The Chicago Auto Show is the nation’s most attended car show of the year. Each February, McCormick Place in downtown Chicago hosts this annual event. The show displays over 1000 different vehicles, along with collector cars, antiques, accessories and more. If you’re an auto enthusiast, you’ll want to start planning this trip for auto lovers today starting with these tips.
The Essentials
The 2019 Chicago Auto Show will be held February 9-18. It is hosted by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, the nation’s oldest and largest metropolitan dealer organization
First staged in 1901, the Chicago Auto Show is the largest auto show in North America and has been held more times than any other auto exposition on the continent. This year marks the 111th edition of the Chicago Auto Show. The Chicago Auto Show utilizes more than 1 million square feet in the North and South Exhibit Halls of the McCormick Place complex. McCormick Place offers a total of 2.7 million square feet of exhibit halls with an additional 700,000 square feet of meeting room availability.
The show is open daily 10 am to 10 pm, except the last day where it closes at 8 pm. Tickets are available online or for purchase in person the days of the show. The Auto Show hosts special themed days during the exhibition. They include Women’s Day, Hispanic Heritage Day, Family Day, and a Food Drive Day.
Things to Do
In addition to pursuing the displays, the show offers numerous interactive exhibits. From riding with a professional driver to testing the vehicles yourself, there are many options to enhance your experience.
This year we have 3 indoor test tracks. There is the Camp Jeep Test Track where you can climb into an all-new Wrangler and other Jeep products and have a professional driver take you through their exhilarating obstacle course. Toyota’s indoor test track features the all-new Toyota Camry. New this year is the Kia indoor test track featuring Sorento and Sportage. Additionally, there are 6 outdoor test drive opportunities.
There are also virtual reality displays, kids activities, and countless photo opportunities! Yes, this is the perfect trip for auto lovers of all ages!
Where to Stay
If you are traveling to Chicago for the Chicago Auto Show, there are two partner hotels to choose from. The closest place to stay is the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. It is one of the official hotels for the 2019 Chicago Auto Show. It has a convenient location attached to the Exhibit Halls. This makes it ideal for avoiding the chilly winter temperatures when traveling to and from the show. For a more luxury option, the Waldorf Astoria Chicago is another partner hotel of the show.
Located in Chicago’s Gold Coast, the Waldorf Astoria Chicago creates a new experience in luxury – energetic and fashion-forward, warm and welcoming, fresh and engaging – through innovations in service and technology. Each of the hotel’s 215 spacious guestrooms and suites boast elegantly modern furnishings, cozy fireplaces, marble bathrooms with soaking tubs, vanities with inset LCD televisions and Rivolta Carmignani Italian bed linens. When staying at the hotel make plans to visit James Beard Award Winning Chef Michael Mina’s Margeaux Brasserie. Margeaux offers traditional French fine-dining and serves breakfast, weekend brunch and dinner. Make time to visit our award winning spa and health club expanding over 14,000 square feet and offering a wide-ranging menu of personalized services as well as a nail spa, relaxation areas and a fitness facility complete with Pilates and Gyrotonics studio.
Either of these official partner hotels would certainly make an excellent staging place for your trip for auto lovers. Want more options? Try these luxury hotels in Chicago.
Be sure to start planning your trip for auto lovers now. If a trip to the Chicago Auto Show sounds like your perfect vacation, you’ll also enjoy Make Your Travel Plans for These Automotive Shows.
