Chicago Auto Show

About This Event

The Chicago Auto Show is North America's biggest auto show under one roof, full stop — nine days at McCormick Place, every manufacturer's newest models, EV test tracks indoors, and the kind of new-car smell you can't get anywhere else in the city. Weekday mornings are the move if you actually want room to walk around; opening weekend draws a serious crowd.

It's also the oldest continuously-run auto show in North America. The first one was staged in March 1901 at the old Chicago Coliseum by Samuel Miles, a promoter who'd previously run bicycle shows — a field of just ten vehicles (five electric, three steam, two gasoline) with an indoor test track that got scrapped the following year once more exhibitors needed the floor space. The Chicago Automobile Trade Association took over producing it in 1935, and the show moved into McCormick Place in 1961, where it's been ever since.

Worth knowing before you go: tickets run $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and kids 4–12, free under 3, with weekday and first-responder discounts available — check the show's own ticket page rather than assuming one price applies every day. Hours vary by day too, so confirm before driving down.