After decades in a foggy, chilly wind tunnel known as Candlestick Park, the San Francisco 49ers football team moved south to one of the snazziest stadiums around in 2014. Players now huddle, punt, and play in 68,500-seat Levi’s Stadium, a high-tech marvel northwest of downtown San Jose in Santa Clara. The stadium, which hosted Super Bowl 50 in 2016, also boasts eco-friendly features like a living roof, solar panels, and field irrigation that uses recycled water. If you’re lucky enough to settle into a luxury suite, check out the woodwork: it’s made of sustainable bamboo.
Befitting a stadium in the heart of Silicon Valley, Levi’s Stadium is also high-tech to the max, with fan-friendly touches like Wi-Fi access in every seat, so you can tweet, post, and chat about the game, not to mention order food without missing a play. If you do venture out to eat, it’s not all lukewarm hot dogs and soggy fries. Celebrity chef Michael Mina overseas the stadium’s high-end steak house, Bourbon Steak, which offers inside-the-park tailgate parties throughout the season, as well as the more casual Bourbon Pub, where you’ll find elevated pub food like truffle tater tots and buffalo-style wings with Point Reyes blue cheese.
Public tours of the stadium’s 49ers Museum let you check out the rich and successful history of that franchise, even if you’re not going to a game or event. Beyond football, the venue also hosts college football games, domestic and international soccer matches, motocross events, concerts, wrestling, and more.
Know before you go: If you’re visiting and don’t have a car, close-by access to local light rail, bus, and Caltrain makes it easy to use public transit to get there.
