The start of Training Camp in Green Bay means many will be traveling to watch their favorite team train. Dan Hogan photograph

Are you making the pilgrimage to Mecca? No, not the Muslim Holy Land – we’re talking about the destination of so many Green Bay Packers fans each summer – training camp for the 13-time NFL champions.

If so, you will find much more than just an opportunity to sit outside the fence at Ray Nitschke Field adjacent to the Don Hutson Center and in the shadows of Lambeau Field. In addition to watching the Packers players go through their paces during the early weeks of August, one can visit Lambeau Field, take a slow stroll through the Packers Hall of Fame and take one of the many tours of the stadium given each day.

But it’s Packers.com that has one of the most thorough looks at all the activities available around the city of Green Bay for those who might also want to stay a few days.

Scroll down or take a trip over to Packers.com for the list.

Either way, the trip to Green Bay has become an annual event for many for good reason – it’s a blast.

Packers’ Training Camp opens Thursday; features fan experiences

The Green Bay Packers’ Ray Nitschke Field will greet players and fans alike on Thursday afternoon, July 26, for the opening of the 67th edition of training camp, presented by Bellin Health. Twenty practices are scheduled through Aug. 30.

Training camp visitors are encouraged to use http://www.packers.com/trainingcamp for an all-encompassing guide to daily practice schedules, activities schedules and other important information.

According to the Greater Green Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau and a 2010 study by AECOM, training camp, along with Packers Family Night, presented by Bellin Health, will attract an estimated 100,000 visitors from across the nation and as many as 20 foreign countries from July 26 through the final open practice, Aug. 30. With an economic impact estimated at $10 million, training camp is a financial boost to many area businesses.

Nitschke Field will open 90 minutes prior to the scheduled practice time and will close 30 minutes after the completion of practice. Concessions will be available for purchase. Carry-ins are permitted, but should take up no more room than the space below a person’s feet. Smoking and alcohol are prohibited. More Nitschke Field policies are available online at packers.com/trainingcamp.

The Tundra Tailgate Zone, a free attraction in the parking lot on the stadium’s east side, returns to offer fans climate-controlled tents that will house the Packers Experience presented by Kemps. Other attractions will be located outside the tents.

The Packers Experience presented by Kemps, a popular interactive games area that annually draws thousands, returns for a ninth summer. Free to the public, it begins July 26 and runs through Aug. 30. Hours vary each day, based on the practice schedule and are subject to change. It will be closed July 29 and Aug. 4, 8-10, 15-18 and 22-25. All children 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult or guardian to enter the area. A signed waiver of liability by the minor’s parent or legal guardian is required upon entering and may be downloaded from http://www.packers.com/trainingcamp.

The Future Lambeau Leapers Autograph Building, presented by Cleary Building Corp., is designed specifically for fans ages 12 and younger, and is located in the Tundra Tailgate Zone. The area will give kids the chance to meet players, shake their hands and potentially get autographs. Players will appear in the Cleary building on select dates, the first being July 26 after the 8:15 a.m. workout. For a complete list of dates and times, please visit packers.com/trainingcamp and click the “player interaction” tab. The Arise Health Plan Wellness Headquarters also returns this year as an interactive area to engage fans in healthy living. Other Packers partners will have a presence at camp, too, including: Packer Fan Tours, Packers Pro Shop, the Green Bay Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, DiGiorno, Chili’s, Wendy’s and Cost Cutters. A complimentary camp guide will be available daily at theMilwaukee Journal Sentinel kiosk near the practice field.

The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame is a popular attraction for training camp attendees. Its extended training camp hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday (920/569-7512 hotline).Lambeau Field Stadium Tours feature expanded hours during camp as well (schedules are available online and through the hotline: 920/569-7513). Ticket sales begin at 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. on Sundays. TheLegendary Lambeau Experience, a two-hour walking tour, returns this summer. It features stops in the Lee Remmel Press Box, the network TV broadcast booth and the visitors’ locker room. Included in the tour is an admission pass to the Packers Hall of Fame, a snack on the tour, a Packers souvenir, and a $5 interactive game card for the Curly’s Game Zone at Curly’s Pub.

The Packers Pro Shop also features extended training camp hours: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (8 p.m. on days with night practices) Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (800/992-5750 hotline). Special hours will be in place for Family Night and preseason games. Additionally, the Lambeau Field Atrium will be open to visitors and contains several dining options, includingCurly’s Pub and Frozen in Time, plus two eateries. Curly’s Pub this summer will offer new menu items, including the “Fan vs. Food” combo, which challenges fans to eat a 1 lb. burger, an order of fries and a milkshake to win a victory T-shirt. Check http://www.packers.com/trainingcamp for hours of operation.

A Fan Assistance Kiosk also will be located at Nitschke Field.

Former Head Coach Mike Holmgren will be inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame this summer.

It was announced just this morning that Packers former Head Coach Mike Holmgren, who is now the head man of football operations for the Cleveland Browns, will be inducted into The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame this coming summer.

The 42nd Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will be held Saturday, July 21, in the Lambeau Field Atrium.

We all know what Coach Holmgren brought to the City of Green Bay, the state of Wisconsin and all of Packers Nation. In addition to coaches Vince Lombardi, Curly Lambeau, and current Head Coach Mike McCarthy, Holmgren took the Packers to many NFL Playoff games, including two straight Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XXXI.

The press release issued by the Packers Hall of Fame this morning offers this description of Holmgren:

Holmgren joined the Green Bay Packers in 1992 and enjoyed a spectacular run as head coach through the 1998 season, including a victory in Super Bowl XXXI following the 1996 campaign. Launching his success with a 9-7 record in ’92, a five-game improvement from the year before, Holmgren led the team to a 84-42 overall record (75-37 regular season; 9-5 postseason); seven consecutive winning seasons, the first such skein since the 1960s; a club-record six consecutive playoff berths; a 47-5 record, including playoffs, in Lambeau Field; a club-record 25 consecutive home-field victories, the second-longest such streak in NFL history; 13 regular-season wins in consecutive years (1996-97) for the first time in team history; three straight NFC Championship Game appearances (1995-97), including back-to-back wins (1996-97); and back-to-back Super Bowl appearances (1996-97), the last such feat by an NFC team.

His overall win total, 84, is the third most in franchise history, trailing only Curly Lambeau, 212, and Vince Lombardi, 98. His winning percentage, .667, is tied with Lambeau for the second best in team history, behind only the .766 mark of Lombardi. With at least one postseason win in five consecutive seasons (1993-97), Holmgren is one of only three coaches in NFL history to have achieved the mark, along with John Madden (Oakland, 1973-77) and Bill Belichick (New England, 2003-07).

His 1996 Super Bowl championship team led the league in both points scored (456) and points allowed (210), becoming one of only 12 teams in NFL history to accomplish the feat and the first since 1972.

Tickets for the banquet, which begins with the doors opening at 4:30 p.m. with a cash bar, and dinner and program to follow at 7 p.m., are $135 each. Tables of 10 also are available for $1,300 and are assigned in the order in which they are purchased. Early reservations are recommended. To purchase tickets, call Gwen Borga at (920) 965-6984, or e-mail her at gwenb@packershalloffame.com.

No refunds are available 30 days prior to the event.

Lombardiave.com offers our congratulations to Coach Holmgren and his family. We also welcome him back to Green Bay as a permanent member of the franchise’s family.