WRIGLEY FIELD

The Bleacher Bound Guide to Wrigley Field

Search the Wrigley Field guide

Wrigley Field in 90 seconds

The wind off the lake. The park sits less than a mile west of Lake Michigan. In April and May, the prevailing flow often comes off the cold lake from the northeast as a wind blowing in. By midsummer the wind shifts south-southwest and blows out toward the bleachers, sending fly balls over the ivy. Games here have averaged roughly 10.95 runs when the wind blows out versus around 7.7 when it blows in. The scoreboard flags tell you which version of the game you’re getting before first pitch.

The day-game tradition is regulatory. Wrigley was the last park in the majors to install lights, in 1988. Even after lights arrived, Chicago capped the Cubs at 18 night games per season. The current framework (Chicago ordinance SO2013-7858, passed 2013) allows 35 regular-season night games plus up to 8 TV-network night games plus up to 4 concert dates, for a combined ceiling of 47 night events per year. Regular-season Friday night home games need a rare exception from the city (the postseason is exempt), which is why most Friday home games on the Cubs schedule are 1:20 p.m. day games.

The ivy and the basket. The Boston ivy on the outfield brick wall was planted in 1937, and the wire basket that projects roughly 42 inches out from the top of the wall went in as a fan-safety measure in 1970. The ground rules that come with them: a ball lost in the ivy with the outfielder raising both hands is a ground-rule double, a ball in the basket on the fly is a home run, and a ball off the wall into play is live. The ivy goes bare in early April, leafs out in late May, runs deep green in midsummer, and turns red and yellow in late September.

Read the full history and the curse-to-2016 arc

If it’s your first visit, do these four things

Take the Red Line to Addison. From the Loop, ride north 20 to 25 minutes to the Addison stop, then walk about five minutes to the Marquee Gate. Closer gates are closer still. Buy a $5.00 1-Day Pass on the Ventra app. From O’Hare, take the Blue Line to Jackson and transfer to the Red Line north. From Midway, Orange Line to Roosevelt, then a free transfer to the Red Line north.

No backpacks. Backpacks of any kind, including clear backpacks, are prohibited. Other bags must be smaller than 16 by 16 by 8 inches. No glass, no cans, no outside alcohol. Wrigley does not offer bag storage, so a backpack at the gate means a walk back to wherever you can leave it.

Read the scoreboard flags before first pitch. Flags pointing toward home plate from center mean wind blowing in (pitchers’ duel). Flags pointing toward the bleachers mean wind blowing out (slugfest). Cubs broadcasters reference the wind report before every home telecast.

Check your mobile ticket’s assigned gate before walking up. Each Cubs mobile ticket has a specific entry gate (Marquee Gate at Clark and Addison, Wintrust Right Field Gate, Gallagher Way Gate, Left Field Gate, Budweiser Bleacher Gate, Harrison Street Premier Entrance). They are not interchangeable. Showing up at the wrong gate sends you around the entire stadium.

Full first-timer playbook

At a glance

Quick answers

What’s the best month to visit Wrigley Field? June for the most pleasant baseball weather. September for cool nights, smaller weekday crowds, and the ivy starting to turn red. Mid-May through early September is the best window overall. Full month-by-month.

Where are the shaded seats at Wrigley Field? The Terrace (the 200s, tucked under the upper deck) stays in the shade through a summer day game, and so do most of the Upper Reserved seats in the 400s. The Club Box closest to the field and the bleachers (500 level) have nothing overhead and take full afternoon sun. Full sun-and-shade breakdown.

Which seats face the setting sun on night games? The bleachers and the right field end of the upper deck (about sections 322 to 331 and 425 to 431). Glare runs the first hour or so on 7:05 p.m. summer starts, and the lower bowl is already in shade by first pitch.

How do I get to Wrigley Field from the airport? From O’Hare: Blue Line to Jackson, transfer to the Red Line, ride north to Addison. Plan on well over an hour. From Midway: Orange Line to Roosevelt, free transfer to the Red Line northbound, ride to Addison. About 50 to 60 minutes. CTA $5.00 day pass on the Ventra app. Full transit guide.

Are bleacher tickets general admission? Yes for most of the bleacher footprint during the regular season. Show up early to claim a specific bench spot. The Bleacher Box (along the outfield walls) and the Budweiser Patio are separate ticketed categories within the bleachers.

What’s the alcohol cutoff inning at Wrigley? At day games, after the last out of the 8th inning. At night games, after the last out of the 7th inning or at 10:30 pm, whichever comes first.

Are Friday Cubs home games at night? Rarely in the regular season. The city ordinance bars regular-season Friday night home games at Wrigley unless the city grants an exception, and the postseason is exempt. Most Cubs Friday home games on the regular-season schedule are 1:20 p.m. day games.

Do you throw the ball back at Wrigley? Yes, if an opposing player hits it. Keep Cubs home runs, throw opposing home runs, and the bleachers will enforce it socially and loudly. The odds you catch one are small enough that it is unlikely to come up.

Bleacher Bound tracks ticket prices at Wrigley Field. When a price worth acting on shows up, subscribers get an alert.

Alerts are part of the paid plan (starting at only $4.92 a month, billed annually). Try it out completely free for 7 days, no credit card required. Start your free trial.

Got a Wrigley Field detail we missed, or a better call than the one we made? Tell us. Local knowledge is how this guide gets sharper.

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.