Green Bay

Lambeau Field, properly

The Packers are the only major American professional sports franchise owned by its own fans — a non-profit with more than 500,000 shareholders, none of whom may own more than a small fraction. That structure is the reason the team never left a small city, and the reason the stadium feels like civic infrastructure rather than a commercial venue.

The stadium tour

Tours run year-round and take you through the tunnel to the field, into the press box and past the history exhibits. They sell out on game weekends and around holidays. Book online a few days ahead; the classic tour takes about an hour and involves a fair amount of walking and stairs.

The Packers Hall of Fame and stadium district

Attached to the stadium, with exhibits on the franchise's century of championships. The surrounding Titletown district was built on the former car park: a plaza, restaurants, a sledding hill that operates in winter, and a public green in summer. It is a rare example of a stadium redevelopment that people actually use on non-game days.

What a gameday actually involves

• Tailgating starts four hours before kickoff and fills the surrounding car parks with grills, flags and RVs. It is a spectator sport in itself.
• Traffic is severe in the last 90 minutes. Either arrive very early or park a 20-minute walk away.
• Tickets are sold by season-ticket holders; resale is the only route for most visitors, and prices peak against divisional rivals.
• Weather is part of the experience. Late-season games can be well below freezing; dress in layers and bring something to sit on.

The rest of the city

The Fox River trail and downtown

A paved riverside path runs through the centre, past the rebuilt downtown waterfront with its boardwalk, moored boats and a small farmers market in summer. It is a pleasant hour and gives a much better impression of the city than the highway approach does.

National Railroad Museum

One of the larger railroad collections in the country, with locomotives from the 19th century to the diesel era and a decent size for children. About 90 minutes.

Neville Public Museum

The county museum, with natural history, regional history and a surprisingly good collection for a city this size. Cheap, indoors, and a reliable wet-weather option.

UW–Green Bay and the Cofrin Arboretum

A wooded campus on the east side with trails through restored prairie and forest, open to the public. See the universities guide.

Where to eat

Green Bay eats simply and well: supper clubs on the outskirts, a strong concentration of Friday fish fries, and a growing downtown restaurant scene along the river. Booyah — a thick chicken and vegetable stew cooked in enormous batches for church and community fundraisers — is the local dish. If you see a booyah sale advertised, go.

Getting there

• By air: Austin Straubel International, 15 minutes from downtown, with connections through the major Midwest hubs.
• From Milwaukee: 185 km, about 1 hour 55 on I-43.
• From Madison: about 2 hours 20.
• From Chicago: about 3 hours 15.
• To Door County: 50 minutes to Sturgeon Bay.

When to go

Autumn is the best time: football season, cool dry weather, and colour along the Fox River. Summer is festival season on the waterfront. Winter is cold but the stadium tours run and hotel rates drop sharply outside game weekends — which is worth knowing if you are heading to Door County's winter season.

For football across the state, see Sports.

Next: Door County is 50 minutes north-east and the natural continuation of this trip.