Travel Downtown Aurora and the Entire Metro Chicago Area of Illinois

Plan your trip and stay close to all the area attractions.

Paramount Theatre | Raging Waves Waterpark | RiverEdge Park

Enjoy museums, natural parks, and historic trails. Treat yourself and your loved ones to great area dining, nightly entertainment and family fun throughout Aurora and the metro Chicago area. Best of all, you are just minutes away from most everything when you stay at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Aurora - Naperville, Illinois.

Bring the family or with a couple and stay in comfort in our Aurora hotel. Be near major transit routes for easy access to our sister cities nearby. Our hotel serves the areas of Naperville, Oswego, Batavia, Montgomery, Geneva, St. Charles, Yorkville, Plano, North Aurora and Sugar Grove. Easy access to the Metra train station for a fun ride to Downtown Chicago.

Looking for night life or outdoor country fun? The Aurora area offers a wide variety of year-round and seasonal attractions. Below is a list of year-round attractions.

African-American Heritage Museum & Black Veterans Archives

Dr. Smith has developed a powerful and artistic vision and a huge body of work based on the Black experience. The mixed media works chronicle both well-known and obscure events in African-American history. Self-guided tours 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. daily.
126 S. Kendall Avenue
Aurora, IL
(815) 968-9770

Air Classics Museum of Aviation

Vintage military and training planes, plus displays of aviation uniforms and memorabilia.
Aurora Municipal Airport
43W776 Route 30, Sugar Grove
(630) 466-0888
Call for information.

Aurora Downtown

Cell phone walking tour, self-guided tour of Aurora's historic downtown. Tour brochures are available at the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
(630) 844-8066

Aurora Fastpitch Softball Association

Don't miss out on AFSA's great softball action and family-oriented fun at the Stuart Sports Complex. For a schedule of upcoming games and admission prices, call (630) 892-BALL.
Stuart Sports Complex
Jericho Road between Orchard Road and Route 47
Aurora, IL

Aurora Regional Fire Museum

Now open after a $750,000 renovation with new displays of vintage firefighting equipment, memorabilia of the 1871 Chicago Fire, thousands of photographs and gift shop.
New York Street and Broadway
Aurora, IL
(630) 892-1572
www.auroraregionalfiremuseum.org

Ballydoyle Irish Pub & Restaurant

Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Aurora
28 W. New York Street
Aurora, Illinois 60506
(630) 844-0400
www.ballydoylepub.com

Batavia Depot Museum

Housed in an 1854 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad depot, the museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and comes alive with historic exhibits on rail transportation, windmills and the settlement of Batavia.
155 Houston Street
Batavia, IL
(630) 406-5274
www.bataviahistoricalsociety.org

Batavia Riverwalk

As the centerpiece of downtown Batavia, the Riverwalk features a wild flower sanctuary, Batavia-manufactured windmills and grand views of the Fox River.
Corner of Houston Street and Island Avenue
Batavia, IL
(630) 879-5235

Blackberry Farm's Pioneer Village

Part amusement park and part museum, Blackberry Farm's Pioneer Village is an authentic 19th century farm and village featuring pioneer craft shops and demos, a discovery barn with petting zoo and pony, hay and miniature train rides. The park also features an old-fashioned carousel, as well as carriage, farm and "early streets" museums.
100 S. Barnes Road
Aurora, IL
(630) 892-1550
www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org

Chicago Premium Outlets

Features 120 designer and name brand outlet stores with savings of 25% to 65% every day.
1650 Premium Outlets Boulevard (I-88 and North Farnsworth Avenue)
Aurora, IL
(630) 585-2200
www.premiumoutlets.com/chicago

David L. Pierce Art & History Center

Discover the "City of Lights" by viewing the Aurora Historical Society's collection of photographs, books, maps and other memorabilia. The Aurora Public Art Commission hosts six to eight rotating exhibits displaying a full spectrum of innovative visual arts.
20 E. Downer Place
Aurora, IL
(630) 906-0650 or (630) 906-0654

Fabyan Windmill

Considered to be the best example of an authentic Dutch Windmill in the United States, the 68-foot, 5-story windmill was originally built by German craftsman Louis Backhaus between 1850 and 1860.
Fabyan Forest Preserve on Route 25
Geneva, IL
(630) 232-4811

The Farnsworth House Estate

Designed by renowned architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the Farnsworth House stands several feet off the ground overlooking the Fox River on painted steel trusses. It is essentially a glass box of sculptural simplicity. This 61-acre site is integral to the preservation effort, especially since a state park surrounds it on three sides.
14520 River Road
Plano, IL
(630) 552-0052
www.farnsworthhouse.org

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Site of the world's most powerful particle accelerator where particles circle the four-mile ring 57,000 times each second. Restored prairie grass areas, historic barns, self-guided tours and a buffalo herd.
Kirk Road at Pine Street
Batavia, IL
(630) 840-3351

Fox Valley Mall

The area's largest shopping destination with more than 180 stores anchored by Macy's, Carson Pirie Scott, JCPenney and Sears.
195 Fox Valley Center
Aurora, IL
(630) 851-7200
www.shopfoxvalleymall.com

Grand Army of the Republic Hall

Built in 1877, this Gothic Revival building is undergoing a two-year renovation. The military memorabilia collection is housed at the David L. Pierce Art & History Center.
23 E. Downer Place
Aurora, IL
(630) 906-0654

Higher Education and Scenic Campuses

Waubonsee Community College campus includes interpretive trails with prairie grasses, native plants and animals. Aurora University boasts a beautiful quad and features the Schingoethe Center and the Dunham Gallery of student art. Aurora is also home to the Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA), an internationally-recognized pioneering educational institution. IMSA was named among the top 10 public high schools nationwide in a recent Wall Street Journal ranking.
www.waubonsee.edu
www.aurora.edu
www.imsa.edu

Hollywood Casino Aurora

The area's best gaming facility with slots, blackjack, Caribbean stud poker, craps, live poker, roulette and mini baccarat, is now bigger and better than before. Enjoy over 53,000 sq. ft. of gaming space and the finest air quality in Chicagoland. The pavilion has two restaurants and an astounding collection of movie memorabilia. See props from "Twister," "Star Wars" and "The Blues Brothers" as well as cars from "The Untouchables" and "Wayne's World."
1 New York Street Bridge
Aurora, IL
(630) 801-1234 or (800) 888-7777
www.hollywoodcasinoaurora.com

Kane County Cougars

This Class A professional baseball team plays at Elfstrom Stadium every summer. Join Ozzie the Cougar in cheering for the home team!
Philip B. Elfstrom Stadium
34W002 Cherry Lane
Geneva, IL
(630) 232-8811

Heritage Hall & Chapel on the Green

Dating back to 1855, the chapel is Kendall County's oldest church building and is adorned with stained glass windows and a restored 1899 pipe organ. The adjacent hall houses local artifacts including photographs, maps and clothing.
107 W. Center Street
Yorkville, IL
(630) 553-6777

Lyon Farm and Village

The farm and village have 15 historic buildings that trace the history of Kendall County. Learn about native prairie grasses found around the farm and enjoy a variety of history-oriented special events.
Route 71
Yorkville, IL
(630) 553-6777
www.kchs.us/page2.htm

Paramount Theatre

Home to "Broadway in the Burbs," this lovingly restored Art Deco movie palace presents live entertainment by world-class performers, plays, touring musicals and other special events.
23 E. Galena Boulevard
Aurora, IL
(630) 896-6666
www.theparamounttheatre.com

Phillips Park

Located on over 325 acres, popular attractions include the new Visitors Center & Mastodon Gallery, the Sunken Garden, an 18-hole golf course/driving range, the zoo, a 28-acre fishing lake with a 1-mile multiple use trail, war memorials, and the Winter Recreation Area. Accessible from Howell Place off Montgomery Road or Wyeth Drive off Smith Boulevard.
Ray Moses Drive
Aurora, IL
(630) 898-7228
www.aurora-il.org

Phillips Park Zoo

Established in 1915, the zoo is open daily, year-round and admission is free. Exhibits include bald eagles, alligators, wolves, foxes, otters, elk, goats, llamas, turkeys and peacocks.
Phillips Park
Aurora, IL
(630) 978-4700
www.aurora-il.org

Raging Waves

Raging Waves, Chicagoland's newest and largest waterpark, is located in suburban Yorkville, Illinois, on Highway 47 - just 45 minutes west of the Chicago Loop.
4000 N. Bridge Street
Yorkville, IL 60560
(630) 882-6575
www.ragingwaves.com

Red Oak Nature Center

A visit to the center will help folks learn about the native plants and animals of the Fox River Valley. Interpretive center, hiking trails and tours of "Devil's Cave".
2343 S. River (Route 25)
North Aurora, IL
(630) 897-1808
www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org

RiverEdge Park

Located in the heart of Aurora, RiverEdge Park is the perfect blend of natural beauty and urban life that features event space, garden market, outdoor performance venue, environmental center and access to the beautiful Fox River.
360 N. Broadway
Aurora, IL
(630) 896-6666
riveredgeaurora.com

Schingoethe Center for Native American Cultures

A rotating collection of historic and contemporary Native American arts, crafts and artifacts from indigenous peoples stretching from the Woodlands to the Pacific Northwest. While you're visiting, stop by the Dunham Gallery featuring student and local artists.
Aurora University
Dunham Hall, Randall Road at Marseillaise Place
Aurora, IL
(630) 844-5402
www.aurora.edu/museum

Sunken Garden

View the spectacular display of 15,000 flowers of 15 varieties, plus a three-tiered fountain and the "Four Seasons" statues that complement this exquisite English garden motif.
Phillips Park
Aurora, IL
(630) 898-7228
www.aurora-il.org

Visitors Center & Mastodon Gallery - Phillips Park

Get an up-close view of ice-age Mastodon bones unearthed in the park in the 1930s, while glimpsing into the rich history of one of the area's most beautiful parks.
Phillips Park
Aurora, IL
(630) 978-4774
www.aurora-il.org

William Tanner House

Built in 1856, this Italianate building is home to the Aurora Historical Museum which offers tours of the fully furnished home.
305 Cedar Street
Aurora, IL
(630) 897-9029

Start planning your trip to the Chicago, Naperville and Aurora area...book your perfect hotel stay today with Holiday Inn Express & Suites Aurora - Naperville, Illinois!