Lambeau Field is a sacred ground charged with the essence of its past. Fans purchase Green Bay Packer tickets each home game with intentions to commune together and conjure up the enthusiasm of the fans who came before them, while players march proudly over the same turf blessed by the footsteps of the immortal men who paved their way. Packers fans present at Lambeau Field on game days all arrive with one mission in common: to propel Green Bay to victory by awakening the memory of the original residents of its sanctuary. Just as chants from the crowd echo into local neighborhoods, this sanctuary reaches beyond the seats of Lambeau Field, touching the entire city of Green Bay with its spirit.
The sleeping giants of the Packers' past blessed many sacred fields before taking up permanent residence at 1265 Lombardi Avenue. From 1919-1922, the team sought their victories on the barren field at Hagemeister Park located near Green Bay's East High School. With no bleachers requiring Green Bay Packer tickets and no fences to tame the crowds, fans often parked their cars on the sidelines, flooding the field with their headlights to reveal the common sight of exuberant fans sharing in Lambeau's role as coach. With the absence of locker rooms, the team devised its strategies during end zone meetings when citizens were known to get in on the action of shaping the Packers' successes. Having invested such stock in the progress of their team, fans didn't hesitate to follow Lambeau's men to their next destination when the need for relocation arose.
After sacrificing their first field to the construction of the new East High in 1923, the Packers established their second home at a baseball field called Bellevue. As a baseball venue, Bellevue failed to meet the conditions needed for NFL football. Its poor location and inadequate seating led the Packers franchise to consider how it would match the influential action of the "Pack" with attention getting facilities worthy of NFL sponsored Green Bay Packer tickets. The teams' habitation of Bellevue ended in 1924 having lasted only one year.
The Packers and the city tackled their field dilemma in 1925, when they welcomed the first of two City Stadiums to house the Packers organization. Out of the desire to keep the Packers' origin alive, the team sought to build their field close to its birthplace. From 1925-1956 the original City Stadium laid directly behind East High, grounded securely in its roots. Finished just in time for the sale of Green Bay Packer tickets to its 1925 season opener against the Bears, City Stadium immediately became a favored field in the league. The stadium's young popularity dwindled, though, as it joined the ranks of Bellevue and again revealed Green Bay's inability to meet NFL standards. With home game appearances decreasing in number, the Packers prepared for another move and played their last game in City Stadium on November 18, 1956.
With no options for a renovation, Green Bay built a second City Stadium in 1957. They raised the money for their new field from a bond issue accepted by the city on April 3, 1956. The architect, Somerville Inc., chose the stadium's location on the present-day Lombardi Avenue for its sloping feature, ideal for a bowl construction. Somerville Inc. completed the project in nine months, just in time for its dedication game against the Bears. At this game, Vice President Nixon shared in the Packers' devotion to their historical preservation by officially presenting the stadium to its fans. 1957's City Stadium (today's Lambeau Field) was the first stadium in the world designed for pro football and the only NFL venue to have maintained its bowl shape.
Prior to the Packers' relocation to their second City Stadium (renamed Lambeau Field on September 11, 1965, in honor of Curly Lambeau), they played home games in two locations selling a second set of Green Bay Packer tickets to fans in Milwaukee. For 62 years straight, from 1933-1994, the Packers played four games per season in Milwaukee scheduled between four venues: Borchett Field (1933-1935), State Fair Park (1936-1937), Marquette Stadium (1938-1952), and Milwaukee County Stadium (1953-1994). This spilt home season helped Green Bay to expand its fan base, while preventing the establishment of a second NFL franchise in Wisconsin.
Since the Green Bay Packers are community property, they are required to earn their own revenue beyond what is raised through Green Bay Packer ticket sales in order to stay alive. When Lambeau Field required updates in 1999, Packers President and CEO, Bob Harlan, called on the community to help fund the project. Faced with the decision to rebuild or renovate, Green Bay citizens voted overwhelmingly to preserve their field and history. They funded the renovations, completed in 2003, with the revenue earned from a countywide half-cent sales tax increase, a one-time seat fee to ticket holders, an NFL loan and stock sales. The Packers executed their plan successfully and transformed their stadium into a year-round cultural destination with features such as the new Lambeau Field Atrium, which houses an improved Packers Hall of Fame on its lower level, and the new Packers tunnel featuring concrete extracted from their original launch pad. The Packers played their rededication game against Minnesota on September 7, 2003.
The Packers' history has remained intact and alive, as a result of the upgrades made to Lambeau Field. Thanks to the cooperation between the fans and the team, the NFL's longest inhabited venue will continue to build on its 48 years of success, while paying homage to the trailblazers of the organization who put their spirits to rest within Lambeau's walls.
Lambeau Field stadium tours offer visitors the chance to take their own piece of the Packers' legacy home as a living souvenir. On this 60-minute tour fans have the opportunity to see Lambeau Field from the inside out and through the eyes of the players. Guests begin at the edges of the stadium touring the Lambeau Field Atrium and its club and private box seats. They also walk through Lambeau's concourses and the Packers' very own tunnel as they make their way to the heart of Lambeau Field: the Packers' famed gridiron.
Lambeau Field stadium tours run Monday-Sunday (except on home game days) from 10:00am-4:00pm. Reservations are suggested for people seeking large group tours and can be made by calling (920) 499-4281. Green Bay Packer stadium tour ticket prices are as follows:
- Adult tickets: $8
- Senior tickets (62 and up): $7
- Child tickets (ages 6-11): $5
- Child tickets (5 and under): Free