Lambeau Field

Lambeau Field is an outdoor stadium located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It is the home of the Green Bay Packers, a team in the National Football League. The stadium opened in 1957 and was first called City Stadium. It was later renamed in honor of Earl "Curly" Lambeau, one of the team's founders.

Today, Lambeau Field can hold over 81,000 fans, making it the second-largest stadium in the NFL. It is the oldest stadium that is still used for NFL games. The field where the games are played faces north and south and sits 640 feet above sea level.

The stadium's address is 1265 Lombardi Avenue, named after the famous coach Vince Lombardi. It is close to an area called Titletown District, which has hotels, restaurants, and other fun places to visit.

History

Packers seek a modern facility

Since 1925, the Green Bay Packers played at a small stadium behind Green Bay East High School. By the 1950s, this stadium was too small and old. It was made mostly of wood, and visiting teams had to dress at a hotel before games. The stadium could not be expanded because of its location.

Officials in Milwaukee wanted the Packers to move there, so they built a larger stadium. This pushed the Packers to build a new, bigger stadium in Green Bay. In 1956, Green Bay voters approved funding for the new stadium, which opened in 1957 with 32,500 seats. It was the first stadium built just for an NFL team. The site was chosen because it had a natural slope perfect for seating and lots of parking space.

Expansion, 1961–1995

Demand for tickets was very high, especially after coach Vince Lombardi joined the team. The stadium was expanded several times over the years, increasing its capacity. In the 1960s and 1970s, they added more seats, and in the 1980s and 1990s, they added private boxes and club seats. By 1995, the stadium could hold over 60,000 fans.

Renovation, 2001–2003

By the end of 1999, the Packers needed to update their stadium to stay competitive. They planned a big renovation project costing $295 million. Fans approved the plan, and work began in 2001. The renovation added new seats and facilities while keeping the famous grass field. It was finished in time for the 2003 season, increasing the capacity to 72,515. The Packers have sold out every game since 1960, and many fans are on a waiting list for tickets.

South end zone expansion, 2012–2013

In 2010, the Packers announced plans to add new scoreboards and seats in the south end zone. After getting feedback from fans, they added 7,500 new seats. These seats have heated areas to melt snow, helping with winter games. The expansion was paid for by the team, not taxpayers. After completion in 2013, Lambeau Field became the third-largest stadium in the NFL, holding 80,750 fans. New video boards and a rooftop viewing area were added in 2012.

Atrium renovation, 2013–2015

In 2013, the Packers started a $140.5 million project to renovate the entrance area. This included moving the team store, adding escalators, and creating new spaces for fans. The project was finished in 2015 and included new player facilities and a large replica trophy. The stadium’s lighting was also upgraded to LED in 2018.

Lambeau Field Atrium

The Lambeau Field Atrium has the team store, the team’s Hall of Fame, stadium tours, and a restaurant. It is also used for special events like meetings and weddings.

Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame

The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame is located in the Atrium. Since 1970, it has honored 170 Packers players and staff. The Hall of Fame welcomes over 170,000 visitors each year.

Titletown District

In 2015, the Packers announced plans for the Titletown District, an area near the stadium with a hotel, a sports clinic, and a restaurant. It opened in 2017 and has since hosted events like the NFL draft.

Packers home record at Lambeau

As of the end of the 2024 season, the Packers have a strong home record at Lambeau Field. They have won 264 regular-season games, lost 133, and tied 6. In the playoffs, their record is 18–7. The Denver Broncos are the only team that has never won a regular-season game at Lambeau Field.

Name and nickname

New City Stadium

The original name of Lambeau Field was "City Stadium" until 1964. People often called it "New City Stadium" to tell it apart from an older stadium at East High School.

Lambeau Field

Two months after Curly Lambeau, the founder of the Packers, passed away, the stadium was renamed "Lambeau Field" on August 3, 1965. Lambeau started the team in 1919, played for them, and coached for many years. He helped the team win many NFL championships. Lambeau was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Corporate naming rights

On November 7, 2000, voters agreed to help pay for renovations of Lambeau Field with a sales tax. They also voted on selling the naming rights to the stadium to pay off the tax faster. The vote passed, but the team could not find a buyer for $100 million.

The Packers decided to keep the name "Lambeau Field" to honor the team's founder. They sold naming rights to the eight entrance gates. These are: Bellin Health, Miller Brewing, American Family Insurance, the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, Fleet Farm stores, Associated Bank, and Kwik Trip. Verizon was a sponsor of one gate from 2003 to 2017. Shopko was a sponsor until 2019, and then Invisalign took over in 2022.

In 2015, the team's president said they would never sell the naming rights to the stadium. It will always be Lambeau Field.

"The Frozen Tundra"

The stadium’s nickname comes from a very cold game on December 31, 1967, between the Packers and the Dallas Cowboys. Journalist Tex Maule used the word tundra in his article about the game.

The nickname “the frozen tundra” is believed to come from the Packers’ film of the game. Before the 1967 season, an underground heating system was added, but it couldn’t stop the cold during that game. The field had been covered overnight, but the grass froze when the cover was removed.

The heating and drainage system was updated later. From 2007 to 2018, the field used a special surface mix. In 2018, this was replaced with a new surface. New video boards were called “Tundra Vision”. An artificial lighting system helps the grass grow during the fall.

Titletown, USA

“Titletown, USA” is a nickname for the city, but it became popular in 1961. At the 1961 NFL Championship Game against the New York Giants, fans hung signs that said Welcome to Titletown, USA. “Titletown, USA” became a registered trademark of the Green Bay Packers. Lambeau Field has been home to seven NFL world championship seasons.

Postseason

Lambeau Field has helped the Packers in important playoff games. The cold and wet weather makes it hard for visiting teams. One famous example is the Ice Bowl. In recent years, teams like the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers had trouble with the cold and wet conditions.

The Packers had a good record at Lambeau Field for many years. They lost their first postseason game there in January 2003. Even though they haven’t always won recently, their overall record in playoff games at Lambeau Field is strong. The stadium has hosted several big championship games over the years.

Traditions

The Lambeau Leap

Main article: Lambeau Leap

Many Green Bay Packers players jump into the stands after scoring, a fun celebration called the Lambeau Leap. It began in 1993 when a player named LeRoy Butler did it after scoring a point. Later, another player helped make it popular.

Even with rules about big celebrations, the Lambeau Leap was allowed to continue. Sometimes, players from other teams try to do the Lambeau Leap, but Packers fans usually don’t let them. In 2014, a statue was built outside the stadium to honor this tradition. The NFL Network named the Lambeau Leap one of the best touchdown celebrations ever.

Special events

Packers shareholders meeting

When the Green Bay Packers sold stock in 1997–98, the number of owners grew to over 112,000. This meant they needed a big space for the yearly meeting, so it returned to Lambeau Field in 2006. Usually, between 8,000 and 10,000 people join these meetings.

The COVID-19 pandemic meant the 2020 meeting could not happen in person at Lambeau Field, so it was shown online instead. In 2021, only about 3,900 owners attended in person.

High school and college football

Lambeau Field was planned for high school games too, like the old stadium it replaced. But after a rainy high school game hurt the field before an important Packers match, the schools were asked not to use it often. Some games still happened there until a new high school stadium was built in the late 1970s.

In 1973, an important high school championship was held at Lambeau. The last high school game was in the 1980s. In 1982 and 1983, St. Norbert College played games there to support a cancer foundation. In 2016, Lambeau hosted a big college football game between Wisconsin and LSU, with Wisconsin winning in an upset.

Hockey

After a successful outdoor hockey game in 2001, teams from Wisconsin and Ohio State played at Lambeau Field on February 11, 2006. Wisconsin won 4–2 in front of a full stadium.

Snowmobile racing

In 2004, snowmobile racing happened in the parking lot because there wasn’t enough snow elsewhere. In 2005, the racing moved to the grass with the right amount of snow.

Concerts

Lambeau Field doesn’t host many concerts because it is mainly used for football. The lease allows one non-football event each month from February to June, but the Packers can choose not to allow it.

Other

Comedian Bob Hope was the first big entertainment act at Lambeau, performing for 18,000 people on May 31, 1976.

Soccer

Fireworks

For many years, Lambeau Field hosted a popular Fourth of July fireworks show, supported by a local shopping company.

Seating capacity

Lambeau Field can hold many people, making it one of the biggest stadiums in the NFL.

Sustainability

The Green Bay Packers have made Lambeau Field better for the environment. They added more recycling bins, use dishes that break down naturally, and changed lighting to LED lights. The stadium now has over 500 new lighting fixtures, 11 efficient boilers for heating, and two electric chillers to keep some areas cool.