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Stop 43 of 44 · Chicago audio walking tour

Wrigley Field

Wrigleyville / Lakeview · 1914 · The Friendly Confines

What you'll hear here: about a minute on Wrigley Field — how it came to be, who it mattered to, and what to look for while you're standing in front of it.

Wrigley Field, the second-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, waits in front of you. Wrigley Field opened in 1914, first home to a Federal League team, then to the Chicago Cubs from 1916 onward. Its red marquee, hand-turned scoreboard, and the ivy planted on the outfield brick walls in 1937 make it one of the most beloved and recognizable parks in the sport.

For 108 years the Cubs carried baseball's longest championship drought, a curse Chicagoans blamed half-jokingly on a billy goat ejected in 1945, until the team finally won the World Series in 2016 and an estimated five million people flooded downtown to celebrate. Lights were not even added until 1988, making it the last park to host night games. Notice the red marquee over the entrance and the ivy on the walls beyond, then the rooftop bleachers on the buildings across the street, where neighbors have watched games for a century.

Where it is

Coordinates
41.9475, -87.6557
Area
Wrigleyville / Lakeview
Era
1914 · The Friendly Confines
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Three stops free. No account needed. The audio plays itself as you walk.