Chicago Urbanite’s Guide to a Day in Aurora, IL
bike share⎮craft beer⎮ historic district⎮outdoor experience⎮third wave coffee⎮broadway productions
Aurora, Illinois is the ideal destination for Chicago urbanites looking to spend a day outside the City. Come see why we love a day in this suburb as much as a day in the City!
How do you get to Aurora, Illinois from Chicago?
transportation
arrive by train
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Metra's BNSF line runs from the City to Aurora. Aurora-bound trains leave Chicago every 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the day and time. Get the schedule here.
Upon arrival, explore the Aurora Transportation Center (233 North Broadway Street). Built in 1856, the building was a pre-Civil War machine shop for the Chicago, Quincy & Burlington (CB&Q) railroad.
get around by bike
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Bring your own bike (see Metra's bike policy) or rent a Zagster bike at the Aurora Zagster station in Riveredge Park, across the street from the Aurora Transportation Center
Alternative: skip the bike and walk instead. The whole day's tour is just 3 miles on foot.
things to do in Aurora, IL
morning in Aurora, IL
enjoy direct trade coffee
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Endiro Coffee
29 W New York St, Aurora
from Zagster: a 3-minute (.5 mile) bike ride
Everything you expect in a Third Wave coffee house: a humanitarian backstory (complete with the accidental signing of a 200-women co-op), impassioned and engaged staff, and a great location in a semi-authentically restored building with a tree-shaded patio along the Fox River.
Breakfasts here are simple and well priced, reflective of the company’s Ugandan home culture, as well as that of the Aurora locals whom it now serves.
kayak the river
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Rocktown Adventures
107 Spruce St, Aurora
(We enjoyed a complimentary paddle-out.) https://www.rocktownadventures.com/rentals-aurora/
from Endiro: a 1-minute (2 block) bike ride
From the launch site in Aurora, paddle upstream and look to your left after you pass under the first bridge (Illinois Street bridge). Just up the hill would have been the settlement of Chief Waubansie and about 500 Potawatamies at the arrival of the area's first European settlers.
Reservations are recommended for Rocktown, especially when weather and water conditions are ideal. Be sure to reserve for Aurora, not the Rockford location.
afternoon in Aurora, IL
grab some lunch
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Taqueria el Tio
81 S River St, Aurora
from Rocktown: a 2-minute (.3 mile) bike ride
Credit cards accepted.
Dine amongst locals and enjoy this non-pretentious setting serving authentic Mexican food, including tacos for under $2 ($1 on Mondays), breakfasts for $5, dinners for $8 and under.
Beer and margaritas for $3.50.
bike an architectural district
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Tanner Historic District - eastern side
from Taqueria el Tio: a 5-minute (.7 mile) bike ride
The compact nature of the Tanner Historic District means that day visitors can experience ten unique architectural styles and 70 years of architectural history over a short half-mile bike ride.
Homes in the Tanner Historic District were built between 1856 and 1926. The three most commonly found architectural styles are: Italianate, Queen Anne, and Prairie Style.
the Italianate Style
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popular from 1840 to 1885
State buildings of the day referenced Classical (Greek) Revival; churches favored Gothic (Northern European) Revival. Average citizens preferred Italian Renaissance elements for homes and businesses.
exterior features:
roofs: gently sloping rooflines, deep overhangs, decorative corbels (brackets)
doors: paired or single-hung, large panes of glass, richly ornamented
windows: tall, rounded, richly ornamented
entrance/porch: restrained in size and decoration, 1-story with square posts
materials: brick, stone, stucco
the Queen Anne Style
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popular from 1880 to 1910
A bit of a misnomer, the Queen Anne style revived elements from English architecture of the 16th and 17th centuries, rather than the formal, symmetrical style popular in Queen Anne's reign in the early 18th century.
exterior features:
roofs: steeply pitched; complex gables, dormers, turrets, towers
doors: decorations and large pane windows
windows: bay windows, oriels (projection from the wall) with curved glass, stained glass in upper sashes
entrance/porch: 1-story wrap-around porch, decorated
materials: wood, unconventional colors, clapboard (bevel siding), slate, patterned brick/stone, wood shingles
the Prairie Style
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popular from 1890 to 1920s
This nature-inspired style developed as a reaction to assembly line mass production. It made no reference to historic or revivalist architecture, seeking to be uniquely American and honoring its natural surroundings.
exterior features:
roofs: low-pitched, hipped (slope on all sides); eves extend beyond structure
doors: wooden, with glass or art-glass in upper half or third
windows: horizontal bands of windows with mullions (dividers) decorated in geometric patterns of plants
entrance/porch: front door partially hidden by an architectural detail
materials: simple, natural materials with minimal decoration
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architectural tour addresses (numbers in parenthesis indicate numbers on this map):
301 Oak Ave, Hardy House, c.1868, Italiante style (20)
304 Oak Ave, Tanner House, 1856, Italianate style (19)
247 West Park Ave, Foulke House, 1901, Queen Anne style (23)
233 West Park Ave, Malmer House, 1908, Prairie style (22)
411 Oak Ave, Squire House, c.1892, Queen Anne style (24)
450 Oak Ave, Anderson House, c.1912, Prairie style (27)
418 Palace St, Miller House, 1906, Queen Anne style (17)
Optional: for a .75-mile longer tour covering the west side of this historic neighborhood, complete numbers 1-15 on the map.
Late Afternoon in Aurora, IL
enjoy dinner & craft beer
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Two Brothers Roundhouse
205 N Broadway, Aurora
from Tanner Historic District: a 7-minute (1 mile) bike ride
Built in 1855, the former C.B. & Q. Roundhouse (later known as Walter Payton’s Roundhouse Complex, thanks to the former Chicago Bear's vision and investment), today's Two Brothers Roundhouse is the only full-stone roundhouse still standing in the United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Two Brother Roundhouse is home to The Tap House craft brewery, The Roundhouse Café roastery and coffee shop, a banquet space, and an open-air festival space.
Evening in Aurora, IL
take in a show
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Paramount Theatre
23 E Galena Blvd, Aurora
from Two Brothers Roundhouse: a 4-minute (.5 mile) bike ride
Paramount Theatre, a 1930's Art Deco playhouse in the heart of downtown Aurora, offers a Broadway series season (fall through spring) as well as year-round entertainment, including well known musical acts, comedians, magicians, and more.
Productions are downtown Chicago caliber without the downtown Chicago hassle and pricing!
Read more about our experience as theater snobs visiting Paramount Theatre for the first time!
head back to the City
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Bikes can be returned to the Riveredge Park Zagster station before boarding a train at the Aurora Transportation Center, both within .3 miles of Two Brothers/ .8 miles of Paramount Theatre.
Did Aurora surprise you? Did you learn anything new?
Tell us about it in the comments!
Create an adventure itinerary in your hometown, too, with:
→ 5 tips on living like a traveler when close to home
Or check out more Aurora Area fun with a whitewater kayaking lesson:
→ Kayaking the Marge Cline Whitewater Course in Yorkville, IL
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