Every morning at 8 a.m., a line forms at Lambeau Field.
It's a crowd that has been known to include people from far away states and even other nations. During some days, it has been as tough to reach the front of the line as it is to reach the top of the Packers' season ticket waiting list.
No, it's not a line for Packers game tickets, rather one for fans trying to take a tour of the newly-renovated Lambeau Field and the new Atrium. It's the only way a die-hard Packers fan can see the playing field during the off-season and it offers an experience that fans of all ages can enjoy.
"It's just a great experience," said Kyle Hamilton, who traveled over 750 miles from Knoxville, Tenn., to see the hallowed stadium. "The overall history of (Lambeau Field) is the neat thing. You know that some of the greatest players have played on this field and you know that it's not going to go anywhere."
Since opening its doors in Sept., the Packers have had an extraordinarily high volume of traffic through the Atrium -- traffic so high that on some days, all tours of the stadium have been known to be sold out by noon.
"Our message to the fans is to get here early," guest relations representative Sindi Sanders said. "We've had to turn so many people away disappointed. And we don't like to do that."
Despite the new additions of the popular Packers Hall of Fame, the Packers Pro Shop and year-round Curly's Pub, Hall of Fame Grill and Frozen In Time Ice Cream (plus four eateries open during training camp, the regular season and special events), Sanders says that the opportunity to see the playing field is still the big draw.
According to guest relations representative Madison Heil, tickets for the tours of Lambeau Field, which must be purchased in person and go on sale at 9:30 a.m., in the Lambeau Field Atrium, have sold out as many as 20 tours daily.
"I didn't think we'd have this many people until training camp started," Heil said. "Everybody that comes in wants to see the field. That's the first question we get is 'How do we see the field?'"
Tours of the stadium begin at regular intervals between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily and go for as long as one hour, just enough time for fans to savor the experience of the most storied venue in professional football.
For more information on the Lambeau Field Tours, click here.
