Join Us in Chicago

The 139th annual meeting of the American Historical Association will be held Thursday through Sunday, January 8–11, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois. The online program will be posted on the AHA website in mid-September, and members can look forward to receiving the printed program in mid-November. A meeting app will also be available for smartphones and tablets. Annual meeting sessions and events are scheduled at the Hilton Chicago Hotel and the Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel. Rooms will also be available at the Blackstone Hotel (Marriott Autograph Collection). Registration includes free bus transportation between the hotels.

Preregistration begins in late September. The lower preregistration rates will be in effect through December 15; after that, the higher on-site rates apply. Registration will be available online from September 22 until the end of the meeting, and in person beginning at 11:00 a.m. on January 8 in Salon B at the Hilton Chicago.

Admission to the Exhibit Hall requires a 2026 meeting registration badge.

Hotel reservations: Attendees will make hotel reservations though the AHA’s housing service, Maritz. Reservations can be made online or by calling a toll-free number, beginning September 15. AHA rates are available three days before and after the meeting dates, depending on availability. See the AHA website for detailed information.

The last day to make or change reservations through the housing service is December 16, 2025. After that date, rooms will be available at the AHA’s convention rates on a space-available basis, and all reservations, changes, and cancellations must be made directly with the hotels. Hotel no-show policies will apply for reservations not canceled at least 72 hours before the first night’s stay.

Health and safety: The AHA and our meeting hotels are working together to follow public health best practices to make meeting attendance as safe as possible. We expect that all attendees will be vaccinated for COVID-19 at the time of the meeting. Attendees should comply with all health and safety rules and guidelines established by the AHA, the CDC, the conference hotels, and the local government.

Group meetings and reunions: Societies and groups that have not already made arrangements to hold receptions or other meetings should send requests for room space as soon as possible to annualmeeting@historians.org.

Resolutions for the business meeting must be submitted to the office of the executive director by October 1, to allow time for publication. They must be in proper parliamentary form; must be signed by members of the Association in good standing at the time of submission, and by at least 2 percent of the total Association membership as of the end of the previous fiscal year (213 people); must not be more than 300 words in length, including any introductory material; and must deal with a matter of concern to the Association or to the discipline of history. Such resolutions must be in accord with the Association’s Guiding Principles on Taking a Public Stance at historians.org/public-stance. Signatures in support of such resolutions must be collected no earlier than January 1, 2025. Resolutions submitted by the deadline, and meeting the criteria for consideration, shall be published in the November issue of Perspectives on History. For complete information about business resolutions, please consult the AHA Bylaws at historians.org/constitution.

ASL interpretation: The AHA offers complimentary sign-interpreting service upon request to our attendees. Please notify the AHA of the sessions you plan to attend and register for the meeting by November 1, 2025. This service is also available upon request for the presidential address and business meeting. Please submit requests to annualmeeting@historians.org by November 1, 2025.

 

Hotel and Rate Information

1. Hilton Chicago (co-hdqrs.)
720 S. Michigan Ave.

Single: $129
Double: $129
Triple: $154
Quadruple: $179

2. Palmer House Hilton (co-hdqrs.)
17 E. Monroe St.

Single: $129
Double: $129
Triple: $154
Quadruple: $179

3. Blackstone Hotel
636 S. Michigan Ave.

Single: $129
Double: $129
Triple: $149
Quadruple: $169

Rates are subject to hotel occupancy tax and will be honored three days before and three days after the official meeting dates of January 8–11 based on availability. No additional destination fee will be charged. Information on booking a room at the discounted rate is available at historians.org/hotels.

Dates and Deadlines

September 15              Housing opens.

September 22              Preregistration opens.

September 30              Deadline to submit membership dues and address changes in order to receive the program in the mail.

November 5                Program mailed to members.

December 15               Last day for preregistration pricing.

December 15               Deadline to submit registration refund requests.

December 16               Last day to make hotel reservations through the housing service. Subsequent reservations taken on a space-available basis at the convention rate.

January 8, 2026           Annual meeting opens at 11:00 a.m. Exhibit Hall opens January 9, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in Salon A at the Hilton Chicago.

Meeting Registration

Take advantage of reduced rates by preregistering for the conference. Make sure your membership is up to date so you can enjoy member pricing at each level. Register online at historians.org/myaha.

Attendee

Preregistration (Member): $269
After Dec. 15 (Member): $312
Preregistration (Nonmember): $404
After Dec. 15 (Nonmember): $476

Speaker

Preregistration (Member): $269
After Dec. 15 (Member): $312
Preregistration (Nonmember): $269
After Dec. 15 (Nonmember): $312

Student

Preregistration (Member): $126
After Dec. 15 (Member): $145
Preregistration (Nonmember): $177
After Dec. 15 (Nonmember): $209

Un-/Underemployed

Preregistration (Member): $79
After Dec. 15 (Member): $92
Preregistration (Nonmember): $192
After Dec. 15 (Nonmember): $224

Retired

Preregistration (Member): $155
After Dec. 15 (Member): $177
Preregistration (Nonmember): $229
After Dec. 15 (Nonmember): $266

K–12 Teacher

Preregistration (Member): $133
After Dec. 15 (Member): $149
Preregistration (Nonmember): $199
After Dec. 15 (Nonmember): $229

Bring your Graduate/Undergraduate/K–12 student discount

For members only. Add students to your registration for only $25 each ($35 on-site). Bring as many high school, undergraduate, and graduate students as you want for only $25 each!

Advance registration must be completed by midnight EST on December 15, 2025. Thereafter, on-site rates will apply. Everyone attending the meeting is expected to register. Admission to the Exhibit Hall requires a registration badge. Special note for speakers: All US-based historians presenting on AHA sessions must be AHA members, and all participants must register.

Advance registrants who are unable to attend the meeting may request a refund of their registration fee. Refund requests must be emailed to ltownsend@historians.org by December 15, 2025, and will incur a $20 fee. Refunds will not be processed after that date.

Book a Room and Save $50

Reserve a hotel room in the AHA block through the AHA housing service, Maritz, before registering for the meeting and receive a $50 discount off meeting registration. (You will not receive a discount refund if you register before booking a room.)