History
Wrigley Field is the second oldest stadium in Major League Baseball behind Fenway Park in Boston. It was built in 1914 and the Chicago Cubs starting playing there in 1916. Between 1945 and 1984 the Cubs did not make the post-season. Since then Wrigley Field has hosted the NLDS four times in 1998, 2003, 2007 and 2008, the NLCS three times in 1984, 1989 and 2003. The last World Series game held at Wrigley Field was on October 10, 1945.

Some other notable sporting events held at Wrigley Field in the recent past were the MLB All-Star game on July 10, 1990 and the NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2009.

Attractions
Wrigley Field is a major Chicago tourist attraction that has its own attractions within and around the ballpark. Wrigley Field attractions include the ivy on the outfield wall, the ballhawks that lineup on Waveland Ave., the manual scoreboard in center field and the flying of a “W” flag when the Cubs win or an “L” flag when the Cubs lose. Anyway you look at it; Wrigley Field is a must stop for any sports fan.

Directions
Wrigley Field is located at 1060 W. Addison St. If possible avoid driving on Addison St. or Irving Park Rd. before or after the game. The best way to get to Wrigley Field is to exit at Irving Park Rd. from Lake Shore Dr. and drive west. Turn left on Sheridan Rd. which turns into Sheffield Ave. Most fans do not drive in from this direction and is usually much quicker than sitting in traffic coming from any other direction. Parking is also cheaper driving in from this direction.

Parking
Parking at Wrigley Field can be very difficult, expensive or both. It can also be free if you get lucky. There are two rules you should know before driving to Wrigley Field:

1) All of the official Wrigley Field parking lots are reserved for parking pass holders – maybe on a weekday afternoon game in April or May will the lot operated by the Cubs at 1126 W. Grace St. have cash parking available.
2) You cannot park on the city streets for night games. You need a resident permit sticker.

These two rules affect your ability to park at Wrigley Field. However, with all of the independent parking lots and individuals selling parking all over the neighborhood, you should not have any trouble parking as long as you have some cash.

Free parking: If you are attending an afternoon game, then you may be able to get free parking. Parking on neighborhood streets is only restricted for night games so if you see an open spot on the street you just saved $25-$40. You’ll need to arrive early for weekend games, but some parking places on the street become available at game time for weekday afternoon games. Be sure to check the signs for parking restrictions.

Pay Parking: As I already stated parking around Wrigley Field can be difficult. You can park at one of the many independent lots in the neighborhood. Prices vary based on distance to Wrigley Field and range from $20 to $45 for easy out. Another option is to negotiate with individuals who are selling their own personal parking places for the game. Most of these people are not interested in spending much time to sell parking – so low ball their initial offer and if you cannot agree on a price move onto the next guy who most likely will accept your price.

Public Transportation
If you can avoid driving to Wrigley Field, you should and take public transportation. It will not only save you time from not having to hassle with traffic, but will also save you money by not have to fork over $25 to $40 to park.

The most direct ways to get to Wrigley Field is to take the CTA’s red line to the Addison stop. If coming from the north it is best to get on and off at the Sheridan red line stop as the Addison stop becomes very crowded after games. Other options include taking the #22 Clark St. bus, #152 Addison St. bus or #80 Irving Park Rd. bus.

Location of Ticket Scalpers
Ticket scalpers are like vultures around Wrigley Field. They are everywhere and are aggressive whenever a fan has extra tickets. I would always recommend buying Cubs tickets from a ticket scalper outside of Wrigley Field if you have not purchased tickets from the Cubs directly. All other ticket outlets – StubHub.com, eBay or another ticket broker will cost more money.

Ticket Buying
If you want to buy seats (not standing room only) at a Cubs game then follow my ticket buying guide for buying tickets from scalpers.

If seats are not that important to you and you want to save some money then consider buying standing room only tickets for any game – even for the most in-demand games during the season (St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox). The Cubs always seem to have standing room only tickets available – even with their rule that you must enter the stadium immediately after purchasing a ticket.

Also, I know people are concerned when buying SRO that they will not have a seat. However, there are always seats available in Wrigley Field so if you do not mind moving once or twice then SRO is definitely the cheapest (and may give you the best seats since you can sit anywhere) way to go.

Food in Stadium
Wrigley Field serves general ballpark food. The only product unique to the ballpark is Old Style beer. If you are looking for some variety you have plenty of options outside of Wrigley Field – plan to eat at one of the restaurants or bars surrounding the ballpark.

Rooftops
One of Wrigley Field’s most famous features is the rooftops that surround the outfield on Sheffield Ave. and Waveland Ave. Although rooftops are expensive they do include unlimited food and drinks. Sometimes the rooftops can be a good deal based on the secondary ticket market, but you cannot book a rooftop on the day-of-the-game. You need to buy your ticket at least one day ahead of time.