Chicago - Merchandise Mart

The gigantic Merchandise Mart, which belonged to the Kennedy family until 1998, is found 550yd/500m west of Marina City in River North. This furniture and building materials "supermarket", originally built in 1928 and since then repeatedly enlarged, now has no fewer than 1800 showrooms. It was extended in 1991 by the addition of a large shopping mall.

There is more than four million square feet of retail and exhibition space within the facility walls. Most of the areas are off limits to the public, catering only to design professionals and authorized buyers. It hosts numerous trade shows and conferences throughout the year.