Where is the best spot to watch the Cubs at Wrigley Field?

Taking in a game at Wrigley Field is an experience that’s widely unmatched in Major League Baseball. Fenway Park offers a similar vibe – but walking up the steps and seeing the green ivy, blue skies and the iconic center field scoreboard is something every Chicago Cubs fan loves.

While we’re all united in our love for the Cubs, how we prefer to take in a ballgame at the Friendly Confines varies. Some prefer the birds eye view that comes with the upper level seating. Others are all about getting as close to the playing field as possible, perhaps in the relatively new luxury seating sections.

Maybe you’re looking to make sure those summer rush hour storms that blow through aren’t an issue and you’re all about the lower bowl, sheltered and protected by the overhang above. Or maybe those Fridays at 1:20 mean you’re in the bleachers, beer in hand, ready to carry on the legacy of the Bleacher Bums. Let’s take a look at some of the best spots to take in a Cubs game around Wrigley Field.

Chicago Cubs: Save money and still get a great view from the upper deck

My wife and I had our first date at Wrigley. I was living in the Chicagoland area, she was still out in Iowa after graduating from Iowa State. She drove in and we bought last-minute tickets for a Dodgers-Cubs game in Sept. 2014.

Those last-minute tickets were at the top of the upper deck, all the way down the right field line. The view was great and, maybe it’s nostalgia, but I still love sitting up there even today. We took in Game 162 back in 2018 from similar seats – and since the renovation and additional upgrades to the upper deck, seeing a game from the ‘cheap’ seats is definitely an improved experience.

Chicago Cubs: Just look out for those obstructed view seats in the lower bowl

There’s a lot of ambiance that comes with watching a game from a ballpark that’s been around for more than a century. But there are a handful of shortcomings, as well. When it comes to Wrigley Field, it’s the obstructed seating that can be found all over the lower deck – caused by the steel support beams that hold up the upper deck.

But you also have quick access to the concourse – as well as additional vendors at the back of the section, giving you multiple options when it comes to grabbing food or beverages between innings.

I still love the old-school boards that are mounted under the upper deck, showing you the score in with a vibe of yesteryear, long before LED videoboards were plastered as far as the eye can see. It’s a small detail, but one that I still love even post-renovation.

Personally, these seats are nice in the summer (or early in the year when you sometimes get some snow or mist coming in off the lake). Having at least some protection from the elements helps, because we all know what it’s like to not be under cover when a weather system blows through and you’re stuck, looking like a wet dog once play resumes.

Chicago Cubs: There’s no party like a summer party in the bleachers

If I have tickets to a Friday afternoon game during the summer, there’s one place I’m headed: the bleachers. A full-blown party vibe every time out, there’s just something different about sitting out there.

Maybe it’s the chance to catch fly balls. Or perhaps it’s the lack of confined seating, which leads to far more interaction with fellow fans. Jubilant celebrations when the Cubs push a run across the board – and, most recently, beer cup snakes that cost tens of thousands of dollars. Seriously, there’s just nothing quite like it.

What’s not to love about a faux rivalry between left and right field bleacher dwellers or throwing a visiting home run ball back onto the field? The legacy of generations of Cubs fans before you emanate from those bleachers and there’s nothing like it from a gameday experience.

So, there you have it. I’ll let you decide what you prefer – but I think we can all agree: with wintry cold still gripping Chicago, we can all find some peace when looking ahead to summer, baseball and time spent at Wrigley Field.