May 20, 2022
The immediate stop after Chicago was Marquette, MI, and in order to get there we had to drive through Green Bay, WI. I couldn’t let myself get near Green Bay without stopping by Lambeau Field to at least take a picture from the outside. I decided to make it more interesting and booked a tour of the stadium instead, and we ended up getting more bang for our buck since Cynthia and I were the only ones on the tour led by three tour guides.
The suites
The first part of the tour was inside and in the large hallway where the suites were located. The walls of the hallway were decorated with paintings of the Green Bay Packers during different eras and with photos of historical moments in team history.
After describing the events taking place in each painting and photograph, the tour guide led us into the largest suite which included a full kitchen and movie theater lounge chairs up against the window facing the playing field. Here our guide talked about the founding of the team and the history of the stadium while Cynthia and I stared out the window examining the field and stadium. We then went outside to the concourse where the tour guides had us yell, “GO PACK GO!” across the empty stadium.
The player’s tunnel
The next part of the tour was a trip to the Packers player’s tunnel and it was the most interactive part by far. The tour guide set the scene by having us imagine a full stadium of fans screaming and yelling as we were walking up the tunnel. When we got about halfway, they piped in recordings of crowd noise and played your typical gameday pump-up music.
Surprisingly, Cynthia and I both got caught up in the moment and started getting an adrenaline rush; we were itching to bust out of the tunnel and run onto the field! Perhaps sensing this and using his experience, the tour guide reminded us that we could not go onto the grass.
The field
After going through the tunnel, we were allowed to mingle on the sidelines for a while asking questions and soaking in the experience. We then got to sit in the bleachers for a few minutes and take in the views from there.
The actual field is surprisingly small and barely fits a regulation-sized football field. Just outside of the tunnel is a sign staked into the grass instructing people to stay off the grass. That sign marks the back corner of the south end zone and is only a couple feet away from the concrete path that circles the field, and only a few yards from the fence separating the bleachers from the field. An interesting bit we learned about the field is that it is a mixture of artificial turf and grass, with the artificial turf woven into the sod to help provide stability over the course of the season.
End of the tour
Cynthia and I both highly recommend going on this tour if you’re in the area. It’s inexpensive and an awesome experience, even for those that don’t follow the NFL. Prior to the tour, Cynthia was indifferent to visiting Lambeau Field and stopping in Green Bay just to see a football field. But once we caught our first glimpse of the field in its full splendor, she was thoroughly enjoying the experience until the end. In fact, I think I inadvertently made her a Packers fan. Whoops!
