Calling all sports fans! If you haven’t realized already, we have some of the most historic sports venues in the world less than ten hours away from Lake Forest. Each stadium has its own famous attributes that attracts sports fans from all over the world, but the one thing that they all have in common is once you enter through the gates, they will all give you chills. Be sure to plan a trip this summer to catch some action at these historic venues.

Arrowhead Stadium

Just as fair warning before I begin this passage: If you hate loud noises you’re better off skipping this paragraph. If you love having your ears ring for a week, then continue reading. Needless to say, Arrowhead stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL, is loud. Like, close to 150 decibels loud. If that doesn’t tell how great Chiefs fans are, I don’t know what will. If you ever decide to visit Chiefs’ kingdom, make sure to get to the game a couple hours early. One of the best attributes the stadium features isn’t inside the stadium, but out in the parking lot. Kansas City is said to have some of the best tailgating in sports. Ask any Chiefs fan and they will tell you that there is nothing better than enjoying the best barbecue in the world the morning before the game. Visiting Arrowhead Stadium is a NFL experience like no other.

Distance: 7 hours, 48 minutes

Hinkle Fieldhouse

This court has hosted four professional basketball teams, the U.S Olympic Basketball team trials, the first basketball game between the USA and the USSR, All-Star basketball games for the NBA, ABA, and the East-West College All Stars, and six United States presidents (Hoover, Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Clinton, and Bush). All of this has happened at a relatively small school located near Indianapolis, Indiana. Hinkle Fieldhouse, which was constructed in 1928 is the home court of the Butler Bulldogs basketball and volleyball teams. In addition to being the home of two Butler sports teams, it has also served as barracks to US troops during World War II. The team that plays inside the field house is the main attraction. The Butler Bulldogs have emerged from an unheralded, non-power program to being in a power 6 conference, especially in large part due to their back to back NCAA title game appearances. Hinkle is constantly jam packed with fans, adding to the long list of positives about the arena. With the venue located only 3 and a half hours away, it is a must visit for fans of college basketball.

Distance: 3 hours, 27 minutes

United Center

For a stadium that has only been around since 1994 and has seen six combined championships from the two professional teams that play inside the massive arena, I would have to say that the UC has seen a good share of history. As all Chicago sports fans should know by now, the Chicago Blackhawks and Bulls call the United Center, otherwise known  as the “Madhouse on Madison” home. Currently, the United Center is the second largest arena in sports, which still is easily filled by Chicago sports fans. In addition to hosting the Hawks and Bulls, the United Center has hosted many other important events. According to Shoreline, The UC has hosted the WWE, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and the 1996 DNC each at least one time. The statues outside the United Center are another hallmark. On one trip around the outside of the United Center fans would see Michael Jordan of the Bulls, Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, and several other historic members of the Chicago Blackhawks. If you are living in Chicago and haven’t made it out to the UC, it’s about time that you do.

Distance: 46 minutes

Churchill Downs 

142 years ago, one of the most notorious horse racing venues in the world was built. Almost a century and a half later it still is home to our country’s most iconic horse race, the Kentucky Derby. In 1875 construction of Churchill Downs was completed. The race marks the beginning of the prestigious Triple Crown, which is when a three year old thoroughbred house wins the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes all in the same year. The experience of Churchill Downs, however, is like no other. Just like most horse racing events, fans have the opportunity to bet on one or more of the horses to win a particular race.  Betting makes the race more competitive and entertaining for the spectators to watch.  Also, if any of the fans have–for some reason– trouble viewing the track, there is no reason to worry. Churchill Downs has the largest 4k video screen in the world. Furthermore, fans get to enjoy luxurious food and hospitality at Churchill downs, one of the many bonuses of attending this event.

Distance: 5 hours, 17 minutes

Notre Dame Stadium

Notre Dame football is founded on tradition. Any college football fan would know that Notre Dame stadium, which was built in 1930, has been home to some of the greatest teams and potentially the greatest game in college football history, the classic Catholics vs convicts contest. Notre Dame has had ten national championship teams play in Notre Dame Stadium adding to the venue’s historic legacy. In addition to the championships and classic games played inside the stadium, Notre Dame has only had one game not be a sellout since 1966, a statistic that reveals how passionate Notre Dame fans are. Once inside the stadium on game day, the Irish bolt out of their locker room with their 23.9 karat gold helmets shining in the sun while the band plays their famous fight song, which is a visual that brings fans chills and some diehards to tears. Regardless of who the Irish play, the game day experience on campus and inside the stadium is truly one of a kind.  

Distance: 2 hours, 16 minutes

Allen Fieldhouse 

Allen Fieldhouse isn’t just your typical basketball arena. Besides some of the loudest fans in college basketball cheering on a team that rarely falls out of college basketball’s top 25, Allen Fieldhouse holds the most important facet of history in basketball. In 1891, James Naismith, a PE teacher in Massachusetts invented his own game called basketball. A few years later the game spread like wildfire across America. In 1898 Naismith founded the Kansas Jayhawks basketball program where he coached for nine straight years. If it isn’t historic enough that the founder of basketball coached at Kansas, you can find the original 13 rules of the game that James Naismith wrote out housed inside the doors of the historic Phog Allen Fieldhouse. Like the Jayhawks or not, if you call yourself a college basketball fan, Allen Fieldhouse must be on your bucket list.

Distance: 8 hours, 26 minutes

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, or The Brickyard, has been around since 1911 hosting some of the most important races in Indy car and Nascar racing. The track itself is the largest spectator facility in the world. To provide an image of what that looks like, you could fit the Roman Colosseum, Vatican City, Wimbledon Campus, Rose Bowl, Yankee Stadium and Churchill Downs inside the 2.5 mile oval. The racing itself is especially thrilling, especially the Indy car races. Indy cars can get approach speeds as fast as 242 mph., making the cars whistle around the massive track. With the fast speed comes a tremendous risk. The speedway has also seen some of the biggest crashes ever recorded. In fact, in its 106 year history, IMS has took 60 lives. But to some drivers the reward of drinking the world’s best milk and having your face engraved on the trophy in victory lane is worth the risk. The competitive nature of the race is one of the coolest spectacles in all of sports. Racing fan or not, it is worth witnessing the intensity that Indianapolis Motor Speedway features.

Distance: 3 hours, 23 minutes

Michigan Stadium 

It’s nicknamed the Big House for a reason. Michigan stadium is the second largest stadium in the world (if you’re wondering what is the largest, it’s in North Korea, so don’t plan on visiting that one). The stadium that was constructed in 1927 has featured a numerous amount of renovations that featured additional seats. The stadiums total current capacity is at 109, 901. If you aren’t sold yet on visiting the Big House yet, just wait, there is more. The team that plays inside Michigan stadium seems to always be strong. In the stadium’s 90 year history, five championship teams have dominated in the Big House, adding to the legacy of the program. The pre-game experience, the band, and the unmatched tradition of the maize and blue makes Michigan Stadium the coolest college football stadium to visit in the country. Words can’t describe the legacy of the Big House.

Distance: 4 hours, 16 minutes

Wrigley Field

If you have been living in the Chicago suburbs your whole life and have never seen a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, you’re missing something special. The Friendly Confines have been around longer than any of us have been walking on the face of the Earth. Even though over the course of the 103 years that Wrigley has been around it has experienced a significant amount of renovations, much of the ballpark has stayed the same. In the 1930’s Wrigley Field added the notorious Budweiser bleachers along with the ivy on the outfield wall, the most recognizable outfield scoreboard in baseball, and the first artifact you see at Wrigley, the marquee.

All of that is quite unique, but the events that have occurred in Wrigley, for better or for worse, are some of the main reasons why Wrigley is so historic. In 1932 allegedly one of the most historic moments in baseball occurred inside Wrigley Field where the great Babe Ruth stepped up and pointed into center field, signifying where the baseball Charlie Roots threw to him would land. Sure enough, Ruth launched the ball into the bleachers and the baseball supposedly landed right where he has pointed. Even after 84 years baseball historians and fans still debate if Ruth called his shot.

If you ask any Cubs fan they will say that Wrigley has also featured some extreme lows. 13 years after Ruth called his shot, the Cubs found themselves in the World Series for the first time since 1908 in 1945. When game four kicked off at Wrigley, William Sianis brought in his pet goat. A fan surrounding Sianis instantly began to complain, eventually resulting in security having to kick the goat and Sianis out of the stadium. Before the goat owner left he screeched out to the Wrigley faithful, “You are going to lose this World Series and you are never going to win another World Series again!” Sure enough, the Cubs lost the World Series and would not go on to win it again until 2016.

Of course, then there was Steve Bartman in 2003. The Cubs seemed as if they were on there way to the 2003 World Series until the organization fell apart in the top of the 8th inning when a fan robbed Moises Alou’s chance of making a playing on a ball in left field. A few plays later, after the fan interference Cubs’ shortstop Alex Gonzalez bobbled a double play ground ball hit right to him resulting in all of the opposing Florida Marlins players to be safe. The 8th inning eight run debacle was another one of the low points that occurred at Wrigley.

Wrigley has also seen some of the best play on its beautiful grass field. Ryne Sandberg, Ernie Banks and Ron Santo made the game enjoyable for the millions of spectators who had entered through the gates of Wrigley field, and if you couldn’t make it to the ballpark, you could hear the legendary Harry Caray call the games The old Wrigley Field tradition will never die so long as the second oldest ballpark can hold its ground.

Distance: 49 minutes

Lambeau Field 

In the NFL there are dumps (i.e Soldier Field), and there are next generation stadiums like U.S Bank Stadium in Minnesota, and then there is the iconic Lambeau Field, the oldest standing football field in the league. In fact, Lambeau was around before the NFL and the AFL merged between 1966 and 1970. Inside that stadium the infamous Ice Bowl was played, legendary head coach Vince Lombardi coached one of the most dominant franchises at the time, and QB Brett Favre impressed the football world putting together insane performances at home leading to three straight NFL MVP awards. One of the most historic traits of Lambeau field is its location. Unlike most football stadiums that are placed in the middle of a city, Lambeau Field is in the middle of a neighborhood, which, of course, makes tailgating fantastic.

I get it. Most of you reading this article despise the Packers, but like them or not, a trip up to Green Bay is worthwhile. Lambeau Field is the mecca of sporting venues not just in the midwest, but in the whole world, and it is only three hours away.

Distance: 2 hours, 42 minutes