Chicago's Wrigley Field Granted National Historic Landmark Status

In recognition of the significant role it has played in the history of Chicago and professional sports, Wrigley Field has been designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Built in 1914, the 106-year-old baseball mecca has been the home of the Chicago Cubs since 1916 and has been eligible for the National Register of Historic Places list since 1987.

“The historical significance of Wrigley Field is interwoven into our nation’s story and a key part of what has become America’s beloved pastime for over a century,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt. “It is with great enthusiasm that I designate this iconic national treasure, the site of many legendary events, innovations and traditions in baseball history, as a National Historic Landmark.”

Thanks to its landmark status, Wrigley will now be eligible for federal income tax credits.

Crane Kenney, the president of business operations for the Cubs, told The Chicago Sun-Times that the tax credits were an “important element” of the attempt to get the ballpark granted landmark status.

“This application started seven years ago. The granting of the designation is the end of a seven-year process,” Kenney told the publication. “So, it’s unrelated to COVID. The monetization, to the extent there is one, of the designation was done years ago. There’s no new revenue that is the result of the designation today. There’s no economic event at all related to what’s just happened in 2020. It has already been considered.”

Fenway Park, the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, is also a National Historic Landmark. Wrigley is two years younger than Fenway.