CME/CBOT trading floor map

These maps show the trading pit current configuration with the combined pits of when the CME moved into the CBOT trading floor in late 2008. For those that have never visited the CBOT, there are two rooms one of which trades the grains and has held the same basic configuration for over a decade and the financial room where most of the legacy CME products now trade. As the trading floor population continues to thin, it's now quite easy to fit these pits together and/or subdivide them. If you click on the photos, you can read the labels easier.

Pork belly pit 1969

This photo is from an newspaper archive from 1969 (50th anniversary of the CME) and shows the pork belly pit.

CME Opening 1928

The following booklet is from the 1928 opening of the CME building and is probably the only remaining copy in existence. In honor of this rare piece, I present it in it's entirety and as usual you must click on the photos for them to enlarge. The building was torn down in the early 2000s but the stone reliefs on the exterior were salvaged and remain on display at the CME.

CME emini S&P 500 ad from 1997

This ad celebrates the 1997 launch of the e-mini S&P 500 contract which ironically was trading at the same price this year as it did on it's launch over a decade ago.

CBOT trading pit photo from 1900

This photo of the CBOT grain pits was taken in 1900 and my scanner couldn't fit the entire photo on but most of it is there, click on the picture for better detail. My copy dates from that era and is on an old cardboard stock. Also note that the tables in the foreground were used for physical inspection of small batches of grain.

Trading pit patent

In 1878, Ruben S. Jennings received US Patent # 203837 for the trading pit. Soon thereafter, Jennings proceeded to sue financial exchanges such as the CBOT for it's use and the result was that Jennings lost and his patent was invalidated.