Lambeau Field is perhaps the most famous stadium of them all. Considered the crown jewel of the classic NFL stadiums, the beloved and iconic venue opened on September 29, 1957 after under 1 year of construction. When the stadium opened it replaced City Stadium at Green Bay East High School as the home of the Packers. It had the unofficial title of New City Stadium until August of 1965 when the stadium was renamed in honor of Packers founder, player, and head coach Curly Lambeau.
The planning for Lambeau Field began when by the early 1950s it began extremely apparent that the Packers needed a more modern facility if they were going to be taken seriously as an NFL franchise. The high school City Stadium where they currently were playing had a capacity of only 25,000 and was built completely out of wood. Due to its location the stadium could also not be expanded to meet the needs of the growing fanbase.
By 1953 the city of Milwaukee was trying to lure the Packers away from Green Bay with the promise and eventual construction of Milwaukee County Stadium. The sparkling new stadium was double the size of City Stadium and offered all the modern conveniences City Stadium didn't have. NFL owners issued an ultimatum to the Packers, forcing them to either build a new stadium in Green Bay or move to Milwaukee County Stadium. In order to save the team the city of Green Bay approved bonds to finance a new stadium that would have a capacity of 32,500 seats and cost under a million dollars to build. The Packers would remain in Green Bay.
Lambeau Field or as it was called at the time New City Stadium was built bounded by three sides by a village on the site of what had once been farmland. There was enough room for the stadium and a large parking lot.
New City Stadium was officially dedicated on September 29, 1959 by Vice President Richard Nixon. Many notable people were in attendance at the game including Miss America Marilyn Van Derbur, NFL Commissioner Bert Bell, and even Bears owner George Halas. Halas and his Bears would lose to the Packers 21-17, christening the new stadium with a win.
The Packers continued to expand the stadium as demand for tickets continued to outpace supply thanks to the success of new head coach Vince Lombardi. With the stadium being renamed to Lambeau Field in 1965, it was continually expanded to 56,000 seats by 1970 when the U shaped stadium was completely enclosed to form a continuous oval.
To bring it up to modern NFL suite standards, 72 private skyboxes were added in 1985. Further boxes were added throughout the 1990s as demand continued to increase.
The biggest change for Lambeau Stadium would come in 1999 when team leadership unveiled a $295 million dollar renovation plan for the stadium. The overall shape and grass field of the stadium would be preserved, but all amenities, team facilities, and seating would be upgraded to bring the fan experience up to the standards of the new millennium. Lambeau Field continued to operate during this time.
Due to ever increasing fan demand, the South end zone was expanded with over 7500 new seats and a massive new HD scoreboard over the 2012-2013 season. The sound system was also upgraded during this time. With this expansion the stadium now sat at 80,750 seats, a massive increase over the original 25,000 and making it one of the largest stadiums in the NFL.
After completing the 2013 expansion on the inside of the stadium, the massive Lambeau Atrium entrance was added. The $140.5 million dollar project would add additional space for a new Pro Shop, an expanded Packers Hall of Fame, and overall easier access to Curly’s Pub.
These expansions and renovations to the stadium have continued to ensure that Lambeau Field will remain relevant for years to come, while still preserving the strong fan experience enjoyed by thousands of loyal Packers fans.
From its Frozen Tundra, to the Lambeau Leap, Lambeau Field is truly an iconic venue. The venue is so iconic that Packers President Mike Murphy reaffirmed the teams commitment to the venue and noted that the team will never sell the naming rights to the stadium. Truly a unique sentiment in a heavily commercialized industry