THE BEST SEAT
IN THE HOUSE
10 Wisconsin stadiums where the atmosphere is as good as the game
by Thomas Hill
There’s nothing quite like a stadium. Nowhere else can you find such a mix of utility, aesthetic, history and genuine uniqueness. No two stadiums are the same, and while it’s hard for a stadium to be truly bad, there are some that stand out above the rest. Wisconsin is more spoiled than most when it comes to sporting venues, so let’s take a look at 10 of Wisconsin’s best in this power ranking of Wisconsin stadiums.
1. Lambeau Field
I mean, what else would it be? It’s massive, it’s historic and it’s genuinely nice. While the main seating bowl may be metal bleachers, recent renovations have added an underground parking garage for players and an expanded practice facility making Lambeau Field in Green Bay both more intimidating and more luxurious — even in those subzero winds.
2. Whistling Straits
It’s not a stadium, per se, but Wisconsin’s premier golf course in northeastern Sheboygan provides one of the best settings for golf both across the U.S. and internationally. Drastic elevation changes and the course’s precarious perch right on the shores of Lake Michigan make the course challenging, and the views as a spectator are near impossible to beat.
3. Camp Randall
Wisconsin’s other historic football venue. Madison’s Camp Randall may be nothing to write home about on the inside, with a simple bowl layout consisting mostly of metal bleachers, but with its illustrious history as a Civil War camp and the raucous atmosphere inside, it’s a must-see for any college football fan. Here’s to hoping it continues to survive all that jumping around.
4. Wisconsin Field House
Search any college in the world, and you’re unlikely to find another venue as truly special as the Wisconsin Field House, the Madison home to Wisconsin volleyball. Opened in 1930, the Field House retains the aura of arenas long gone. It feels hallowed with its wooden bleachers and ornate stone exterior. On game days, it transforms into one of the most raucous and unique environments in college sports.
5. Breese Stevens Field
Built in 1926 for baseball, Breese Stevens was transformed in 2019 to host Forward Madison FC’s inaugural season. Its mix of history, modernity and slight quirkiness makes it feel truly indicative of Madison. Not to mention the record crowds that turn up for Forward matches make the venue feel genuinely alive.
6. Athletic Park
Home of the Wausau Woodchucks baseball team of the summer collegiate Northwoods League, Athletic Park is one of the best minor league parks in the country. The field is divided among a variety of different multilevel stands that offers fans unique views of the ballfield that are hard to find anywhere else. What it lacks in size it more than makes up for in true baseball oddity.
7. Fiserv Forum
It’s new. It’s nice. It’s got an NBA Championship to its name. The Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee may lack any qualities that make it truly special, but its overwhelmingly clean design and fantastic sightlines make it hard to beat for watching almost any event. It also doesn’t hurt that it looks great from the outside.
8. Perkins Stadium
Home of one of the most dominant programs in NCAA Division III football, Perkins Stadium hosts UW–Whitewater’s football program. Consisting of only one permanent stand, the stadium still retains an intimate feel due to its construction into the side of a hill with trees on the opposite sideline.
9. LaBahn Arena
One of the only women’s specific hockey arenas in the country, LaBahn is an old-school barn disguised as a new arena. Built in 2012, the Madison arena features an intimate horseshoe-shaped seating bowl that fits 2,273 fans. The low roof and limited capacity make the building absolutely raucous when the Badgers are playing, which makes it a must-see for hockey fans.
10. Eagle River Sports Arena
Sure — it may lack the amenities or modernity of many of the other venues on this list, but you simply can’t beat the hockey in Eagle River Sports Arena in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. Built in 1925 mostly of wood, the arena became Wisconsin’s first indoor hockey arena and today plays host to Wisconsin’s Hockey Hall of Fame. The wood roof still dominates the interior of the dome, creating one of the most unique hockey venues in the country.
Featured photo provided by Pixabay.