Is the American Airlines 1914 Club Wrigley Field Actually Worth the Hype?

You’re standing under the marquee at Clark and Addison. The air smells like grilled onions and old brick. Most people are scanning their mobile tickets, ready to squeeze into those narrow, green wooden seats that have been punishing Chicago backs for a century. But if you've got a pass for the American Airlines 1914 Club Wrigley Field, you’re headed somewhere else entirely. You’re going under the stands. Literally.

It’s kind of a weird flex, right? You go to a baseball game to sit in a basement.

But this isn't just some basement. It’s the first of the "premier" clubs the Ricketts family carved out during the massive 1060 Project renovations. It opened in 2018, tucked right beneath the seats between the home and visitor dugouts. It’s fancy. It’s loud. It’s got more craft beer than a Logan Square taproom. Honestly, it changed the way the "friendly confines" operates for the high-end crowd.

The Reality of Sitting Underground at a Ballgame

Let’s get the geography straight. When you enter through the dedicated VIP gate, you aren't looking at the ivy. You’re looking at a sleek, dimly lit cavern that feels more like a boutique hotel lobby than a ballpark. The American Airlines 1914 Club Wrigley Field was named after the year the park was built (back when it was Weeghman Park), and the decor tries really hard to remind you of that. Think reclaimed wood, brass accents, and a lot of black-and-white photography.

The weirdest part? You can’t see the field.

For the first few innings, the club is packed. People are hovering over marble countertops, balancing plates of prime rib or gourmet tacos. It's an all-inclusive situation. You paid for the ticket, so the food and the booze (mostly beer and wine, spirits cost extra) are "free" in the sense that you already dropped a paycheck on the seat. You'll see guys in suits who clearly just came from the Loop, and you'll see die-hard fans who saved up for a bucket-list anniversary.

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The acoustics in there are wild. When the crowd above you starts stomping because Dansby Swanson just turned a double play, it sounds like a rhythmic thunder. You feel it in your teeth. You’re basically sitting in the bunker while a war of cheers happens ten feet over your head.

What You Actually Get for the Money

People always ask if the food is just "ballpark plus." Not really. It’s a significant step up. They do these rotating chef tables. One day it might be hand-carved porchetta; the next, it’s a high-end Mediterranean spread. They kept the hot dogs, obviously. You can’t have Wrigley without a hot dog. But these are usually better-sourced, and you don't have to wait in a line that wraps around a concrete pillar.

The bar is the centerpiece. It’s huge. It’s efficient. You’ve got local brews like Goose Island or Half Acre, which is a nice touch for a stadium that used to be a strictly Old Style and Budweiser ecosystem.

The Seat Situation

Eventually, you have to go outside. Your seats are located in the "Home Plate Proximity" area. These are some of the best rows in the house. You are directly behind the screen. You can hear the catcher’s mitt pop. You can hear the trash talk.

There is a specific thrill to walking out of a climate-controlled, luxury lounge and straight into the humid Chicago summer air, just rows away from the action. It's a jarring transition. One minute you're eating an artisanal salad; the next, a foul ball is screaming toward your face at 105 mph.

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The Logistics Most People Mess Up

If you're going, don't show up at first pitch. That’s a rookie move. The American Airlines 1914 Club Wrigley Field opens two hours before the game starts. That is your window to actually get your money's worth.

• Arrival: Use the private entrance on Clark Street. Don't stand in the bleacher line like a tourist.
• The "To-Go" Window: This is the best-kept secret. There’s a window inside the club where you can grab snacks and drinks to take to your seat. Do not pay for a water bottle at the regular concession stand upstairs.
• The Post-Game: The club stays open for about an hour after the final out. It’s the smartest way to let the traffic on Addison die down. While everyone else is fighting for an Uber or crammed onto the Red Line like sardines, you can have one last drink in the AC.

Is It Just for "Corporate Types"?

There is a persistent rumor that the 1914 Club ruined the "soul" of Wrigley. You hear it on sports talk radio all the time. Critics say it turned the area behind home plate into a ghost town because everyone is inside eating shrimp cocktail instead of cheering.

There's some truth to it. If you look at the TV broadcast during the second inning, the seats behind home plate often look empty. They aren't unsold; the people are just downstairs.

But honestly? Wrigley needed to modernize. The old concourses were—and still are—cramped. For the people who want a premium experience, this provided an alternative to the skyboxes, which are too far from the grass. It’s a different vibe. It’s not the bleachers. You aren't going to get a beer poured on you (hopefully). It’s "Chicago Wealthy" meets "Chicago Baseball."

The Comparison: 1914 vs. The Others

Since 1914 opened, the Cubs added the Maker's Mark Barrel Room, the W Club, and the Catalina Club.

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1. The Barrel Room: More exclusive, very dark, focused on whiskey. It’s under the stands on the first-base side.
2. The W Club: First-base side, heavy on Cubs history and memorabilia.
3. The Catalina Club: This one is upstairs, behind the home plate press box. It’s got a patio. It’s better for people who want a view while they eat.

The American Airlines 1914 Club Wrigley Field remains the flagship because of the location. You cannot beat being directly behind home plate. It is the prime real estate of the building.

What to Do Next if You're Going

If you’ve secured tickets, stop thinking about it like a regular baseball game. You are basically buying a pass to a high-end buffet that happens to have a Major League Baseball game in the backyard.

Check the weather. Even though the club is indoor/outdoor, the Chicago wind off the lake doesn't care about your VIP status once you sit in your actual seat. Bring a jacket, even in June.

Also, wear something decent. You don't need a tuxedo—it's still a ballpark—but you'll feel out of place in a tattered jersey and flip-flops. Aim for "smart casual." Think a nice polo or a crisp jersey with decent jeans.

Finally, keep an eye on the grab-and-go stations. They usually put out fresh-baked cookies around the 7th inning. They’re warm. They’re usually better than any other dessert in the park. Grab two. No one is looking.

Actionable Steps for Your Visit:

• Download the MLB Ballpark app at least a day before. Your tickets and club access are entirely digital and can be finicky if the stadium Wi-Fi is acting up.
• Aim to arrive exactly 120 minutes before the scheduled start. This allows you to eat a full meal before the game begins so you don't miss any innings while standing at the carving station.
• Locate the "private" restrooms inside the club immediately. The lines upstairs at Wrigley are legendary for being terrible; the ones in the 1914 Club are pristine and usually empty.
• If you’re a collector, check the entrance. Sometimes the club-exclusive programs or lineups are stashed right as you walk in, and they're way better than the generic ones sold on the street.