The National Football League (NFL) plays its games in some of the most beautifully constructed stadiums in the world. The uniqueness of the sport is such that games can be played both inside in domed stadiums or outside with open or no roofed stadiums. Moreover, architects have a lot of freedom with the type of shape and designs they want to implement which is evident from all the different stadiums we see today across the league. So without further ado, let’s take a quick look at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay Packers Home Venue
Lambeau Field is the home of the Green Bay Packers, a team which plays its games in the cold winters of Wisconsin. Lambeau Field was opened in 1957 making it one of the oldest stadiums in the league. The Packers are a relatively well known and followed team across the NFL. They have a rich history and Lambeau Field usually provides the green, gold, and white a huge advantage with its screaming crowd supporting the team at all costs. The Packers have some of the most passionate fans that help rally the team in times of need.
Being the third oldest franchise in the NFL, Lambeau Field is where this team has been playing its home games for well over six decades now. The stadium was previously called as City Stadium for the initial few years of its existence and has also received the ‘Frozen Tundra’ nickname due to its cold winter game featuring the Packers and the Dallas Cowboys in 1967. Incidentally, the game was played in horrid conditions of −15 °F (−26 °C) with sharp winds.
Lambeau Field Capacity
The current capacity of Lambeau Field is 81,441 but it has undergone several renovations and expansions in order to get to this capacity. With standing capacity, this stadium is the fifth largest in the entire league, but when considering normal capacity it is actually the third largest. The latest of such renovations was completed in 2013 when a further seven thousand seats were added.
Starting out with a capacity of 32,000 when the stadium was first built, its first expansion saw an increased seating of six thousand after four years. Couple of years later the capacity increased to 42,000 and in 1965 it was further increased to 50,852. More and more seating changes took place over the years especially with the additions of several luxury suites. However, between 2001 and 2003 Lambeau Field saw its biggest renovation as the stadium was made more fan and player friendly.
Even though the stadium has now expanded to seat over 80,000 in capacity, innumerable Packers fans who want season tickets are kept on the waiting list every year due to lack of capacity.
Lambeau Field Stadium History
Before Lambeau Field came into existence the Green Bay Packers used to play their home games at another stadium also named City Stadium. The capacity of this stadium at the time was only 25,000. The stadium was built almost entirely of wood and there were some issues which prevented it from being expanded. Thus, during the mid 1950s, the city of Green Bay decided to build a new stadium with increased capacity.
When it opened in 1957, it was called New City Stadium and continued to be so until August 1965 when it was renamed to Lambeau Field. The story behind the name change is to honor the Packers founder Curly Lambeau who had just passed away a couple of months prior. The first game that took place in Lambeau Field was between the Packers and the Chicago Bears with the home team coming away with a 21-17 victory.
Lambeau Field Construction and Cost
As we have seen earlier, the home of the Packers has gone through many various stages of expansions and renovations. Back in 1957 when the stadium was built for the first time, the construction cost amounted to approximately $960,000 and carried a seating capacity of nearly 32,500.
In 1985, a total of 72 private boxes were installed giving rise to additional seating. 1990 again saw 36 more of such boxes. The 2001 renovation was a massive one which increased the capacity to over 70,000. Between 2012 and 2013 the south end of the field was renovated with the installation of HD scoreboards, better sound system, and increased seating.
Lambeau Field Stadium Seating Chart
What to bring to Lambeau Field Stadium?
Lambeau Field has a very strict code on what items are and are not permitted inside the stadium. Thorough security checking and metal detectors are placed for public safety. Amongst the various items that are banned include weapons of any sorts, large bags of any type including large purses, strollers, video cameras and still photography cameras that have lenses more than 12 inches in length. Apart from this all food and beverages items as well as any type of noise makers are also strictly prohibited.
Security at the stadium will however allow a see-through bag of 12 x 6 x 12 inches or a one-gallon clear bag sanctioned by the league. Warm weather clothes including additional blankets, battery operated clothes are also allowed if carried loosely. Small clutch purses, cameras, smartphones, binoculars are all permitted.
What is the parking cost at Lambeau Field Stadium?
As per the information on the Lambeau Field website, parking inside the lots are all sold out by those having purchased season ticket parking passes. The season parking passes are issued on an annual basis but they are almost always sold out immediately. There are some lots available for parking on game days but these are limited. Lots 10, 14, and 15 offer $40 cash parking whereas slightly less expensive parking can be found in Lot 17 for roughly $20.
Many of the nearby residential streets do have free parking and most fans prefer to make use of this facility as they are also not far from the stadium. The stadium also provides limited parking spaces in Lot 4 off Lombardi Avenue and Lot 7 off Valley View Road which is reserved for visitors with disabilities. The charge is $50 and the payment mode must be cashless. All vehicles parked inside the lots must fit inside a 9x18 parking stall. For oversized vehicles such as a bus or an RV, parking management does offer nearby parking options.
Apart from this several parking options are available at walking distance such as:
Parking Lot Address Price
Briquelet Street Lot 1770 Briquelet Street $27
Morris Avenue Residence 939 Morris Avenue $30
Resch Center 820 Armed Forces Drive $35
Blue Ridge Drive Residence 1115 Blue Ridge Drive $37
Barberry Lane Residential Lot 2112 Barberry Lane $29
FAQs
A. Lambeau Field, the home of the Packers, was opened in 1957. It is one of the oldest stadiums in the NFL.
A. The Green Bay Packers play their home games at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
A. Lambeau Field is also called the ‘Frozen Tundra’ which was a term coined in 1967 when a cold winter game with strong winds and temperature of −15 °F was played between the Packers and the Cowboys.
A. The stadium was initially called the ‘New City Stadium’ but was later renamed to Lambeau Field in honor of the late Curly Lambeau who was the founder of the Packers.
A. Since 2018, the grass used at Lambeau Field is Kentucky bluegrass sod weaved in with synthetic fibers.
