Cubs to Unveil Founders’ Clock at Wrigley Field for 150th Anniversary
WRIGLEYVILLE— The area around Wrigley Field is getting another permanent piece of Cubs history.
On Saturday, August 29, the Chicago Cubs will dedicate a new Founders’ Clock at Clark and Addison streets as part of the Cubs’ 150th Anniversary Celebration.
The permanent, four-sided clock will stand near the south end of Gallagher Way, close to the iconic Wrigley Field marquee. It follows the July unveiling of Champions Gate, creating another historical landmark outside the ballpark while the Cubs celebrate 150 years as a National League franchise.
Founders’ Clock Will Tell 150 Years of Cubs History
The clock is designed to function as more than a timepiece.
Official Cubs plans call for historic team logos and inscriptions representing four eras of franchise history, turning the structure into a permanent history marker for people arriving at Wrigley Field.
According to details released about the project, the approximately 24-foot-tall structure will be finished in the familiar Wrigley Field green, with a bear element at the top. Story panels around its base will walk visitors through different periods of Cubs history.
A rendering of Founders Clock outside Wrigley Field. (Stantec)
The design comes from preservation architect Gunny Harboe, whose firm has played a major role in the restoration of Wrigley Field. Harboe Architects was specifically tasked during the larger ballpark renovation with ensuring new work remained consistent with the historic character of the Friendly Confines.
For Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney, the anniversary is intended to recognize the organization “not just as a baseball team, but as a Chicago institution.”
That distinction fits the location. Wrigley Field was built in 1914 and has been home to the Cubs for more than a century, making the ballpark and the surrounding blocks an important part of both baseball and Chicago neighborhood history.
Champions Gate Already Added a New Landmark to Gallagher Way
The Founders’ Clock follows another major addition unveiled just weeks earlier.
On July 18, the Cubs opened Champions Gate at the western entrance to Gallagher Way during the 10th anniversary celebration of the 2016 World Series championship.
The monument honors all three Cubs World Series championship teams:
1907
1908
2016
Plaques built into the structure recognize each championship team and its accomplishments, with space intentionally left for future titles.
The gate was designed as a permanent tribute to entire championship teams rather than a monument focused on only a handful of individual players. Cubs alumni including Anthony Rizzo, Dexter Fowler, Jake Arrieta and Ben Zobrist helped provide input during the design process.
Together, Champions Gate and the Founders’ Clock are gradually turning Gallagher Way into something closer to an outdoor Cubs history walk.
Gallagher Way Has Changed the Clark and Addison Experience
The additions also show how dramatically the blocks around Wrigley Field have changed.
Today, Gallagher Way is an open-air plaza surrounded by restaurants, bars, retail and Hotel Zachary, with a lawn, fountains and year-round events.
Before the broader Wrigley Field redevelopment, much of the space west of the ballpark was occupied by parking and lower-intensity commercial uses. The Cubs’ multiyear renovation transformed it into a year-round destination that hosts outdoor movies, fitness classes, live music, markets and seasonal events in addition to gameday activity.
On Cubs gamedays, Gallagher Way becomes part of the ballpark experience, with ticket holders able to access the plaza before, during and after games under Wrigley Field’s gameday rules.
Adding permanent historical structures changes the space again. Visitors can now encounter Cubs history before they ever pass through the turnstiles.
August 29 Will Be Much Bigger Than the Clock Unveiling
The Founders’ Clock dedication is only one part of the Cubs’ 150th anniversary celebration on August 29.
The Cubs host the Cincinnati Reds at 1:20 p.m. that afternoon, with anniversary activities scheduled throughout the Wrigley Field campus.
The celebration will also include:
Recognition of the Cubs 150th Anniversary Team, featuring 40 players and three managers chosen by fans
More than 20 members of the anniversary team expected to attend
A ceremonial signing of a replica 1876 championship banner
A historical exhibition featuring Cubs artifacts
Live commemorative artwork from sports artist Dave Hobrecht
$1.50 Budweiser at Gallagher Way from gate opening through the second inning
The replica banner recognizes the Cubs club that won the National League championship during the league’s inaugural 1876 season. Fans will be able to sign it before Gallagher Way switches to gameday ticket-holder access, and the completed banner is expected to remain on display at the ballpark.
The anniversary programming continues through Sunday, August 30, when the Cubs again host Cincinnati.
See Wrigleyville Beyond Game Day
The transformation around Wrigley Field is a reminder that Wrigleyville is no longer active only when the Cubs are playing.
Gallagher Way, restaurants, neighborhood businesses, historic Wrigley Field and new landmarks such as Champions Gate and the Founders’ Clock have helped turn Clark and Addison into a year-round destination.
If being able to walk to Wrigley Field, the Red Line, restaurants, entertainment and neighborhood events is part of what you want from Chicago living, connect with The Cory Tanzer Group at Option Premier to explore condos, homes and investment opportunities in Wrigleyville, Lakeview and Chicago’s North Side, with local guidance on pricing, buildings, transportation and the differences that matter from one block to another.
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