The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have been rivals since 1921, when the Packers beat the Bears 20-0, making it one of the oldest rivalries in professional football. The Packers have a slight lead in the series after the Bears dominated for decades with 108 wins to the Bears’ 95, and six ties. The two teams have met twice in the playoffs, winning one each. The Packers have won 13 championships, which is more than any other team in history. The Bears are second with nine championships.

They will meet again Sunday at Lambeau field with the Packers (11-5) looking to extend the 10-game win streak over 4-12 Bears, which is the longest active streak against a single team in the NFL.

Whether you are a Green Bay Packers fan or not, a tour of Lambeau Field is like making a pilgrimage to the holy land of the NFL. Situated a few miles outside Green Bay, Wisconsin, this iconic stadium, the oldest continuously used in the NFL, is a living monument to football history. Green Bay is a small town with an enormous love for its Packers. By the way, the Bears have lost 14 of the last 16 meetings against the Packers at Lambeau Field.

We haven’t been to a Packers game, but just standing in the empty seats this past summer where 80,000 fans fill the stadium on game days, you can practically feel the excitement. This stadium doesn’t boast the state-of-the-art polish of some other arenas; it has a more grounded, old-fashioned feel.

On the tour, the guides don’t hold back on phrases like “hallowed ground.” With 13 NFL championships, including four Super Bowls, this is the site of some of football’s most memorable moments.

A huge statue of the team’s legendary coach, Vince Lombardi, stands outside the stadium. Leading the team to win five NFL championships and two Super Bowls, Lombardi, is a revered figure in Green Bay.

Lambeau Field, named after Packers co-founder Curly Lambeau, is a testament to how a small-town team can become a symbol of regional and state pride.

Having spent every summer in Door County, Wisconsin, just 50 miles up the road where my family owned property, I was always amazed at how the Packers were a year ’round team for the local population.

Though they only played four months per year, Packer fever was present in every store, restaurant and business in the county. The locals lived and breathed Packers. The “Pack Will be Back” was a chant I heard often. I couldn’t help but become a Packers fan at a young age.

Having grown up in northern Illinois, my family and I were Bears fans. The Bears and Packers are not friends. It’s a huge rivalry. You can’t like both. I may be the only human being who likes and cheers for both teams.

Ownership – While most NFL teams are privately owned, the Packers belong to their fans – literally. The community holds stock in the team, and shareholders get a vote, an invitation to the annual meeting, and a sense of pride no billionaire owner can replicate.

“The Ice Bowl” – The tour guide talks about the 1967 “Ice Bowl” against the Cowboys, where players battled it out in negative 13-degree weather on the famously dubbed “Frozen Tundra.” It’s hard to imagine how cold that really was. Since I grew up in northern Illinois, I have a pretty good idea how cold it was.

The Lambeau Leap – Steeped in traditions like the Lambeau Leap, players dive into the arms of fans after a touchdown. The fans in the end zone take this move very seriously. Last weekend, October 20, when the Packers played the Texans, a Texan player attempted the Leap after a touchdown. A Packers fan pushed him out. The Packers fan was removed from his seat and given a warning. No opposing team is welcome to do the Lambeau Leap. That is a sacred tradition.

Tailgating – Fans in foam Cheeseheads hats and other creative headgear (goal posts, footballs) represent everything authentic and dedicated about this place. Tailgating is a strong tradition where beer, brats and cheese curds are plentiful. I remember the late John Madden stating that he loved to cover Packers games because the food was so great. He would wander through the tailgating crowds and sample the lavish spreads.

The Draft is coming! Green Bay isn’t on one of the coasts and it isn’t centrally located as many stadiums are. Green Bay isn’t really on the way to anywhere, and the airport, Austin Straubel International Airport, isn’t a hub. Soon that will change, and many new visitors will discover Lambeau. With the NFL draft heading to Green Bay in April 2025, the small city is gearing up for a new chapter in its football legacy. Green Bay, the surrounding towns and tourist areas like Door County are talking about the draft. This is a big deal for small Green Bay (population 320,000) and for surrounding Brown, Oconto and Kewaunee counties.

The Packer’s Pro Shop – The usual items are for sale in all NFL pro shops: T-shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, pennants and such. But the Packers Pro Shop has something no other one has – Cheeseheads.™ There is the original Cheesehead headgear ($24.99), baby Cheesehead hats (16.99), and every other trademarked Cheesehead item you can imagine: Foam Cheesehead daggers ($16.99), Cheesehead boxers (27.99) and numerous other items adorned with Cheeseheads like T-shirts, hats, dog leashes and bandanas, license plates holders and so much more. I settled for a $9.99 luggage tag.

Tickets – Season tickets are impossible to find as they are passed on to heirs via last will and testaments, and divorce decrees. Individual game tickets are available, but they are expensive.

Lambeau Field is where history lives and where football, pride and tradition come together for fans who don’t just watch the game – they live it … year ’round.

I think the streak against the Bears is probably a done deal and I’ll be watching, cheering for both.

Melanie Staten is a public relations consultant with her husband, Vince.