Visiting Lambeau Field is a rite of passage for any Green Bay Packers fan, and it turns out the postseason is a terrific time to kick off a tour of Titletown.
Lambeau is the perfect place to start, and the one-hour Classic Tour is great when little Cheeseheads are in tow. The tour begins in the soaring five-story atrium, which was revamped during the 2013-15 renovations and is packed with photo-ops, meaning kids won’t get bored when you arrive early to claim your tickets.
The tour starts promptly on the hour, with super-fan tour guides sharing facts and figures, and legends and lore of Packers history: Curly Lambeau starting the team in 1919. Vince Lombardi taking on a flailing team in 1959. The legendary Ice Bowl of 1967, when the field froze and Bart Starr’s touchdown beat the Cowboys in the final second. LeRoy Butler making the inaugural Lambeau Leap in 1993.
A highlight is sinking into comfy chairs in the alumni suite and taking the first view of the field — my three-year-old even broke out in “Go, Pack, go!” when he saw it. But what comes next is even better.
After reaching ground level and passing the locker room, the group pauses. Then, like Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews and Randall Cobb on gameday, you stride through the tunnel — to a booming soundtrack of music and cheering — and out to the field!
The guides wait as you inevitably grin like a giddy kid, walking along the sidelines, snapping photos, taking in the view and soaking up the moment. Then it’s back to the atrium to wrap up the tour and mentally put a big check mark on a major Wisconsin bucket-list item.
While everyone is pumped up from the tour, stop into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, which has interactive exhibits that let you access documents, a display of uniforms to show how the team’s look has evolved and life-size photos of some of the teams heftiest players.
If you’re hungry, stop in to 1919 Kitchen & Tap in the atrium. The gastropub, named for the year the Packers formed, is casual enough for families and offers cheese curds, burgers, brats and more, along with a Wisconsin-heavy beer list. And don’t leave without taking a family photo or selfie with statues outside the stadium.
Another must-do is visiting Titletown, the new development just west of Lambeau. An expansive public park boasts a playground, game courts and, in the cold months, an ice skating rink and tubing hill. Kids must be at least forty-two inches tall to go tubing, but those who make the cut will have a blast. And everyone can take a spin on the ice skating rink (skates are available for rental, as are ice bikes for adults) and take a break by the fire pit in the middle of the ice.
If you still have energy, head east of Lambeau to check out the Oneida Nation Walk of Legends. The one-mile self-guided walking tour features twenty-four engraved granite statues honoring major players, coaches and moments in Packers history.
And once everyone is tuckered out, pile into the car and talk about how the only way to score bigger on a trip to Green Bay would be to come earlier in the season to catch a game.
– Nikki Carrico