Guaranteed Rate Field Overview
Guaranteed Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox since 1991, is one of those baseball parks that doesn’t get a ton of love. And maybe that’s a little justified: the ballpark is not in the best area of town, there’s very little around it in terms of the gameday experience, and to be honest, it’s a little ugly from the outside. But ugly ducklings can be endearing sometimes, and once you pass through the turnstiles, you’ll find that Guaranteed Rate Field actually becomes a pretty solid place to watch a game. The prices are affordable, the food and beverage choices are really good, there are some really interesting seating products, the park is kid friendly, and it’s a very enjoyable all-around experience.
Oh, and this just in: the White Sox are angling for a new ballpark closer to downtown, and if they don’t get it, they may start looking at other options … like Nashville. While either of these outcomes is more than a few years away, if you’ve been thinking about catching a game here, you might as well go ahead and get it done before it becomes something on a deadline.
Our five-part guide to Guaranteed Rate Field will help you plan the perfect trip to see baseball on the south side of Chicago. We’ll cover:
- Travel: how to get to Chicago
- Lodging: where you should stay
- Local transit: how you should get around
- Tickets/Seating/Premium: where to sit, how to buy, and whether to opt for premium seating
- Gameday strategy: what to do before/during/after the game
We hope you enjoy this insider look at Guaranteed Rate Field. Please be sure to sign up for our daily newsletter to keep informed about events, schedules, ticket onsales, deals, and everything else you need to know to plan the best fan experiences.
Why you should visit Guaranteed Rate Field
Food Options
Between Chicago staples and hidden gems, there are plenty of choices.
Beer Selection
From microbrews to national brands, the beer selection is fantastic.
Underrated Value
GRF has several affordable premium seating options that are well worth it.
The Weather
If you’re there in the summer, Chicago’s weather tends to be spectacular. (Of course if you’re there in the spring, well… we’ll cover that issue later).
The City
Chicago in summer has tons to do outside the park: the river, the lakefront, parks, museums, bars and restaurants. You won’t have an open minute.
How many games should you see?
Our default answer to this is usually three games. We love the idea of seeing a baseball stadium from different vantage points and experiencing everything it has to offer. However, because of the limited experiential opportunities outside of the ballpark, it would be understandable if you were to limit your White Sox experience to one or two games. But make no mistake: between the food and some of the affordable premium seating experiences, a two or three-day visit isn’t out of the question.
When should you go to Guaranteed Rate Field?
Ok… this is a real thing. You know that baseball season is spring through early fall. But in Chicago, those “seasons” take on an entirely new meaning. If you’re at Guaranteed Rate Field in April, make no mistake: you’re more likely to experience winter than spring. Does the idea of wearing three layers of clothes to a baseball stadium sound appealing to you? Then, by all means, head to the south side in March/April. For that matter, even much of May can feel like winter: you’ll be relying on luck to get three good weather days in a row in May. But once the calendar turns to June, your odds go way up, as summer tends to arrive right around Memorial Day.
But that doesn’t mean Guaranteed Rate is without its benefits in those early months. Want to sit in a premium club without breaking the bank? March/April/May are great times to do that. Want to get a lower level infield ticket for $30 on the secondary market? Yep… early spring as well.
But if you want the classic summer baseball experience, June/July/August are where it’s at. And don’t forget about September. The weather in September is usually outstanding, and if the Sox aren’t in the playoff discussion (which is most Septembers), you can get some amazing ticket deals on the secondary market.
As for opponents: the toughest ticket will be against the Cubs and the Yankees, maybe the Red Sox if they’re playing well, and everyone wants to see the Dodgers these days. But outside of those, there’s rarely any difficulty in getting tickets to the White Sox, so ticketing concerns shouldn’t be on your mind when you’re planning your trip.
Where is Guaranteed Rate Field located?
Guaranteed Rate field is located about six miles to the south of downtown Chicago, in the neighborhood of Bridgeport. It’s a working class neighborhood, and one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in all of Chicago. The stadium is right on the city’s subway line, and also has the easiest and least expensive parking of any of Chicago’s major sports venues. We’ll provide more specific details about the location and getting there in the Local Transit chapter.
A note about Chicago and crime
Depending on where you get your news from, it’s entirely possible that you’ve seen stories that depict Chicago as a lawless, murderous frontier, where people are shot dead on the streets at all hours of the day and night. Yeah, I’ve seen those stories too. And I won’t lie to you: in my 25 years living in Chicago, I’ll admit that crime has become a bigger issue than it has been in the past. In the two years after the pandemic, we were definitely struggling with an uptick in random crime that was unsettling to all of us.
But the images that have been painted about Chicago simply aren’t accurate. Yes, as with any large city these days, we have issues with gun violence (thanks Indiana), as well as homelessness and mental illness. But the idea that you’ll be gunned down while walking the streets in downtown Chicago is absurd. And if you want proof of that, look up the stats. Chicago ranked about 20th in violent crime per capita in the US in 2023. And of those 19 cities ahead of us, seven have MLB teams (and three more have NFL teams). So unless you’ve decided to not go to any of those cities, then you should stop overdramatizing about crime in Chicago.
Are there things you can do to prioritize your safety while you’re here? Absolutely. And in this guide we will give you some of those suggestions, and we’ll do it honestly and directly. But don’t let the exaggerations about Chicago scare you away. It is consistently ranked as the best large city in the US to live in, and there are great reasons for that.
About your Guaranteed Rate Field Insider
My name is Mike, and I’ve been a Chicago resident since 1998, and have been going to Comiskey Park/U.S. Cellular Field/Guaranteed Rate Field to see the White Sox since 2001. I’ve been there in shorts and t-shirts, I’ve been there in full winter gear, I’ve been there in the terrible times, and I’ve been there in the good times as well. I’ve sat in all of the premium clubs, hung out in all of the hang-out areas, done my time in the bleachers, seen the fireworks, collected the bobbleheads, have taken the subway there and back a hundred times, and in the last two decades I’ve seen the park transform itself into a really solid place to watch a baseball game, with good food, great beer, and an all-around fun environment.
My favorite place to sit is in the third row of the Miller Lite Landing: it’s a big leather chair with in-seat wait service, a side table for food/drinks, a front row view from the outfield, and even a television for watching replays, and it’s surprisingly affordable. My favorite food? That’s a tough one, but I’ll go with the chorizo con papas mac and cheese. It’s easy to eat on the go or in your seat, it’s a huge portion, and, well, it’s mac and cheese with meat and a Mexican cheese blend, so there’s not much to dislike (and it’s only $13).
I’m happy to help you figure out the best ways to maximize your time and experience at the ballpark, as well as your visit to Chicago.
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We hope you enjoy this insider look at Guaranteed Rate Field.
