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Packers remaining in Green Bay to play all of their games throughout the process. Put into motion by a county-wide referendum that approved a half-cent sales tax increase on Sept. 12, 2000, the project was financed jointly by the city of Green Bay, county taxpayers, the Packers and the NFL.

The Packers’ football facilities – a vital element in attracting players in today’s ultra-competitive NFL – also were enhanced greatly by the stadium’s redevelopment, debuting in time for the 2002 season. The centerpiece of these quarters is a breathtaking, 64-by-120-foot, football-

shaped locker room with 64 stately wooden lock-ers. Another 25 lockers can be found in an

adjoining, auxiliary locker room, to be utilized during training camp.

The football facilities also fea-ture a much larger training room

with all of the latest therapy pools as well as a permanent X-ray machine, a weight room, individual position meet-ing rooms with theatre-style seating, a 150-plus-seat team

auditorium, a basketball court with a parquet wood floor, a

racquetball court, a team dining room and a players’ lounge.Not forgetting the Packers’ rich tra-

dition and history at Lambeau Field, then-GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman requested three

slabs of concrete that were located in the team’s former field tunnel at the north end – which were walked over by many of the greatest play-ers in club history – to be moved to the new tunnel in the southeast corner; the players began using it during the 2002 season. A nearby plaque recognizes the pres-ence of the concrete from the old tunnel.

In July 2002, all of the team’s administrative and football-operations offices also relocated to within the Lambeau Field Atrium on the stadium’s east side.

Other benefits realized through the redevelopment project include a modern system of field lights that is more than eight times brighter than the previous stadium lights, and a new visiting-team locker room. Also, a larger, more comfort-able and modern press box that can seat in excess of 250 media members for a playoff game – positioned along the sidelines – debuted in 2002. In 2003, the press box was renamed “The Lee Remmel

Press Box” in honor of the former newspaper sportswriter, Packers public relations director and team historian. Remmel retired in 2007 after more than 60 years of close association with the organization.

The Packers continue to upgrade the stadium to fur-ther enhance pro sports’ top-rated gameday experience. In 2011, a distributed-audio system designed to deliver sound more consistently and evenly throughout the sta-

One of the National Football League’s most revered stadiums, Lambeau Field this year is hosting its 56th season of football.

A year-round destination venue to be enjoyed by Packers fans in a variety of ways on an everyday basis, it underwent a dramatic facelift that added a host of new amenities and attractions. The conclusion of the redevel-opment project was marked by a rededication game, Sept. 7, 2003, against longtime divisional rival Minnesota.

Featuring the only true “retro” look in the entire league, the glorious tradition and history of the Packers is carried forward in the “like-new” Lambeau Field with its heart – the original seat-ing bowl – saved. The same hal-lowed ground where many of the NFL’s greatest moments have transpired continues to exist, a canvas where current players can paint their own memories in future years.

At the same time, the structure was transformed from a football stadium that fans could use only 10 days during the season to a Packers cultural center that can be enjoyed throughout the year. Within the five-story Lambeau Field Atrium, located on the stadium’s east side, is the 25,000-square-foot Packers Hall of Fame, cor-porate meeting and event facili-ties for 25 to 1,200 people, five different eating options highlighted by a one-of-a-kind brew pub (Curly’s Pub) with interactive areas, and a larger Packers Pro Shop (see pages 600-603 for a full listing of the Atrium dining, entertainment and retail options).

Just outside the Atrium in the Robert E. Harlan Plaza, named in honor of the former team CEO (1989-2007), are bronze statues of team founder Curly Lambeau and legend-ary coach Vince Lombardi. Sculpted by Julie Rotblatt-Amrany (Lombardi) and Omri Amrany (Lambeau) of Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt-Amrany in Highland Park, Ill., at a cost of more than $400,000, each statue is 14 feet tall, atop three feet of steps and a four-foot base. Nearby the statues are several park benches – making the plaza area a great place to sit and soak up the majesty of Lambeau Field.

On gamedays, fans benefit from many of the same 21st-century amenities typically found in the shiny but sterile, newer facilities that have sprouted up across the country in recent years – everything from wider concourses (including a new, upper concourse) to enhanced conces-sion areas to modernized and increased restroom facilities (particularly for female fans), to a club level for suite and club seat patrons.

The 32-month, $295 million redevelopment of Lambeau was completed on time – and on budget – with the

HALLOWED GROUND

• Dedicated: Sept. 29, 1957, Green Bay 21, Chicago Bears 17.• Capacity: 73,094 present 65,290 to 66,110 in 2002 60,890 in 2001 32,500 in 1957 (original seating)• Original name: “City Stadium” (new City Stadium)• Original Cost: $960,000 (paid off in 1978)• Renamed: Rededicated as Lambeau Field Sept. 11, 1965,

following death of Curly Lambeau the previous June. • Owner: City of Green Bay and Green Bay/Brown County Professional Football Stadium District (operated/main-tained by the team).• Field: Installed in 2007, the top level of the field system is 12 inches of root-zone sand and Kentucky bluegrass turf. DD GrassMaster synthetic fibers are stitched into the surface, providing strength and stability to the field. Fibers extend approximately seven inches below the surface and are exposed approximately one inch above the surface and are spaced every three-quarters of an inch. Approxi-mately 20 million individual stitches make up the process.• Heating system: Installed in 2007 and contains more than 30 miles of radiant heating pipe, which can main-tain a root-zone temperature of 55-plus degrees to keep the ground from freezing during the season’s lat-ter months. First system was put in by Vince Lombardi for 1967 season (failed during Ice Bowl).• Location: 1265 Lombardi Ave., southwest Green Bay.• NFL Championship Games: Three (1961, 1965 and 1967).• Packers all-time record:

Regular Season: 187-107-4 (.635) Postseason: 13-4-0 (.765) Overall: 200-111-4 (.642)

LAMBEAU AT A GLANCE

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bowl seats, to increase Lambeau’s capacity to 73,094. More than 4,000 of the new seats were available for use during the 2002 season with construction ongoing.

The block of new seats helped the Packers to remove almost 1,500 names from their season-ticket waiting list – which has nearly 100,000 names on it – between both ticket packages. Additionally, Brown County residents without season tickets have a chance to purchase the remaining 4,000 new bowl tickets on a game-by-game basis; in 2011, 10,000 residents were randomly selected from a list and were able to purchase four tickets. Disabled-accessible seats also increased dramatically through the development project, rising from 56 to 756.

dium bowl debuted. This season, new high-definition video boards in the end zones feature higher-resolution displays and are four times larger than the old versions. A new roof-top viewing platform and new north gate also are added for 2012. The 2013 season will see approximately 6,700 new seats open in the south end zone (see page 25 for photo).

Opened in 1957, Lambeau Field had seen numerous smaller-scale changes through the years, including seven prior seating expansions and the addition of suites. But, as new stadiums rose throughout the NFL in the 1990s, Lambeau Field became outdated. As a publicly owned team, the Packers must generate a significant amount of income from their home to remain competitive. Challenges with capacity, as well as the need for updated suites plus more club seats, restrooms and concessions, made rede-velopment a necessity.

Faced with these challenges, the organization went to work in October 1999, assembling a plan to protect 80 years of Packers history and ensure the club’s continued viability. After several feasibility studies and overwhelm-ing support for renovation, as opposed to building a new stadium, the redevelopment plan was dubbed the proper course of action. Unveiled in January 2000, the plan ulti-mately won voter approval that September with the hard work of people committed to preserving Green Bay’s unique franchise.

“Our fans overwhelmingly asked us to save Lambeau Field,” then-President and CEO Bob Harlan said. “This plan accomplishes that while giving the Packers an economic base to build for the future in Green Bay. We want this to be the No. 1 destination in Wisconsin. We’re going to build a stadium that the rest of the National Football League wished it had.”

Included in the redeveloped stadium are more than 11,600 additional seats, including roughly 6,000 more

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• Concession points of sale doubled (to almost 300).• Dramatic increase in women’s restroom facilities (180 to 556); men’s restrooms increased from 436 to 708.• Disabled seating increased from 56 to 756.• An upper concourse was added and existing con-courses were widened.

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• Increase in stadium capacity from 60,890 in 2001 to 73,094 presently.• The Packers are making available 4,000 tickets per game to Brown County residents 18 and over who do not hold season tickets; the program began in 2003.• The team was able to further reduce its season-ticket waiting list, which contains nearly 100,000 people; roughly 3,600 names have come off since 2001.

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• 168 state-of-the-art private suites featuring increased square footage and high-end custom finishes.• Club seating increased from 1,920 indoor seats to ap-proximately 3,000 indoor and 3,000 outdoor seats.• An exclusive club level can be accessed by suite and club seat holders on game day. Available to the general public during the year for functions.

LAMBEAU FIELD UPGRADES

• Total cost: $295 million• Referendum passed by Brown County voters Sept. 12, 2000.• $160 million in bonds from half-cent sales tax in Brown County.• $9.1 million for stadium infrastructure improvements from the state of Wisconsin.

• $125.9 million from the Packers, the city of Green Bay and the NFL…Team asked fans for one-time seat user fee ($1,400 for seven-game “Green Package” ticket holders, $600 for three-game “Gold Package” ticket holders) in 2001…Proceeds contributed from the 1997-98 stock sale and an NFL loan…Additionally, the club pledged to cover any project cost overruns in consideration of its authority to direct the design of the building and stadium construction.

REDEVELOPMENT FINANCING

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LDThe main concourse – previously so narrow in some

places that it had become a safety problem – also was expanded significantly. And, a new, upper concourse – complete with concession stands and restrooms – which increases the ease with which fans can move through the facility, fully debuted in 2003 with the project’s completion after partial use in 2002.

Concession stands and restrooms were greatly expand-ed as well. Concession points of sale increased to 281 on the main and upper concourses alone, up from 186. A new concession sales sys-tem was installed in 2012, further lessening the time fans are out of their seats. Availability of women’s rest-rooms increased from 180 to 556. Men’s restrooms now are at 708, up from 436.

The centerpiece of the redeveloped stadium is the Lambeau Field Atrium, a 366,000-square-foot, five-plus-story structure on the east side. MillerCoors, through a sponsorship deal that extends through the 2022 NFL season, is a partner with the Packers in the Atrium and is the sponsor of the area’s main entrance gate. Welcoming fans is a glass wall, facing Lombardi Avenue, measur-ing over 180 feet long and 80 feet high.

The Lambeau Field Atrium with its many attrac-tions creates an “entertain-ment district” at the leg-endary stadium, a concept pioneered at venues like Camden Yards in Baltimore and Progressive Field in Cleveland.

Revenue generated from the Packers Pro Shop, Packers Hall of Fame, Curly’s Pub, the Atrium eat-eries, the Legends Club and special events is essential to the Packers’ long-term sur-vival. In just the first year, with only the new Pro Shop open and several gate spon-sorships sold, the Packers’ NFL revenue ranking for the fiscal year 2002-03 jumped to 10th, up from 20th the prior year. The strong finan-cial performance continued during the ensuing fiscal years as all elements of the redeveloped stadium came online; the club’s NFL revenue ranking has continued to be in the second quartile, allowing the team to continue delivering on its promise to the community and its fans – turning profitability into the preservation of the franchise and the stadium. The redevelopment’s economic impact on the area has been positive as well; roughly 60 percent of the Packers’ special events department’s bookings come from outside Brown County, bringing in additional busi-ness to the Green Bay area. The Atrium already has events booked out to 2018.

Two offseason football-related events have been popu-lar attractions: Packers Draft Party and Packers Fan Fest.

The former saw nearly 2,000 fans take to the Atrium for a gathering on the NFL Draft’s first day of action from 2004-09, hearing from Packers front-office members and current players and watching the selection process unfold with fellow Green and Gold fans; recent versions were held in Curly’s Pub, in conjunction with the draft’s new prime-time format.

The latter witnessed 3,000 enthusiastic fans descend upon the Atrium in March for two days of meeting coaches and players, autograph sessions and even a tour of the locker room. After a hiatus in 2011 and 2012, it is intended to return in the future.

Large-scale stadium events have included the “Frozen

16 MEMORABLE GAMES• Sept. 29, 1957: Packers 21, Chi.

Bears 17…New City Stadium is dedicated with Miss America, Vice President Richard Nixon and actor James Arness on hand…Babe Parilli hits Gary Knafelc on fourth-quarter TD pass.• Sept. 27, 1959: Packers 9, Chi. Bears 6…Vince Lombardi wins his first game; gets carried off the field after team erases 6-0 fourth-quarter deficit with Jim Taylor touchdown and Dave Hanner safety.• Dec. 31, 1961: Packers 37, N.Y. Giants 0…First NFL title game in Green Bay and Lombardi’s first of five NFL crowns…Packers total 345 yards on league’s No. 1 defense, led by Sam Huff.• Dec. 26, 1965: Packers 13, Balt. Colts 10…In Western Confer-ence Playoff, Green Bay wins first franchise overtime contest on Don Chandler’s 25-yard field goal…Chandler tied the game with a controversial 22-yarder with 1:58 left in regulation…In 1966, the NFL raised its uprights.• Jan. 2, 1966: Packers 23, Clev. Browns 12…In snowy ‘65 NFL championship game, Taylor and Paul Hornung combine for 201 yards on the ground…Packers hold Jim Brown to 50 yards.• Dec. 31, 1967: Packers 21, Dal. Cowboys 17…In -13 temperatures (-46 wind chill), Bart Starr scores on sneak in game’s final minute, ending 12-play drive…Last NFL title game in Green Bay…“Ice Bowl” win sends Packers to AFL-NFL world championship game (Super Bowl II).• Sept. 7, 1980: Packers 12, Chi. Bears 6…Chester Marcol catches his own blocked kick (by Alan Page) and runs 25 yards for game-winning touchdown six minutes into overtime…First overtime contest in Packers-Bears series, NFL’s longest rivalry.• Jan. 8, 1983: Packers 41, StL Cardinals 16…Lambeau hosts first postseason game in 15 years (“Super Bowl Tournament”).• Oct. 17, 1983: Packers 48, Washington 47…Teams combine for highest-scoring game in history of Monday Night Football, and rack up 1,025 yards...Mark Moseley misses FG as time expires.• Nov. 5, 1989: Packers 14, Chi. Bears 13…Sterling Sharpe’s 14-yard fourth-quarter touchdown catch knots contest with 32 seconds left, but official flags Don Majkowski for crossing line of scrim-mage…Four minutes later, instant replay official Bill Parkinson overturns call.• Sept. 20, 1992: Packers 24, Cincinnati 23…New acquisition Brett Favre comes off the bench to erase 20-7 fourth-quarter deficit, finds Kitrick Taylor for 35-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left.• Dec. 31, 1994: Packers 16, Detroit 12…Fritz Shurmur’s defense holds NFL rushing leader Barry Sanders to -1 yard on 13 attempts, and the Lions as a team to -4 yards, to advance in playoffs.• Jan. 12, 1997: Packers 30, Carolina 13…With -17 wind chill, Green Bay wins NFC Championship, earns first trip to Super Bowl in 29 years…The Packers rush for 201 yards.• Nov. 6, 2000: Packers 26, Minnesota 20…Antonio Freeman makes incredible catch in rain, scores on 43-yard touchdown in overtime on Monday Night Football.• Jan. 4, 2004: Packers 33, Seattle 27…Al Harris picks off Matt Hasselbeck and scores on 52-yard interception return, the first defensive touchdown in NFL sudden-death playoff history.• Jan. 12, 2008: Packers 42, Seattle 20…Packers spot Seahawks 14-0 lead then storm back to out-score visitors, 42-6, as heavy snow falls...Six TDs and 42 points both set team postseason records.

Years Current Name Tenant First NFL Game 56 Lambeau Field Green Bay Packers 1957 46 Qualcomm Stadium San Diego Chargers 1967 42 Candlestick Park San Francisco 49ers 1971 41 Arrowhead Stadium Kansas City Chiefs 1972 40 Ralph Wilson Stadium Buffalo Bills 1973 38 Mercedes-Benz Super.* New Orleans Saints 1975 31 HHH Metrodome Minnesota Vikings 1982 26 Sun Life Stadium Miami Dolphins 1987 21 Georgia Dome Atlanta Falcons 1992 18 EverBank Field Jacksonville Jaguars 1995 Edward Jones Dome St. Louis Rams 1995 Oak.-Alameda Cty. Col. Oakland Raiders 1995 17 Bank of America Stadium Carolina Panthers 1996 16 FedExField Washington Redskins 1997 15 M&T Bank Stadium Baltimore Ravens 1998 Raymond James Stadium Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1998 14 Cleveland Browns Stadium Cleveland Browns 1999 LP Field Tennessee Titans 1999 13 Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati Bengals 2000 12 Heinz Field Pittsburgh Steelers 2001 Sports Authority Field Denver Broncos 2001 11 Ford Field Detroit Lions 2002 Gillette Stadium New England Patriots 2002 Reliant Stadium Houston Texans 2002 CenturyLink Field Seattle Seahawks 2002 10 Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia Eagles 2003 Soldier Field (new) Chicago Bears 2003 7 Univ. of Phoenix S. Arizona Cardinals 2006 5 Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis Colts 2008 4 Dallas Cowboys Stadium Dallas Cowboys 2009 3 MetLife Stadium N.Y. Giants/N.Y. Jets 2010

*New Orleans Saints played only preseason games at Superdome in 2005

LONGEST CONTINUOUSLY OCCUPIED NFL STADIUMS

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Original concept, 1955

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nitaries and Packers officials and play-ers, subsequently was held on May 19, 2001.

The NFL’s lon-gest-tenured venue, Lambeau easily ranks as one of the most recognized and envied locales in all of sports, a fact recognized in 1999 when Sports Illustrated named it the eighth-best facility in the world to watch sports – and the lone NFL stadium to make the magazine’s “Top 20” list. Additionally, SI.com in 2007 and 2008 rated Lambeau Field as the No. 1 stadium experience in the NFL, as did ESPN The Magazine in 2009 and 2011.

Even after the recent changes, Lambeau maintains its nostalgic and intimate feel with totally unobstructed sightlines. Permeated by history, tradition and mystique, the view from inside can be awe-inspiring.

Dedicated as City Stadium Sept. 29, 1957 – a day that saw Green Bay topple the hated Chicago Bears, 21-17 – ceremonies included Vice President Richard Nixon and NFL Commissioner Bert Bell. In 1965, the facility was renamed Lambeau Field following the death of E.L. “Curly” Lambeau, the Packers’ founder and first coach.

Originally built at a cost of $960,000, an amount shared equally by the Packers Corporation and the city of Green Bay, the facility was financed by way of a bond issue that received 2-to-1 voter approval in a municipal referendum conducted April 3, 1956.

Located in southwest Green Bay, surrounded on three sides by the village of Ashwaubenon, Lambeau Field originally was built on farmland, purchased for $73,305.

Tundra Hockey Classic” in February 2006, a Wisconsin Badgers-Ohio State Buckeyes matchup that drew 40,890 fans, the fifth-largest hockey crowd of all time. In June 2011, a Kenny Chesney concert attracted more than 45,000 music lovers to the stadium. The two events brought in $3 million and $5 million, respectively, to the local economy.

On the community front, the Atrium has hosted regular events. “Spooktacular Fun,” a Halloween event that fea-tures interactive and entertaining activities including the “Haunted Concourse,” music, magic, miming, clowns and jugglers, takes place in October. In November, the Packers serve a Thanksgiving meal to more than 800 people. March sees the Atrium welcome “Project LEAP!” (Lambeau’s Exercise and Activity Playground) – a day focused on getting kids out of the house to enjoy non-strenuous physical activity. More than 15,000 residents enjoy the Atrium during these days.

The project’s voter-approved financing came in the form of a half-cent sales tax in Brown County – where the Packers make their estimated $282 million annual economic impact – that supported over $160 million in bonding. The state of Wisconsin approved funding of an additional $9.1 million for stadium infrastructure improve-ments. The Packers, the city and the NFL contributed $125.9 million from a one-time seat user fee ($1,400 for seven-game “Green Package” ticket holders, $600 for three-game “Gold Package” ticket holders, in 2001), proceeds from the 1997-98 stock sale and an NFL loan. And, the club pledged to cover any project cost overruns in consideration of its authority to direct the design of the building and stadium construction.

The Packers’ contribution to the project ranked at the time as the fifth highest in NFL history. Tommy Thompson, Wisconsin governor at the time, signed into law enabling legislation May 13, 2000, in a ceremony held on the playing field. Later, on Jan. 3, 2001, the Green Bay/Brown County Professional Stadium District Board approved a new Lambeau Field lease agreement between the district, the Packers and the city of Green Bay; the lease’s primary term runs for 30 years after the opening of the redeveloped stadium in 2003. A groundbreaking cere-mony, involving then-Governor Scott McCallum, area dig-

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LONGEST ACTIVE HOMEFIELD TENURES, PRO SPORTSYears Current Name Tenant First Game 101 Fenway Park Boston Red Sox 1912 99 Wrigley Field Chicago Cubs 1914 56 Lambeau Field Green Bay Packers 1957

51 Dodger Stadium Los Angeles Dodgers 1962 47 Angel Stadium Los Angeles Angels 1966 46 Qualcomm Stadium San Diego Chargers 1967 45 Madison Sq. Garden New York Knicks & 1968 New York Rangers

LAMBEAU EXPANSIONSBowl Structure• 1961: Added 6,519 seats to 38,669.• 1963: Added 3,658 seats to 42,327.• 1965: Added 8,525 seats to 50,852

(top left).• 1970: Added 5,411 seats to 56,263 (top right, in mid-1974 – fully enclos-ing stadium bowl).

Suites/Club Seats• 1985: Original 72 suites added 663 seats, increased capacity to 56,926.• 1990: Team spent $8.263 million to erect 36 new suites and 1,920 club seats in south end zone; construc-tion added 2,617 total seats and capacity increased to 59,543.• 1995: Packers spent $4.7 million to enclose north end zone with 90 more suites; added 1,347 to increase capacity to 60,890.

Renovation/Redevelopment• 2001-03: The $295 million project added 12,032 seats, pushing present capacity to 73,094.

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The stadium’s original architect, Somerville Inc., favored the current site because it was sloped, making it perfect to build a bowl.

Lambeau Field, now in its 56th NFL season, is the longest continu-ously occupied stadium in the league – 10 years more than the next-closest venue, Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego at 46 years. In pro sports as a whole, only the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park (101 seasons) and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field (99 seasons) have longer active homefield tenures.

Including the redevelopment, eight seating additions – all paid for by the Green Bay Packers, Inc. – have increased Lambeau’s capacity from its original 32,150 to 38,669 in 1961, to 42,327 in 1963, to 50,852 in 1965 and to 56,263 in 1970. Construction of 72 initial suites in 1985 moved capacity to 56,926, and a 1990 addition of 36 boxes and 1,920 theatre-style club seats changed the number to 59,543. The seventh seating addition, a $4.7 million project in 1995, put 90 more suites in the previously open north end zone, for the first time giving the stadium the feel of a complete bowl and upping capacity to 60,890.

Ultimately, the eighth addition bumped stadium seating capacity to 73,094. During the 2002 campaign, with work ongoing, capacity fluctuated between 65,290 and 66,110 as the season progressed. A ninth addition will bring approximately 6,700 new seats online for the 2013 season.

In 2007, the Packers installed an entirely new playing surface, including a completely new drainage and heating system, bringing the latest technology in field manage-ment to the famous stadium. Chief to the new system is DD GrassMaster, a natural-grass surface reinforced with

man-made fibers. All existing levels of the field were removed and the new system began with a clay sub-grade level, compacted and graded (with a .6 percent slope), including drain tile, irrigation pipe and thermostat wiring for the heating system. The second level consists of 5½ inches of pea gravel. On top of the gravel layer is 30-plus miles of ¾-inch tub-ing for the heating system which can maintain a root-zone temperature of 55-plus degrees to keep the ground from freezing during the season’s

latter months. Level three consists of 12 inches of root-zone sand and Kentucky bluegrass turf. DD GrassMaster’s synthetic fibers are stitched into the surface, providing strength and stability to the field. Fibers extend approxi-mately seven inches below the surface, are exposed approximately one inch above the surface, and are spaced every three-quarters of an inch. Approximately 20 million individual stitches make up the process. The slope equates to a crown of about 5½ inches on the new surface.

Also prominent within the stadium are the names of the 21 Packers players and coaches elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The Packers’ 13 NFL Championship seasons (southeast corner) and five retired jersey numbers (north end zone) are on the facade as well. In December 2006, the facade’s northeast corner became home to the name of Ron Wolf, the former Packers gen-

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August, 1957

Sept. 29, 1957

• Proposal: The Packers’ Fred Leicht, who supervised the 1925 construction of City Stadium, in May 1955 submitted a pro-posal for a new, 32,000-seat facility.• Referendum: Passed April 3, 1956 (11,575 to 4,893), while community leaders contin-ued debate over a site.• Site: In late April 1956, the Packers hired an engineering company to study pro-posed locations. The company in July 1956 recommended the corner of Highland (now Lombardi) Avenue and Ridge Road.• Land: City Council purchased farmland owned by Victor and Florence Vannieu-wenhoven in August 1956 for $73,305.• Contract: Awarded early in 1957, with ground-breaking as soon as weather permitted.• Time: No longer than nine months, in time for ’57 opener.• Cost: $960,000 in municipal bonds; the Packers Corporation paid $634,700 in interest and principal.

ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION

THE LAMBEAU BOWLOne of Lambeau’s special characteristics is its classic seating bowl, now exclusive to Green Bay. The bowl design, common in

many traditional college football stadiums, remains virtually untouched following a $295 million stadium renovation. Did you know…

• The original architectural firm, Somerville Inc., favored the Lambeau construction site because it sloped, perfect for building a bowl.• The bowl’s outstanding sightlines are generally credited to Dick Gustafson, who worked closely with John Somer-ville during the design phase.• Some of Gustafson’s inspiration came from Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, where he went to college.• Despite seating more than 62,713 (including an addition-al 6,601 from the recent renovation), the bowl still offers

the NFL’s highest percentage of great seats. Somerville credits that intimacy to the fact that the stadium was the first in the world designed exclusively for pro football.• The original stadium district instructed Somerville to design a facility that could easily expand, and allow for off-season construction projects to be completed by August.• The first significant project came just one year after the stadium’s opening campaign. Workers replaced the origi-nal wooden bleachers with aluminum benches before the 1958 season.

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eral manager (1991-2001). Bob Harlan, then CEO, had the name installed, in a new tradition, separate from the Pro Football Hall of Famers, so that Wolf could be recognized in a way that is befitting of his enormous legacy with the organization.

Lambeau Field is among the NFL’s toughest places to play. Green Bay holds a 122-38 (.763) regular-season record at Lambeau since 1992, plus an 8-4 mark in the playoffs, for an overall record of 130-42 (.756). Even more imposing, the Packers have won 122 of their last 160 games in Green Bay (including the eight postseason victories), since Oct. 10, 1993.

In the midst of nearly four full seasons at home without a defeat – prior to a 1998 Monday night loss to Minnesota, their last setback at Lambeau had come in the 1995 season opener – the Packers established the NFL’s second-longest home winning streak (25). Only the Miami Dolphins (1971-74) have won more consecutive regular-season home games (27).

In the two decades prior to the start of the redevelop-ment project, the Packers organization itself had spent more than $50 million on improvements to the stadium, the previous club administration building and training facilities, including construction of the original indoor practice structure in 1982 and its replacement, the Don Hutson Center, in 1994 at a cost of nearly $4.7 million. Recent improvements include DD GrassMaster surfaces on practice fields, Clarke Hinkle Field (2006) and Ray Nitschke Field (2009). Nitschke Field also has a new seating facility for fans attending training-camp practices.

Lambeau Field now is owned by the city of Green Bay and the Green Bay/Brown County Professional Football Stadium District; retirement of the city’s original $960,000

debt was celebrated at a mortgage-burning ceremony in May of 1978.

Sold out on a season-ticket basis since 1960 (302 consecutive games at the start of the 2012 season, including playoffs) Lambeau was not the Packers’ only regular-season home until 1995. The team maintained two separate ticket packages after moving all games to Green Bay, eliminating four annual dates at Milwaukee County Stadium.

“Gold” ticket holders (made up primarily of former Milwaukee season patrons) have a three-game package consisting of the annual Midwest Shrine preseason contest plus the second and fifth regular-season home games each year.

“Green” season customers (made up of original Green Bay ticket holders) have a seven-game package consisting of the annual Bishop’s Charities preseason game and the remaining six regular-season contests.

2012 TICKET PRICESSections between 20-yard lines (115-124 and 322-330). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $92Sections from 20-yard line to end zone (109-114, 125-130, 314-320 and 332-338) . . . . . . . $80End zone sections (100-108, 131-138, 303-312 and 340-354) . . . . . . . $72Suite tickets (4,000, 5,000 and 6,000 Levels) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $92Indoor club seats (Sections 470-492 and 670-694) . . . . . . . . . $218-$222Outdoor club seats (Sections 403-435) . . . . . . $218-$319

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THE SANDLOT YEARSInevitably, procedures at Packers games have come a long way

since 1919-20, when the team subsisted on the contents of George Calhoun’s hat. At that time, there were no ushers, cheerleaders, band or public address system, which hadn’t yet been invented. There weren’t even any seats, and admission was free.

From 1919-56, the Packers played their Green Bay games – including their first league contest – at virtually the same address. Their first home games were at Hagemeister Park, a vacant lot marked with a football gridiron, adjacent to East High.

There were no gates because there wasn’t a fence. Spectators just dropped off the Walnut Street trolley and walked to the sideline, or drove their own cars and parked about 10 yards behind the ropes stretched around the playing field.

If they felt like it, they either sat in their automobiles or on top of them, but most preferred to get out and follow up and down the field. By moving as play progressed, one always had a “50-yard line” location and was handy for any donnybrook that might require a little help. In fact, when things got exciting, the crowd sometimes spilled right onto the field, surrounded the scrimmage in a big circle and virtually took part in every play. Teams didn’t huddle in those days, or the fans would have been in that, too.

When the half ended, teams grabbed blan-kets and adjourned to opposite end zones where they relaxed and talked over the tactics of the next half. The crowd formed a ring around the players, a practice encouraged since it made a handy wind break. Fans weren’t bashful about joining the discussions either, sometimes with surprising results. At least one early game was pulled out of the fire by a spectator’s halftime suggestion.

In 1920, the city built a section of stands – a small bleacher that held about 200 – giving the Packers their first justification for charging admission. The next year, a portable canvas fence was erected around the perimeter and a regular admission charge inaugurated.

BELLEVUEWhen Hagemeister was dug up in 1923

to make way for a new East High School, the Packers shifted to the new baseball grounds at the end of Main Street, Bellevue Park (left). Crowds of 4,000-5,000 stormed the fences to boo the hated Chicago Bears. Green Bay was 9-2-1 in 12 league games at Bellevue from 1923-24. Eight of the nine Packers wins were shutouts, and the team won its last seven at the stadium, including a 5-0 home slate in ’24. The lone tie was a scoreless affair in 1923.

OTHER HOMES OF THE PACKERS, 1919-94

THE PACKERS’ SEVEN OTHER HOMES, 1919-94GREEN BAY• Hagemeister Park, 1919-22…Clas-

sic sandlot, near Baird and Walnut streets, adjacent to East River…East High School now occupies land.

• Bellevue Park, 1923-24 (below in ’24)…Minor league baseball park, near Hagemeister Brewery, in 100-200 block of North Main Street.

• City Stadium, 1925-56 (pictured lower middle in 1946, and bottom in late 1920s)…Located behind East High School…Expanded several times to reach peak capacity of 24,500…Annually voted the NFL’s best playing surface, because it sat just yards from the East River…EHS football team still uses downsized facility.

MILWAUKEE• Borchert Field, 1933…Hosted one game…Minor league baseball park, home to NFL’s Badgers from 1922-26…Located near Burleigh, Chambers and North Eighth streets…Torn down in 1954, it’s now a children’s playground.

• State Fair Park, 1934-51 (right inset in 1941)…Location: West Allis, Wis., near West Kearney, Greenfield, South 77th and South 84th streets, on Wisconsin State Fairgrounds.

• Marquette Stadium, 1952…Also housed Marquette football team.

• County Stadium, 1953-94 (far right in ’94)…Home to baseball’s Milwaukee Braves and Brewers…Off Interstate 94…Both benches were on east side-line…End zones ran north-south, from third base to right field…Demolished in 2000 to make parking lot for Miller Park.

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CITY STADIUMBellevue obviously was inadequate and too far

out, lacking about every amenity needed for foot-ball. Agitation to build a new stadium somewhere near the original site culminated in the erection of City Stadium, behind the new high school.

The new facility was barely completed in time for the 1925 opening, but it was an immediate success (the Bears opener drew a record crowd of 5,389). It was a typical small-town park of its day (pictured at bottom), with wooden fences and stands on both sides between the 30-yard lines. Seating capacity was gradually increased until it seated 15,000 by 1934, with the end zones still uncovered. With the filling in of the area around the end lines, the ultimate capacity of just over 25,000 was reached (inset at left, middle photo).

After World War II, City Stadium gradually faded from its once proud position as one of the favored fields in the National Football League, to an inad-equate and obsolete installation. As pro crowds increased, it was impossible to expand the stadium any further. With limited capacity, the Packers found it increasingly difficult to schedule top opponents at home. On Nov. 18, 1956, the Packers lost their final game at the stadium, to the 49ers. A new City Stadium, on Green Bay’s west side, opened the following year (renamed Lambeau Field in 1965).

MILWAUKEEThe decision to play games in

Milwaukee (including State Fair Park, above inset; and County Stadium, above right) played a key role in the Packers’ survival. It allowed the team to tap a larger market and thwart any efforts to establish another competing pro football team there. The Packers played games in Milwaukee for 62 straight years (1933-94) until opting – mostly for financial reasons – to move all games to Green Bay beginning with the 1995 season.

PACKERS ATTENDANCE RECORDS10 LARGEST HOME CROWDSGreen Bay (reg. season): 71,213 Min., 11/1/09 71,113 DalC, 9/21/08 71,107 Min., 10/24/10 71,040 ChiB, 11/16/08 71,010 Ind., 10/19/08 71,004 Min., 9/8/08 70,945 Min., 11/11/07 70,920 ChiB, 9/13/09 70,918 ChiB, 9/10/06 70,913 DalC, 11/7/10 Milwaukee (reg. season): 55,592 Min., 11/26/89 55,256 DalC, 11/12/78 55,125 Min., 10/28/90 55,119 Det., 11/21/93 55,012 Min., 9/27/81 55,011 Mia., 9/11/94 54,995 Det., 11/6/94 54,983 Sea., 10/10/76 54,885 Atl., 12/18/94 54,776 DalC, 9/28/80

10 LARGEST ROAD CROWDS 90,535 LARm, 12/11/55 89,295 Was., 10/31/04 87,760 Was., 10/10/10 83,943 CleB, 9/18/66 82,137 CleB, 12/7/69 80,558 LARm, 10/21/73 79,281 KC, 11/10/96 79,176 Buf., 10/30/88 79,029 Buf., 11/20/94 78,988 KC, 11/4/07

LARGEST PLAYOFF CROWDS 91,060 Pit. (@ N. Texas), 2/6/11 (Super Bowl XLV) 75,546 Oak. (@ Miami), 1/14/68 (Super Bowl II) 74,152 @ DalC, 1/1/67 (1966 NFL Championship) 72,740 NYG (LF), 1/20/08 (2007 NFC Championship) 72,301 NE (@ New Orleans), 1/26/97 (Super Bowl XXXI) 72,168 Sea. (LF), 1/12/08 (2007 NFC Divisional Playoff) 72,080 NYG (LF), 1/15/12 (2011 NFC Divisional Playoff) 71,457 Sea. (LF), 1/4/04 (2003 NFC Wild Card Playoff) 71,075 Min. (LF), 1/9/05 (2004 NFC Wild Card Playoff) 69,311 @ SF, 1/6/96 (1995 NFC Divisional Playoff) 69,210 @ Atl., 1/15/11 (2010 NFC Divisional Playoff) 69,144 @ Phil., 1/9/11 (2010 Wild Card Playoff) 68,987 @ SF, 1/11/98 (1997 NFC Championship) LARGEST PRESEASON CROWDS 92,753 College All-Stars (@ Chicago), 8/30/45 90,218 @ Phi., 9/13/45 85,532 @ CleB, 8/30/69 84,918 @ CleB, 9/7/68 84,567 College All-Stars (@ Chicago), 8/29/40 84,560 College All-Stars (@ Chicago), 9/1/37 84,236 @ CleB, 9/2/67 83,736 @ CleB, 9/5/64 83,118 @ CleB, 9/4/65 *78,184 Den. (@ Madison, Wis.), 8/23/99 78,087 @ DalC, 8/28/67 76,704 NYG (@ Madison, Wis.), 8/22/97 75,504 @ DalC, 8/20/66

*—All-time Packers home attendance record

OTHER PACKERS ATTENDANCE RECORDSSingle Season, Total (16 games): 1,123,023 (2011)Single Season, Home: 566,443 (2007)Single Season, Road: 563,622 (2000)

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PACKERS HALL OF FAME — Located one level below the main Lambeau Field Atrium floor, the Packers Hall of Fame is over 25,000 square feet of Packers arti-facts and celebration of Green and Gold glory. A rebuilt office of legendary coach Vince Lombardi, a section featuring three rotating exhibits each year, and lockers of all 21 Packers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame are among the highlights of this unique space. A moving, 12-minute movie about the Packers, produced for the team by NFL Films, starts the Hall of Fame experience, which does not end until the visitor reaches the plaques of all 148 members of the Packers Hall of Fame and a display of the team’s four Super Bowl trophies. A must-stop for fans, the Hall welcomed more than 156,000 visitors during the 2011-12 fiscal year.

Key to making Lambeau Field a year-round destination venue is the 366,000-square-foot Lambeau Field Atrium, more than five stories high on the east side of the stadium.

Included within the Lambeau Field Atrium are a number of dining, entertainment and retail options for Packers fans of all ages. Free wireless Internet access is available at the Atrium, too, for guests who want to bring along their laptop computers and log on to the Internet while visiting a restaurant or taking part in a corporate event or meeting.

Fans can sit behind Vince Lombardi’s desk as they walk through history in the Packers Hall of Fame, a key stop in the Lambeau Field Atrium.

LAMBEAU FIELD ATRIUM

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tours. A popular attraction, more than 137,000 people took the stadium tour during the 2011-12

fiscal year. Public access to the inside of Lambeau

Field is available only through a tour. The stadium tour hotline is 920/569-7513, and schedules are online at www.packers.

com/lambeau-field/stadium-tours.html.

LAMBEAU FIELD STADIUM TOURS — Highlighted by a walk through the team tunnel to the hallowed ground of Lambeau Field, stadium tours allow fans to experience the Packers’ history-rich facility firsthand and see several behind-the-scenes areas. Outstanding photo opportunities avail themselves throughout each tour. Tickets for the one-hour tours are sold on a first-come, first-served basis for each day’s available

The NFL’s most popular stadium tour also appears on itineraries of most fans; many of them schedule Lambeau Field and Packers training camp as their family’s summer vacation.

CURLY’S PUB — Offering a little bit of everything for everyone, this restaurant, sports bar and interactive area serves up a menu like no other. Green Bay favorites, creatively prepared and served at a very reasonable price, make this the place to come for the entire family. Watch any sporting event on the 138 monitors throughout

Curly’s. Get into the action with Curly’s Game Zone with its custom football interactive games. Or simply sit back and watch all of the action – either on the Packers’ practice fields or in the players’ parking lot.

ATRIUM EATERIES — Four locally based eateries located within the Lambeau Field Atrium will be open roughly 100 days per year for special events and on gamedays. They are:

FESTIVAL FOODS BOOMERANG CAFÉ — Subs, sandwiches and wraps are on the menu. Add a cup of homemade soup or one of many deli salads for a complete meal. The food is so good, it will have you com-ing back for more.

FESTIVAL FOODS TITLETOWN GRILL — Serving Festival Foods’ own Festy Burgers and Dogs in addition to their signature barbecue beef sandwich, this eatery features the best in traditional Titletown fare.

GOIN’ DEEP PIZZA — This Italian eatery offers individual fresh-baked pizzas and creative pasta dishes.

MEAT PACKING COMPANY — A restaurant con-cept developed exclusively for Lambeau Field; overstuffed sandwiches, giant bratwursts and delicious desserts are featured on the menu.

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SPECIAL EVENTS — Lambeau Field, through the Atrium floor, Legends Club, Miller Lite End Zone, Lee Remmel Press Box and Club 1919, is capable of handling every type of special event. From the many fine points that an elaborate corporate meeting requires to the extensive details of a wedding reception, the special events depart-ment (920/569-7515) can coordinate any function with catering provided by nationally known and award-winning Delaware North Sportservice. The Lambeau Field Atrium hosted more than 400 events – including several wedding receptions – during the 2011-12 fiscal year, welcoming approximately 90,000 guests to the facility. Roughly 60 percent of the department’s bookings come from outside Brown County.

Lambeau Field wedding receptions are common requests fielded by the Packers’ special events department.

Photo Courtesy: Photo by Aubrey LLC

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PACKERS PRO SHOP — Owned and operated by the Packers, the two-story Packers Pro Shop is a must-see for Packers fans, with more than 2,000 individual items in stock, arguably the biggest selection found anywhere. Among the favorites are authentic helmets from all 32 NFL teams and framed, authentic jerseys from some of the team’s Hall of Famers. A bonus: A purchase from the official store of the Packers helps the team win. The Packers Pro Shop is open year-round from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, 9-6 on Saturdays and 10-5 on Sundays, with special hours for training camp, gamedays and holidays.

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MOTHER ATRIUM EVENTS

In addition to the dining, entertainment, retail and special-event options, the Lambeau Field Atrium hosts a number of football-themed events, as well as community gatherings and activities each year.

PACKERS FAN FEST — A two-day celebration of Packers football for the whole family, the unique event allows fans the chance to get up close and personal with their favorite Packers players, past and present, as well as coaching staff and front office personnel. More than 3,000 fans pack the Atrium to take in question-and-answer sessions, autograph and photo opportunities, football-related activities, a special kids’ area and family fun. Among the highlights of the event is a tour through the Packers’ locker room, a destination that does not appear on the regular Lambeau Field Stadium Tour. Fan Fest did not take place in 2011-12, but is intended to return in the future.

PACKERS DRAFT PARTY — Hundreds of fans pack Curly’s Pub in the Lambeau Field Atrium to take in the first night of the NFL Draft. Live coverage of the draft is on more than 100 monitors and the Packers’ flagship radio station, Newsradio 620 WTMJ, is on hand to provide program-ming as well. Appearances by Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy, General Manager Ted Thompson, Head Coach Mike McCarthy and Packers players, as well as autograph sessions and door prizes, highlight the night as Packers fans get together to watch the draft, celebrate their team and get ready for the upcoming season.

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COMMUNITY EVENTS — An obvi-ous destination for football-related events and generally taking in Packers lore, the Lambeau Field Atrium also hosts a number of community events each year that draw thousands of people. Project LEAP! (Lambeau’s Exercise and Activity Playground), a March event, focuses on getting kids out of the house to enjoy non-strenuous physical activity. Spooktacular Fun, held in October, is a Halloween event that features interactive and entertain-ing activities, including sing-along music, magic, miming, clowns and jugglers. Each November, the Packers, in conjunction with area parishes, serve a Thanksgiving meal to more than 800 people. Festival of Lights, a December holiday-themed event, features a visit from Santa Claus, cookie decorat-ing, choirs and a 40-foot tree with 10,000 lights. In addition to those regular events, other gatherings are held from time to time, includ-ing a community send-off for Green Bay’s 127th National Guard Unit in 2005 and 2009.

FROZEN TUNDRA HOCKEY CLASSIC — Lambeau Field and the Atrium took on a hockey flavor the weekend of Feb. 10-12, 2006, as the team hosted the Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic, featuring the Wisconsin Badgers vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes. Among the week-end’s highlights were a community skate (more than 3,000 participants took part, including guests from 18 different states), picture-taking with the Stanley Cup and Vince Lombardi Trophies, an autograph session with the Badgers hockey team, and youth hockey ses-sions. The action culminated with a 4-2 Badgers victory in front of 40,890 fans. The attendance marked the fifth-largest hockey crowd of all time. An economic boost to north-eastern Wisconsin, more than 1,300 hotel rooms were booked and the event brought in nearly $3 million to the local economy.

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MLZ LAMBEAU — Lambeau Field

served as a “Welcome Home” weekend for Wisconsin’s Vietnam Veterans, Vietnam-era veterans and their families, May 20-22, 2010. Over the three days, 70,000 people took in speakers, exhibits, music and pre-miere segments from Wisconsin Public Television’s Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories documentary. Other events during the week-end included The Moving Wall. The Packers partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, the Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Public Television and veterans’ organizations statewide.

KENNY CHESNEY CONCERT TOUR — On June 11, 2011, Lambeau Field hosted its first major concert since the redevelopment was completed in 2003. More than 45,000 fans packed the stadium to take in Kenny Chesney, along with the Zac Brown Band, Billy Currington and Uncle Kracker. The weekend saw an economic impact of nearly $5 million for the Green Bay area.