Chicagoans take baseball seriously—fans stay fans, even during the Chicago Cubs’ 108-year championship drought, taking the moniker “loveable losers” out of everyone’s mouths. Cheering at a game at the famous Wrigley Field on the North Side of Chicago is an experience you’re not soon to forget. From rooftop stadium seats on neighborhood buildings to the unique ivy-covered brick outfield wall, from the massive hand-turned scoreboard to the classic red marquee hanging over the main entrance, it’s easy to see how Wrigley Field became a designated National Historic Landmark.
And now there’s a nationwide study that reveals a fact that locals have always known: Wrigley Field is the ultimate bucket-list destination for American sports fans.
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Last month, Deadspin polled 2,000 sports enthusiasts across the nation to determine what banger experiences across the globe are travel-worthy. Edging out Boston’s Fenway Park, the oldest Major League Baseball stadium, Chicago’s Wrigley Field—the MLB's second eldest venue—has earned the number one spot. Utilizing the research platform Prolific, Deadspin cast a wide net, including respondents living in the U.S. who would consider themselves sports fans. This online survey set out to determine which sports destinations fans most want to visit in their lifetime.
What did the poll determine? Out of all of the sports destinations across the globe, fans have determined that the top five spots are located in the U.S. Wrigley Field earned number one, followed by world-famous venues including Fenway Park in Boston, Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden in New York City, and Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Other international stadiums in England, Japan, Spain, Italy, Australia, and Germany netted coveted spots in the top 25.
Along with those dream sport venues, the study also revealed the top 10 sporting events that fans have on their bucket lists: unsurprisingly, the Super Bowl claimed the number one spot, followed by the men's FIFA World Cup, the World Series, the Olympic Games and the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Here are fans' ultimate bucket-list sports destinations by state:
- Alabama: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
- Arizona: Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York
- Arkansas: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
- California: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
- Colorado: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Connecticut: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
- Delaware: Wembley Stadium, London, England
- Florida: Wimbledon, London, England
- Georgia: Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York
- Idaho: Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York
- Illinois: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
- Indiana: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
- Iowa: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Kansas: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Kentucky: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
- Louisiana: Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York
- Maine: Wembley Stadium, London, England
- Maryland: Wimbledon, London, England
- Massachusetts: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Michigan: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Minnesota: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
- Mississippi: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Missouri: Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York
- Nebraska: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
- Nevada: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
- New Hampshire: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
- New Jersey: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- New York: Wembley Stadium, London, England
- North Carolina: Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York
- Ohio: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Oklahoma: Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York
- Oregon: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Pennsylvania: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
- South Carolina: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
- South Dakota: Wimbledon, London, England
- Tennessee: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Texas: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
- Utah: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Virginia: Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York
- Washington: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
- West Virginia: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
- Wisconsin: Wimbledon, London, England