The best flea markets in Chicago

This European-style vintage market, which takes place on select dates throughout the year, sets itself apart with one word: variety. There's something for everyone (with varying indoor and outdoor markets between West Loop, Ravenswood and Highland Park). We're talking furnishings, vintage clothing, jewelry, collectibles and more. Don't sleep on the Randolph Street Holiday Market—popping up in Plumbers Hall in November and December—to shop for one-of-a-kind gifts for friends, family and especially yourself.

This street market dates all the way back to 1900, when immigrant families would sell goods out of pushcarts. Today, the market has been moved and reestablished, but it remains an international experience of bargain hunting. Shop all kinds of merchandise—from furniture to clothes, household items, collectibles and more to the tune of a DJ and other live street performances. Even if scouring flea markets isn't your thing, the Mexican food alone is worth the trip. 

Take a mini road trip up north to the Lake County Fairgrounds to get your flea fix. This Grayslake market boasts tons of antique and vintage finds—from mid-century furniture to fine jewels, vintage timepieces, rustic furniture, apparel and more. Thanks to its proximity to the Wisconsin border, Grayslake Flea Market hosts vendors from both Illinois and our neighbors to the north, ensuring maximum variety in both inventory and price. 

As the “First Name in Flea Markets,” Swap-O-Rama is packed with hundreds of vendors selling thousands of items. There are locations in Back of the Yards, Melrose Park and Alsip, and for an entrance fee of only $1 on weekends, you can shop for anything from secondhand bikes to kitchenware to laptops. More than 25,000 visitors come every weekend, searching for any trinket, tchotchke or knickknack imaginable. Plus, it's the only flea market we know with an accompanying weekly podcast!

If you can withstand the roar of O'Hare traffic and incoming 747s (plus, you know, the trek along the Kennedy—Chicago's most maddening freeway), you'll find some of the best deals in greater Chicagoland at this flea market outside of Allstate Arena. Pick up odd trinkets or bulk candy and potato chips, plus clothing, housewares, furniture, jewelry and collectibles. This flea market is a favorite among pro vintage buyers, so you know there are some great finds to be had at a fraction of city prices. Come equipped with your best bargaining skills—haggling is fair game here.

This weekly flea market in Humboldt Park hosts over 100 local vendors offering a range of homeware, clothing and antiques. Every weekend from 8am to 5pm, shoppers can peruse to their heart's content at the climate-controlled venue (air-conditioned in the summer, heated in the winter). Along with hot dogs and ice cream, the market's food court offers a wide variety of authentic Mexican candies and snacks including abletos, churros and tortas.

For almost 60 years, Kane County Flea Market has maintained a reputation for being one of the best bazaars in the country. Midwesterners flock from all over to shop this massive, monthly indoor-outdoor market at Kane County Fairgrounds for deals on vintage furniture, jewelry, antiques and other one-of-a-kind wares. It won't take you long to realize why Kane County Flea calls itself “best in the Midwest or anywhere.”