Baseball & Buckingham Fountain at night

Today was shaping up to be a bit of a lazy sort of day, mainly because the big plan for the afternoon was heading to Wrigley Field to go and watch a baseball game. The Chicago Cubs were playing the Cincinnati Reds, with the game starting at one o'clock.

Wrigley Field Game Day

I think we ended up getting up at about 9 and then just walked around the corner to Dunkin's for breakfast. There's a really amazing variety of breakfasts you can get in there for less than a fiver, and that even includes a large coffee as well, which is pretty good value. It was nice just to chill out in there for a bit, and honestly, you couldn't ask for better weather than we had that morning.

So, at about 11:15, we crossed the road to catch the Red Line train north. This line drops you right at Addison Station, which is conveniently located just at the back of Wrigley Field. Although you start the journey underground, the line then comes out onto the surface and eventually onto the elevated railway tracks, hence the name 'L' trains. I had thought the train would be absolutely packed heading towards the stadium, but it actually wasn't too bad at all, and it's only about a twenty-minute ride anyway.

When we exited the station, that's when you really started to grasp just how many people were here for the game! There was a sort of makeshift market-cum-shanty town vibe going on outside, with loads of market stalls selling hats and all sorts of Cubs-related bits and bobs. They even close off some of the surrounding roads to stop people from getting flattened by the cars, the sheer volume of foot traffic is hard to believe! By now, it was nearly midday, so we decided we might as well head in and find our seats.

As luck would have it, there were staff members who worked there wandering about outside, offering help and pointing people towards the correct gate to go in. When the chap looked at our tickets, he said the gate we needed was actually on the other side of the stadium. However, seeing as Jane was on her sticks, he very kindly sorted it out for us to go in on the side we were already at and then got someone to come over and push her around to the other side in a proper wheelchair.

Once you get inside and underneath the stadium, it's sort of like being in a massive indoor market, absolutely crammed with all sorts of stalls selling Cubs merchandise and more food stalls than I've ever seen in one place! There are also about ten different places just selling beer as well, which gives you an idea of peoples priorities. Mind you, at $9 (£5.50) a pint, you definitely know you're not going to be having too many!

Game On

A Good Turn For An Afternnon

So, by about 12:45, we were settled in our seats on the lower terrace. Jane had a bit of a struggle getting up to the row we were sitting in, as the steps are quite steep and there weren't any handrails, but she managed it in the end, thankfully. This was actually the first time I'd ever been inside a big sports stadium like this before, and I honestly didn't think it would be quite this big inside, or go so incredibly high up! The view looking down is really steep, too. If you're sitting right at the back on the very top level, I'm not sure how you even see what's going on down on the pitch, but I suppose that's why those tickets only cost about six dollars! At least we weren't too far from the front, sat off to one side, and more importantly, we were in the shade.

Exspensive beer

As seems to be the case with all big sporting events in the US, they started off with the national anthem, so we stood up for that, which is more patriotism than I've ever shown back home, I reckon! Then the game itself started. These games do go on for quite some time; the average seems to be about three and a half hours, so you certainly get your money's worth. There were plenty of people moving about in the stands selling beer and food if you couldn't be bothered to get up and go and get your own, and it didn't even cost much more to buy it from them. I think I only ended up having a couple of beers in the end, though. It's not just the price that stops you from drinking too much; it's also the thought of having to walk miles to the toilet and then trying to find where I'd left Jane afterwards!

You Would'nt Want To Get Hit By The Ball

About two-thirds of the way through the game, in the seventh inning out of nine, they take a short break. That's when they usually put up the attendance figure on the scoreboard for everyone to see how many people are there today. Considering this was a Wednesday lunchtime, right in the middle of the afternoon, there were a staggering 31,165 people there! Most of them seemed to be local too. It really would appear that on game days, nobody in Chicago goes to work – and this was only the second of four afternoon games they were playing that week!

The game itself finished about 4 pm. A lot of people had already started to leave at the start of the ninth inning, as it was looking increasingly unlikely that today was going to be a win for the Cubs. But we decided to stick it out right to the end, as they still had a mathematical chance of winning if they could just pick up the four runs that were needed. Sadly, they couldn't manage it, and they ended up losing. This was the only game they lost out of that set of four afternoon games they played that week, though, so I suppose it wasn't too bad a result for them overall.

So Many People

I Don't Think People Work On Game Day

I think we got out of the stadium at about 4:20 pm, but we took one look at the train station and the sheer amount of people waiting and immediately decided it would be much better to wait a bit before trying to catch one. They had plenty of buses lined up outside as well, but the train was still our preferred option for getting back.

One thing I did learn is how incredibly well they manage the crowds and traffic around the stadium

The Bendy Buses Wait

after a game. There are loads of transit staff, police, and city workers all over the place. They stop the traffic completely so the pedestrians can cross the roads safely, and then they stop the people so the traffic can move again. The police essentially control the main junction, so you just ignore the traffic lights and follow their directions. Meanwhile, the CTA staff at the station make sure that not too many people get crowded onto the platform at any one time by temporarily stopping people from even entering the station area.

They also manage to queue the trains up on the line really efficiently, so as soon as one pulls away from the platform, the next one is pulling straight in. With each train being ten coaches long, they manage to move a massive number of people in a really short space of time. I'd say that after about an hour, there were hardly any people left around the stadium area at all, apart from the cleaning crews. Considering there were over 31,000 people in attendance, it's genuinely amazing how fast they all dispersed.

We decided to give it almost an hour before heading to the station, so we popped into the sports shop just across the road for a browse. While we were in there, I managed to get myself a Cubs hat that I hadn't seen the other day, – result! Then, it was time to head to the station, which was indeed really quite quiet by then.

We were back at the hotel by about 5 pm, so it was definitely time for a beer and, more importantly, a nap! I must say, I do like my naps in the afternoon – this heat really takes it out of you. We had plans for an evening out later, so a bit of rest was definitely needed.

Nighttime In The Park

The Fountain & City lights

As we'd only been to the baseball game today, tonight we'd planned to head back to Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park after dark, as it's all lit up at night, which sounds great. We caught the train down into The Loop, then got on the number 6 bus from outside the Chicago Theatre, which takes you right across the park, followed by a short walk to the fountain itself.

It's a very busy place here at night, and you can totally see why once the fountain is all lit up. It pulses along to music and a light show, shooting water up to a stunning 150 feet into the air! That water comes from the 193 jets located in the bottom pool, which is absolutely massive, some 280 feet in diameter. This really is a truly spectacular sight at night-time.

Ideal Distance For Navy Pier Fireworks

After enjoying the display for a bit, it was time for a beer in one of the two bars they have nearby on what was a lovely warm evening. This is exactly what holidays are made for! The added bonus for tonight was finding out that Navy Pier has a massive firework display every Wednesday and Saturday night at 9:30 throughout the summer months. So, we decided to hang around for that. Even though the pier is about a mile away, you're actually the perfect distance to properly appreciate the display.

A Perfect Evening With Jane

By about 10 pm, it was time to start thinking about heading back into The Loop – ideally before the gunfire started! We had a feeling this wasn't the safest place to be at night, and by golly, we were right. It had a distinctly sketchy feel about it after dark. The only place that was even open was a Subway sandwich shop, so we just grabbed a drink from there quickly. We had originally planned on getting the bus back to the hotel, but it seemed a lot safer to use the subway train instead, plus it saved walking an extra block in that particular area. It felt just a bit too far to walk north up to the top of the park where the south end of the Mag Mile is; that's a much better neighbourhood entirely. In short, at that time of night, the train felt like the best option out of bandit country.

And The Music Played While Having A Beer

So, after dropping into a shop near the station to stock up on some (essentials!) beer, we were back at the hotel for about 10:45 pm and settled in for some TV. It's not often that we're out and about that late, and there was absolutely no chill in the air at all; even at this time of night, it was still around 35°. At least it wasn't as humid in the evening, though, which was a small mercy. So, that was the end of another day. The time seems to be flying past now, but we've enjoyed it immensely so far, and you really couldn't have wished for better weather than we were having, even if it was a bit on the humid side most days.

Reflections On The Day: Baseball, Big Crowds & a Blast of Night‑Time Magic

Wednesday had a completely different energy to the rest of the trip — slower, more relaxed, but still packed with those little moments that make a holiday day feel special. The whole morning had that “saving our energy for later” vibe, and Dunkin’ for breakfast set the tone perfectly: cheap, cheerful, and reliably caffeinated. With the sun out and the heat already building, it felt like the ideal day for a ballgame.

The journey up to Wrigley Field was surprisingly smooth. You expect the train to be bursting at the seams on game day, but it was almost civilised. It wasn’t until you stepped off at Addison that the scale of it all hit you — the crowds, the stalls, the closed roads, the sea of blue shirts and baseball caps. It felt like walking into a festival dedicated entirely to one team. The staff were brilliant too, going out of their way to help Jane get to the right entrance without trekking around the entire stadium.

Inside, Wrigley Field was a revelation. You see it on TV and think you know what to expect, but the sheer size of the place takes you by surprise. The steepness of the stands, the wall of noise, the endless food stalls, the beer vendors weaving through the aisles — it’s a whole world of its own. Settling into your shaded seats felt like winning the lottery. And then came the anthem, the crowd rising as one — more patriotism in thirty seconds than you’d normally show in a decade back home.

The game itself was classic baseball: long, leisurely, and strangely hypnotic. Three and a half hours of sunshine, cheering, people‑watching, and the occasional beer. The seventh‑inning stretch revealed the astonishing attendance — over 31,000 people on a Wednesday lunchtime. Clearly, Chicagoans take their baseball far more seriously than their office jobs. Even though the Cubs lost, sticking it out to the final pitch felt like the right thing to do. You’d come all this way — might as well see it through.

Leaving the stadium was a masterclass in crowd control. Police, transit staff, barriers, whistles, hand signals — it was like watching a well‑rehearsed ballet performed by people in hi‑vis jackets. The trains rolled in one after another, swallowing thousands at a time. By the time you wandered back an hour later, the place was almost deserted. A quick browse in the sports shop and a new Cubs hat later, and you were on your way back to the hotel for that all‑important afternoon nap.

The evening was the perfect contrast to the daytime chaos. Buckingham Fountain at night is pure magic — lights, music, water shooting 150 feet into the air, all against the backdrop of a warm Chicago night. Add a cold beer and a surprise fireworks display from Navy Pier, and you’ve got one of those holiday moments that sticks with you long after you’re home.

Of course, Chicago being Chicago, the walk back reminded you that not every corner of the city is postcard‑perfect after dark. A quick drink from Subway, a tactical retreat to the safety of the train, and a dash through “bandit country” later, you were back in the comfort of the hotel with a bag of essential supplies (beer) and the air‑conditioning blasting.

It was still 35°C at nearly 11 p.m., but without the humidity it felt almost pleasant. Another full, memorable day — baseball, fireworks, fountains, and a little bit of urban adventure thrown in for good measure. The holiday was flying by now, but days like this were exactly why you came.