Chicago, IL

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) -- 14 miles/25 minutes to Wrigley Field

Midway Airport (MDW) -- 16 miles/30 minutes to Wrigley Field

WHERE TO STAY? Hotels Near Wrigley Field (all within 1.5 miles)

Unlimited budget 

Hotel Zachary - located across the street from Wrigley Field

Majestic Hotel

Willows Hotel

Best Western Hawthorne Terrace

City Suites 

Moderate budget

Days Inn- Chicago

Chaser budget traveler

Old Chicago Inn
 

Ballpark Chasers Tip: be careful when reserving a motel in downtown Chicago. There are several “bargain motels” close to Wrigley; however, they are not recommended by Ballpark Chasers unless you see them above.

WHERE TO PARK?

Parking at Wrigley Field is limited and can be very expensive. The Chicago Cubs and Ballpark Chasers everywhere recommend finding public transportation to and from the game. If possible, hop on the CTA Red-Line, one of Chicago’s many train lines. The Red Line train provides direct access to Wrigley Field via the access station at Addison. Otherwise, the Purple, Blue and Yellow Line trains connects to the Red Line. Talk to your hotel front desk for the closest option or check out Chicago Transit trip planner. If you prefer to drive, we recommend using Parking Panda to find and book Wrigley Field Parking in advance of arrival. Chasers have found deals as low as $9 a game!

WHERE TO EAT?

There is a battle happening in Chicago's north-side and it's not the one at Wrigley Field. The Wrigleyville restaurant owners are fighting for your attention before and after every Cubs home game. No other ballpark in the country can compete with the sports bars that you will find outside of Wrigley Field. After extensive hands-on research (including pain staking food sampling and bar hopping), Ballpark Chasers have narrowed down the top 4 sports bars in Wrigleyville.

The Cubby Bear, Murphy’s Bleachers, Harry Caray's Tavern and Sluggers World Class Sports Bar are all unique in their own way. The Cubby Bear offers size (over 30,000 sq. ft), Chicago sports memorabilia and over 70 satellite televisions broadcasting tons of sports throughout the day. Murphy's Bleachers gives you more of an authentic Wrigley Field experience, located directly across the street from the entrance to the bleacher section. Harry Caray's Tavern gives you a taste of Chicago Cubs history. Sluggers is the entertainment spot, offering a second floor filled with batting cages, trampoline basketball, virtual driving games, air hockey, electronic basketball, and football, ski and golf simulators. In addition to those activities, Sluggers is also home of the dueling piano bar.

Ballpark Chasers Favorite Bar - Murphy's Bleachers

Ballpark Chasers Tip: if you want to find a seat at one of these Wrigleyville sports bars on game days, make sure to arrive 3 hours before the first pitch. Otherwise, head over to the original Billy Goat Tavern (about five miles from Wrigley Field). The Michigan Ave. location is home to the original bar of William Sianis and his infamous billy goat. Stop by to learn about the curse of the billy goat that still haunts the Cubs to this day.

With so many awesome restaurants and sports bars around Wrigleyville, this is a ballpark we recommend eating before the game. With that being said, Wrigley Field does offer a great 100% all-beef hot dog by Vienna Beef. The Works Loaded Dog concession stand (section 121) offers five specialty dogs: the Deli Dog, Frito Dog, the Heater, Nacho Dog and Southwest Dog. Our favorite is the heater— a hot dog smothered with blue cheese coleslaw, celery salt and buffalo sauce. All the dogs go great with a side order of loaded french fries. Other Ballpark Chaser favorites are the Chick-Ago-Sandwich, Cheesy beef sandwich, and the Chicken Tinga Tacos.

New food at Wrigley Field

Pork Tenders - crispy hand-breaded pork strips served with Japanese barbecue sauce and cabbage and carrot slaw.

Short Rib Disco Fries - braised beef short rib, roasted garlic aioli, queso fresco and green onions atop crispy fries.

Beer Can Chicken Sandwich - Beer-marinated chicken breast served with Dijonnaise, shredded lettuce, tomato and bacon on a brioche bun.

Impossible Burger - Plant-based meat alternative with the same aroma and juiciness of real beef, served with chipotle lime aioli, American cheese, lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun.”

WHERE TO BUY TICKETS?

On average, Wrigley Field was 96% full during a Cubs game in the 2019 season. With the Cubbies competing for a postseason spot, we recommend pre-purchasing Cubs tickets from the Cubs box office. If needing a last minute ticket, you can always count on scalpers all over Wrigleyville.

Ballpark Chasers Tip: “standing room only” tickets mean that you will be standing to watch the game and there is a good chance that you will not have a full field view. Don’t let scalpers fool you into thinking that you will be able to find a seat to sit-in.

WHEN TO GO?

The Chicago area is known for its extreme climates and seasons. During the baseball season, you can expect temperatures gradually increasing through the summer months with the peak coming in July and August. Thunderstorms are quite common in the summer. June typically gets the most rainfall, so don’t forget to pack a light jacket.

WHAT ELSE TO SEE?

The windy city offers so much to do and see that the toughest part is deciding. From the world renowned Art Institute of Chicago to the Magnificent Mile, tourists can easy spend an entire week here. One stop not to miss is Millennium Park, located roughly 6 miles from Wrigley Field. This 24 acre park is home of amazing and truly unique art, music and architecture. Don’t leave without checking out the Crown Fountain, a 50 ft. tower that projects facial images with an opening that shoots water out of the image’s mouth! Another attraction at Millennium Park is the Cloud Gate sculpture. Imagine a gigantic 66 ft. long upside-down jelly bean that looks like mercury and has a mirror-like finish which reflects the viewer’s image back in weird shapes. Sounds pretty cool, huh?

Located on the Magnificent Mile is the Chicago Sports Museum. The Museum combines skill challenges and hi-tech simulated experiences with unique sports memorabilia and an impressive collection of game-used treasures and other artifacts. Any sport fan would love this museum but its a must see for you Chicago fans!

Another quick, fun and inexpensive destination in the Chicago area is the Willis Tower, North America’s second tallest building (110 stories tall). On a clear day, the view from the sky deck allows you to see over 40-50 miles out, including Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin! Try and time it so you can catch a sunset by arriving at the sky deck about 30 minutes before the sun sets. 

BALLPARK CHASERS VACATION?

Wrigley Field is part of Ballpark Chasers Midwest Extravaganza. Plan your trip to allow visits to the south side of Chicago for a game at Guaranteed Rate Field and then off to Milwaukee to see the Brewers at Miller Park. Only 10 miles separate Wrigley from US Cellular which makes it possible to take in a day/night double header. Miller Park can be reached by car in just under two hours from Chicago.

If you have a rental car and want to escape the city limits, head west to Geneva for some Kane County Cougars Minor League Baseball. The Cougars are the Class A Affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and are only one hour from Wrigley Field. Another close Minor League park is Boomers Stadium, home of the Schaumburg Boomers. The Boomers are located in Schaumburg, Illinois, about a 45 minute drive from the Chicago city limits.