong choice.
Via chicagobears.com (Official Bears parking and transit guide, which lists these rates directly)
Stadium lot
RV, bus and limo parking (Adler Planetarium)
About $165, or $175 prepaid, for limos, RVs and busesAt the Museum Campus /// 4 hours before kickoff
Oversized vehicles go to Adler Planetarium, where a premium car rate of around $101 also applies.
Heads up: At $165 and up this is the most expensive parking in this project, so a chartered bus plus the express service may be cheaper for a group than driving one in.
Via chicagobears.com (Official Bears parking and transit guide, which publishes these figures)
Stadium lot
Rideshare and taxi
Fare, surges after the gameDrop-off at 18th Street turnaround or Balbo and Columbus /// Event hours
Drop-offs work at the 18th Street turnaround and at Balbo and Columbus. Pickups are only at Balbo and Columbus, north of the stadium.
Heads up: Pickup is restricted to that one location, so walking north after the game is not optional, it is the design. Factor that in before assuming a car will meet you at the gate.
Via chicagobears.com (Official Bears parking and transit guide)
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Skip parking entirely
Chicago has the deepest transit options of any stadium we have covered: three rail lines, four downtown Metra stations, a dedicated nonstop express bus, and a free stadium shuttle from an offsite lot. Between the express bus and the McCormick shuttle, there is no good reason to fight for a coupon lot.
#128 Soldier Field Express
CTA fareNonstop from Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center, running from two hours before kickoff until 30 minutes after it.
Via chicagobears.com
CTA Red, Orange and Green Lines
CTA fareAll stop at Roosevelt station. Transfer to the #146 Inner Drive Michigan Express bus or walk from there.
Via chicagobears.com
Metra
Metra fareFour downtown stations serve the area, and the #128 express connects two of them directly to the stadium.
Via chicagobears.com
Free McCormick Place shuttle
Free with parking at 31st Street Lot BADA accessible, dropping at the Gate 14 turnaround, running from two hours before kickoff until two hours after the game.
Via chicagobears.com
When to get there
Lots open four hours before kickoff. If you are shuttling from McCormick Place, service starts two hours out, so that is your real clock. The #128 express stops running inbound 30 minutes after kickoff, which is worth knowing if your day is running late.
Getting out after
Tailgating ends two hours after day games and lots close three hours after, but everything shuts immediately after night games. The McCormick shuttle runs until two hours after the game ends, and rideshare pickup happens only at Balbo and Columbus north of the stadium, so if you are not driving, know which of those you are using before the fourth quarter.
Tailgating rules
Tailgating is permitted in all stadium-controlled lots on the Museum Campus, plus the upper level of the Waldron Deck, and the rules are the strictest of any stadium in this project. Your entire setup, including where your group stands, is limited to eight feet behind your parking space, with an aisle kept clear for emergency vehicles.
Prohibited: tents of any kind, fire pits and open fires in every lot, infrared or propane heaters of any type, propane tanks over 19 pounds, deep fryers and oil-based cooking, drones, weapons, fireworks, drinking games, and alcohol in the family friendly lots. No open flames at all in the enclosed North Garage or lower Waldron Garage. All tailgating is prohibited during the game and after night games, and overnight parking is not permitted. Setups that spill past one designated space get relocated or shut down.
Via soldierfield.com
Questions, answered
- How much does parking cost at Soldier Field?
- Stadium lots run Prepaid coupon, reported roughly $35 to $55 across tiers to Fare, surges after the game. Offsite and community lots cost less, and nearby street parking can be free. Cheapest: the CTA or Metra plus the #128 Soldier Field Express from Union Station or Ogilvie, running from two hours before kickoff. If you drive without a prepaid coupon: 31st Street McCormick Place Lot B, around $50 on the day, with a free shuttle to Gate 14. Prepaid lots by the stadium run coupon-only and open four hours before kickoff. Tailgating is allowed campus-wide but capped at eight feet behind your space, with no tents, no fire pits and no deep fryers. Worst plan: driving to the stadium lots without a coupon.
- Is there free parking near Soldier Field?
- #128 Soldier Field Express bus: CTA fare, Nonstop to the stadium. Inbound service stops 30 minutes after kickoff, so it is not a late-arrival option. Plan your return separately.
- What time should I get to a Bears game?
- Lots open four hours before kickoff. If you are shuttling from McCormick Place, service starts two hours out, so that is your real clock. The #128 express stops running inbound 30 minutes after kickoff, which is worth knowing if your day is running late.
- Can you get to Soldier Field without a car?
- Chicago has the deepest transit options of any stadium we have covered: three rail lines, four downtown Metra stations, a dedicated nonstop express bus, and a free stadium shuttle from an offsite lot. Between the express bus and the McCormick shuttle, there is no good reason to fight for a coupon lot. #128 Soldier Field Express: CTA fare.
The striped-coupon family friendly lot, where alcohol is not permitted, is worth knowing about if you are bringing kids to their first game. Very few stadiums offer a designated alcohol-free lot, and it is not something most parking guides mention.
Sourced from the stadium, the city, local outlets, and fans who park here every week. Checked 2026-07, and we recheck three times a year. Prices and lot rules change, so every claim above links where it came from. Click through before you build your day around one spot.
Citing this guide
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Dispatch Sports, “Parking at Soldier Field: Chicago Bears Gameday Guide.” Checked 2026-07. https://dispatchsports.com/nfl/bears/parking
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