Wrigley Field sits at the corner of Clark and Addison on Chicago’s North Side, and over more than a century of baseball it has become something more than a stadium. It is a neighborhood institution, a living monument to the game, and — since 2016 — the home ballpark of a World Series champion.
Opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park and renamed Wrigley Field in 1927, it is the second-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, trailing only Boston’s Fenway Park. Its ivy-covered brick outfield walls, hand-operated center-field scoreboard, and the famous red marquee at Clark and Addison are recognized by fans who have never set foot in Chicago.
Quick Answer
Wrigley Field is the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs, located at 1060 W. Addison Street in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood. Opened in 1914 and seating 41,649 fans, it is the second-oldest Major League Baseball park in use — known above all for its ivy-covered outfield walls, hand-operated scoreboard, and the rooftop seats across Waveland and Sheffield avenues.
From Weeghman Park to Wrigley Field: A Brief History
Wrigley Field was built in just two months at a cost of roughly $250,000, opening on April 23, 1914, as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman’s Chicago Whales of the short-lived Federal League. The single-deck stadium held 14,000 seats, though an overflow crowd of roughly 21,000 showed up for the inaugural game. When the Federal League folded after the 1915 season, Weeghman purchased the Chicago Cubs from the National League and moved them to his park for the 1916 season — the Cubs played their first home game at Weeghman Park on April 20, 1916.
The park was called Cubs Park from 1920 to 1926, then renamed Wrigley Field in 1927 after chewing-gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. took control of the team. A double-decked grandstand expansion before the 1928 season pushed capacity past 32,000. The Cubs had last won the World Series in 1908, before they became Wrigley Field tenants — and it would take until 2016 for them to claim another title, a 108-year gap that defined the park’s mythology as much as its ivy or its scoreboard.
The Ivy, the Scoreboard, and the Rules They Created
The outfield ivy is the park’s most photographed feature, but its origin is more nuanced than the popular story suggests. Bill Veeck — then a young Cubs executive — proposed the idea after seeing ivy on minor-league walls in Indianapolis and Pasadena. However, it was the Clavey family, with Elmer Clavey and his son Gordon, who actually planted the vines on September 4, 1937. Veeck led a supplementary overnight session later that month to fill in coverage. Under current rules, a ball lodged in the ivy during play is ruled a ground-rule double; fielders signal the umpire by raising both arms.
The hand-operated center-field scoreboard went up the same year, 1937, and is one of the last of its kind in Major League Baseball. Workers inside the scoreboard manually slide numbered plates to update balls, strikes, outs, and out-of-town scores in real time — a ritual that has outlasted the manual typewriter and the rotary phone. The scoreboard also displays flags for each National League team arranged by current standings, a tradition that continues today.
Lights, Night Games, and the Long Road to Modernization
For most of the twentieth century, Wrigley Field was the only Major League stadium without lights. The Cubs played all of their home games in daylight until 1988, when the Chicago City Council finally permitted night games after the organization threatened relocation. The lights were first switched on August 8, 1988 — but the game was called due to rain before it became official. The first completed night game at Wrigley took place August 9, 1988.
The most significant renovation in the park’s history began after the 2014 season: the 1060 Project, named for Wrigley’s Addison Street address. The multi-phase effort carried a $575 million budget and delivered expanded bleachers along Waveland and Sheffield avenues, a large videoboard in left field, a smaller board in right, improved concourses and club facilities, and Gallagher Way — a plaza on the stadium’s west side that hosts food trucks, pop-up events, and live music between game days.
The Rooftops Across the Street
The three- and four-story buildings lining Waveland Avenue beyond left field and Sheffield Avenue beyond right field have served as a de-facto second grandstand for much of Wrigley’s history. Neighbors watched games from rooftops informally for decades before the practice formalized in the 1980s and 1990s into ticketed venues with bleacher-style seating, food, and bar service.
In 2004, sixteen rooftop owners reached an agreement to become official Cubs affiliates, paying 17 percent of their gross revenue to the team in exchange for the right to sell game views — an arrangement that ran through 2023. The left-field videoboard added during the 1060 Project renovation blocked sightlines from several of the rooftop properties, reducing their commercial value. Many have since been acquired by the Cubs organization itself.
The Seventh-Inning Stretch: Wrigley’s Most Beloved Ritual
Every MLB park now pauses between the top and bottom of the seventh inning for a sing-along of ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame,’ but Wrigley Field is where the modern tradition took root. Broadcaster Harry Caray — who had led the song from the booth during his years with the Chicago White Sox — brought the ritual to Wrigley when he joined the Cubs in 1982. His enthusiastic, off-key rendition from the center-field press box became one of the most beloved routines in baseball, spreading the tradition to parks across the league.
After Caray’s death in February 1998, the Cubs kept the tradition alive by inviting guest conductors — celebrities, athletes, musicians, and politicians — to lead the crowd from the booth each game. It remains one of the reasons that attending a game at Wrigley, even a forgettable mid-summer matchup, feels like a genuine event.
Visiting Wrigley Field: What to Know Before You Go
The park is located at 1060 W. Addison Street, easily reached via the CTA Red Line to Addison — the train runs until well after games end, making it the most practical option since street parking in Wrigleyville is scarce and expensive. All Cubs tickets are digital and accessed through the MLB Ballpark app, so keep your phone charged before you arrive. Non-game-day tours are available: standard tours run approximately $25 per person, while the Ivy Tour — which includes time on the warning track — is around $35.
The Wrigleyville neighborhood surrounding the park is dense with bars and restaurants that fill hours before first pitch. Murphy’s Bleachers on Waveland, The Cubby Bear and Sluggers on Clark, and Nisei Lounge — the neighborhood’s oldest bar — are all within a short walk of the stadium. Gallagher Way, the plaza on the west side of Wrigley, often has pre-game events and food vendors. Arriving at least an hour before first pitch is worthwhile: Wrigleyville on a summer afternoon is a significant part of the Wrigley Field experience.
Wrigley Field FAQs
How old is Wrigley Field?
Wrigley Field opened on April 23, 1914, making it over 110 years old. It is the second-oldest Major League Baseball park still in use, behind Fenway Park, which opened in 1912.
Why does Wrigley Field have ivy on the outfield walls?
The ivy was planted in September 1937. Bill Veeck proposed the idea after seeing it at minor-league parks, but it was the Clavey family who did the original planting. A ball lodged in the ivy during play is ruled a ground-rule double.
When did Wrigley Field get lights?
Lights were installed in 1988. The lights were first switched on August 8, 1988, but the game was rained out. The first completed night game at Wrigley took place August 9, 1988. Before that, Wrigley was the last MLB stadium to play exclusively in daylight.
What is the seating capacity of Wrigley Field?
Wrigley Field’s current seating capacity is 41,649.
Who started the seventh-inning stretch tradition at Wrigley Field?
Broadcaster Harry Caray made the sing-along of ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ a Wrigley institution starting in 1982. After his death in 1998, the Cubs continued the tradition with celebrity guest conductors leading the crowd each game.
Can you still watch Cubs games from the Wrigleyville rooftops?
Rooftop venues on Waveland and Sheffield avenues have offered ticketed game views for decades. The landscape has shifted since the 1060 Project renovation added a left-field videoboard that blocked some sightlines, and the Cubs organization has acquired several rooftop properties. Check current availability before booking a rooftop experience.
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