Opening weekend at the 2006 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) yielded strong attendance.  Public Days began Saturday, Jan. 14 with 95,662 attendees and continued to gain momentum with more than 245,000 total visitors by Sunday evening.

"We are not surprised about the tremendous excitement and great turnout for NAIAS 2006," said Robert Thibodeau Jr., 2006 NAIAS Co-Chairman.  "The show is bigger and better than ever, with 60 percent new exhibits and more than 60 new vehicle introductions that will drive your senses wild.  If you didn't make it to the show during opening weekend, you still have plenty of time to experience everything this exciting show has to offer."

Public Days for NAIAS 2006 run through Saturday, Jan. 21 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 22 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.  There will be no admittance one hour prior to show closing.

Just a few of the attractions to be experienced at the NAIAS include the following:

  • Free Bumper Car rides are available at the Allstate exhibit
  • Visitors also can enter a raffle to win tickets to the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR race.  The tickets include two-night accommodations
  • Dodge Hemi engine shifting simulator and interactive Dodge simulator
  • Ford  - Xbox 360 game console available for the public to play
  • Jeep - Get your game on at the Xbox gaming station featuring the "Tony Hawk" game
  • Subaru - Exhibit features "The Real Driving Simulator" PlayStation 2, which is an interactive driving simulator that lets you feel each turn and bump on the course.
  • Mini - Exhibit features a DJ spinning hot beats to keep the party and show excitement going; a racecar game where participants sit in an actual racecar that moves around as the screen does; an interactive Ping-Pong game; and visitors can take a picture in a Mini and e-mail it to friends directly from the show.
  • Volkswagen - A GTI Powerslider simulation that moves back and forth as you play the game as well as a relaxing hangout full of beanbags and headsets for listening to music.

Ticket prices for Public Days are $12 for adults; $6 for senior citizens 65 and older (must be purchased onsite) and children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a parent and do not require a ticket.