It was announced today that Chicago will host the 2015 NFL Draft. Thus ends New York City’s 50-year streak as the draft’s host. This will be the eighth time that Chicago has hosted the draft. The last time was back in December of 1963 (1964 Draft). Ironically that was also the last time the draft was held in a city other than New York.

List of NFL Draft Locations

Draft	Date(s)	Location	Venue
1936	February 8, 1936	Philadelphia, PA	Ritz-Carlton Hotel
1937	December 12, 1936	New York, NY	Hotel Lincoln
1938	December 11, 1937	Chicago, IL	Hotel Sherman
1939	December 9, 1938	New York, NY	New Yorker Hotel
Draft	Date(s)	Location	Venue
1940	December 9, 1939	Milwaukee, WI	Schroeder Hotel
1941	December 10, 1940	Washington, DC	Willard Hotel
1942	December 21, 1941	Chicago, IL	Palmer House
1943	April 8, 1943	Chicago, IL	Palmer House
1944	April 19, 1944	Philadelphia, PA	Warwick Hotel
1945	April 6, 1945	New York, NY	Hotel Commodore
1946	January 14, 1946	New York, NY	Hotel Commodore
1947	December 16, 1946	New York, NY	Hotel Commodore
1948	December 19, 1947	Pittsburgh, PA	Fort Pitt Hotel
Note: Moved from Chicago, IL.
1949	November 15, 1948	Pittsburgh, PA	Hotel Schenley
Note: Secret draft meeting.
1949	December 21, 1948	Philadelphia, PA	Bellevue-Stratford Hotel
Draft	Date(s)	Location	Venue
1950	November 7, 1949	Philadelphia, PA	Racquet Club of Philadelphia
Note: Draft meeting before the AAFC merger.
1950	January 21, 1950	Philadelphia, PA	Bellevue-Stratford Hotel
Note: Draft meeting after the AAFC merger.
1951	January 18-19, 1951	Chicago, IL	Blackstone Hotel
1952	January 17, 1952	New York, NY	Hotel Statler
1953	January 22, 1953	Philadelphia, PA	Bellevue-Stratford Hotel
1954	January 28, 1954	Philadelphia, PA	Bellevue-Stratford Hotel
1955	January 27-28, 1955	New York, NY	Warwick New York
1956	November 28, 1955	Philadelphia, PA	Bellevue-Stratford Hotel
Note: Rounds 1-3
1956	January 17-18, 1956	Los Angeles, CA	Ambassador Hotel
Note: Rounds 4-30
1957	November 26, 1956	Philadelphia, PA	Warwick Hotel
Note: Rounds 1-4
1957	January 31, 1957	Philadelphia, PA	Bellevue-Stratford Hotel
Note: Rounds 5-30
1958	December 2, 1957	Philadelphia, PA	Warwick Hotel
Note: Rounds 1-4
1958	January 28, 1958	Philadelphia, PA	Warwick Hotel
Note: Rounds 5-30
1959	December 1, 1958	Philadelphia, PA	Warwick Hotel
Note: Rounds 1-4
1959	January 21, 1959	Philadelphia, PA	Warwick Hotel
Note: Rounds 5-30
Draft	Date(s)	Location	Venue
1960	November 30, 1959	Philadelphia, PA	Warwick Hotel
1961	December 27-28, 1960	Philadelphia, PA	Warwick Hotel
1962	December 4, 1961	Chicago, IL	Sheraton Chicago Hotel
1963	December 3, 1962	Chicago, IL	Sheraton Chicago Hotel
1964	December 2, 1963	Chicago, IL	Sheraton Chicago Hotel
1965	November 28, 1964	New York, NY	Summit Hotel
1966	November 27, 1965	New York, NY	Summit Hotel
1967	March 14, 1967	New York, NY	Gotham Hotel
1968	January 30-31, 1968	New York, NY	Belmont Plaza Hotel
1969	January 28-29, 1969	New York, NY	Belmont Plaza Hotel
Draft	Date(s)	Location	Venue
1970	January 27-28, 1970	New York, NY	Belmont Plaza Hotel
1971	January 28-29, 1971	New York, NY	Belmont Plaza Hotel
1972	February 1-2, 1972	New York, NY	Essex House
1973	January 30-31, 1973	New York, NY	Americana Hotel
1974	January 29-30, 1974	New York, NY	Americana Hotel
1975	January 28-29, 1975	New York, NY	The Hilton at Rockefeller Center
1976	April 8-9, 1976	New York, NY	Roosevelt Hotel
1977	May 3-4, 1977	New York, NY	Roosevelt Hotel
1978	May 2-3, 1978	New York, NY	Roosevelt Hotel
1979	May 3-4, 1979	New York, NY	Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
Draft	Date(s)	Location	Venue
1980	April 29-30, 1980	New York, NY	New York Sheraton Hotel
1981	April 28-29, 1981	New York, NY	New York Sheraton Hotel
1982	April 27-28, 1982	New York, NY	New York Sheraton Hotel
1983	April 26-27, 1983	New York, NY	New York Sheraton Hotel
1984	May 1-2, 1984	New York, NY	Omni Park Central Hotel ¹
1985	April 30-May 1, 1985	New York, NY	Omni Park Central Hotel ¹
1986	April 29-30, 1986	New York, NY	Marriott Marquis
1987	April 28-29, 1987	New York, NY	Marriott Marquis
1988	April 24-25, 1988	New York, NY	Marriott Marquis
1989	April 23-24, 1989	New York, NY	Marriott Marquis
¹ Formerly the New York Sheraton Hotel.
Draft	Date(s)	Location	Venue
1990	April 22-23, 1990	New York, NY	Marriott Marquis
1991	April 21-22, 1991	New York, NY	Marriott Marquis
1992	April 26-27, 1992	New York, NY	Marriott Marquis
1993	April 25-26, 1993	New York, NY	Marriott Marquis
1994	April 24-25, 1994	New York, NY	Marriott Marquis
1995	April 22-23, 1995	New York, NY	The Theater at Madison Square Garden
1996	April 20-21, 1996	New York, NY	The Theater at Madison Square Garden
1997	April 19-20, 1997	New York, NY	The Theater at Madison Square Garden
1998	April 18-19, 1998	New York, NY	The Theater at Madison Square Garden
1999	April 17-18. 1999	New York, NY	The Theater at Madison Square Garden
Draft	Date(s)	Location	Venue
2000	April 15-16, 2000	New York, NY	The Theater at Madison Square Garden
2001	April 21-22, 2001	New York, NY	The Theater at Madison Square Garden
2002	April 20-21, 2002	New York, NY	The Theater at Madison Square Garden
2003	April 26-27, 2003	New York, NY	The Theater at Madison Square Garden
2004	April 24-25, 2004	New York, NY	The Theater at Madison Square Garden
2005	April 23-24, 2005	New York, NY	Javits Convention Center
2006	April 29-30, 2006	New York, NY	Radio City Music Hall
2007	April 28-29, 2007	New York, NY	Radio City Music Hall
2008	April 26-27, 2008	New York, NY	Radio City Music Hall
2009	April 25-26, 2009	New York, NY	Radio City Music Hall
Draft	Date(s)	Location	Venue
2010	April 22-24, 2010	New York, NY	Radio City Music Hall
2011	April 28-30, 2011	New York, NY	Radio City Music Hall
2012	April 26-28, 2012	New York, NY	Radio City Music Hall
2013	April 25-27, 2013	New York, NY	Radio City Music Hall
2014	May 8-10, 2014	New York, NY	Radio City Music Hall
2015	April 30-May 2, 2015	Chicago, IL	Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt U.

The NFL draft has been held at 31 different venues. The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City has been the most frequent host; ten drafts from 1995-2004.

NFL Draft Venues Sorted by Drafts Hosted

Venue	City	Drafts Held	Last Draft
The Theater at Madison Square Garden	New York, NY	10	2004
Marriott Marquis	New York, NY	9	1994
Radio City Music Hall	New York, NY	9	2014
Warwick Hotel	Philadelphia, PA	8	1961
Bellevue-Stratford Hotel	Philadelphia, PA	6	1957
New York Sheraton Hotel (1980-83)	New York, NY	6	1985
Omni Park Central Hotel (1984-85)
Belmont Plaza Hotel	New York, NY	4	1971
Sheraton Chicago Hotel	Chicago, IL	3	1964
Hotel Commodore	New York, NY	3	1947
Roosevelt Hotel	New York, NY	3	1978
Americana Hotel (1973-74)	New York, NY	2	1974
Palmer House	Chicago, IL	2	1943
Summit Hotel	New York, NY	2	1966
Blackstone Hotel	Chicago, IL	1	1951
Hotel Sherman	Chicago, IL	1	1938
Ambassador Hotel	Los Angeles, CA	1	1956
Schroeder Hotel	Milwaukee, WI	1	1940
Essex House	New York, NY	1	1972
Gotham Hotel	New York, NY	1	1967
Hotel Lincoln	New York, NY	1	1937
Hotel Statler	New York, NY	1	1952
Javits Convention Center	New York, NY	1	2005
New Yorker Hotel	New York, NY	1	1939
The Hilton at Rockefeller Center	New York, NY	1	1975
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel	New York, NY	1	1979
Warwick New York	New York, NY	1	1955
Racquet Club of Philadelphia	Philadelphia, PA	1	1950
Ritz-Carlton Hotel	Philadelphia, PA	1	1936
Fort Pitt Hotel	Pittsburgh, PA	1	1948
Hotel Schenley	Pittsburgh, PA	1	1949
Willard Hotel	Washington, DC	1	1941

What about the other major professional football leagues? Listed below are the locations where the All-America Football Conference and American Football League hosted their drafts.

AAFC Draft Locations

Draft	Date(s)	Location	Venue
1946	January 4-6 ?, 1946	Chicago, IL	Blackstone Hotel
Note: “Limited” draft meeting.
1947	December 20-21, 1946	Cleveland, OH	Hotel Cleveland
1948	December 16, 1946	New York, NY	Hotel Commodore
1949	July 8, 1948	Chicago, IL	?
Note: Secret two-round draft meeting.
1949	December 21, 1948	Cleveland, OH	Carter Hotel
1950	December 15-16, 1949	Houston TX	Shamrock Hotel
Note: Draft cancelled after NFL merger.

AFL Draft Locations

Draft	Date(s)	Location	Venue
1960	November 23, 1959	Minneapolis, MN	Nicollet Hotel
Note: 264 players drafted.
1960	December 2, 1959	Dallas, TX	?
Note: 161 players drafted.
1961	November 21-22, 1960	-	-
Note: Rounds 1-6 conducted by telephone.
1961	December 5-6, 1960	Dallas, TX	Statler-Hilton Hotel
Note: Rounds 7-30
1962	November, 1961	-	-
Note: Secret draft conducted by telephone. Later voided.
1962	December 2, 1961	Dallas, TX	Statler-Hilton Hotel
1963	December 1, 1962	Dallas, TX	Statler-Hilton Hotel
1964	November 30, 1963	New York, NY	Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
1965	November, 1964	-	-
Note: Secret draft conducted by telephone.
1965	November 28, 1964	New York, NY	Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
1966	November 2, 1965	New York, NY	?
Note: Secret draft meeting.
1966	November 27, 1965	New York, NY	Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

Sources: Click here to view the media sources I used to compile these lists.