Images: An Hour in Villa Park
By Kevin Schmit
We spent one hour - no more, no less - roaming around Villa Park photographing things that caught our eye. The obvious and the obscure, big stuff and small. But all identifiable to Villa Park.
It's a village rich in history dating back to its days as a farming community in the mid 1850s and continuing through its many years as a railroad hub for the iconic Ovaltine factory. Drive through Villa Park and you immediately get a sense of what makes the western suburban community unique.
Look for a new town gallery every Sunday at dailyherald.com/galleries and on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
On our social media sites, share your favorite Villa Park photos with us by using #shareyoursuburb.
And tell us what photos are your favorites. Which ones stir a memory for you? Where do you love to go in town?
So here's "An Hour in Villa Park."
Villa Park's Historical Society Museum was built in 1929 as a stop for the electric train line.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Veteran's Memorial Park in Villa Park features a Nike Ajax missile and plaques commemorating each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Sugar Creek Golf Course in Villa Park opened in 1976 and underwent extensive renovations in 2003.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Villa Park's Historical Society Museum was built in 1929 as a stop for the electric train line.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Veteran's Memorial Park in Villa Park features a Nike Ajax missile and plaques commemorating each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Veteran's Memorial Park in Villa Park features a Nike Ajax missile and plaques commemorating each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Veteran's Memorial Park in Villa Park features a Nike Ajax missile and plaques commemorating each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
The Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot was built in 1926. The tracks, constructed in 1886 and 1887, helped serve the nearby Ovaltine factory.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
An eclectic mix of shops and businesses line Villa Avenue in Villa Park.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Pioneer Garden and Feed, opened in 1918, is one of the many shops and businesses lining Villa Avenue in Villa Park.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Villa Park's Historical Society Museum was built in 1929 as a stop for the electric train line.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
The Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot was built in 1926. The tracks, constructed in 1886 and 1887, helped serve the nearby Ovaltine factory.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Veteran's Memorial Park in Villa Park features a Nike Ajax missile and plaques commemorating each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Veteran's Memorial Park in Villa Park features a Nike Ajax missile and plaques commemorating each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Sugar Creek Golf Course in Villa Park opened in 1976 and underwent extensive renovations in 2003.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Veteran's Memorial Park in Villa Park features a Nike Ajax missile and plaques commemorating each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Villa Park's gazebo stands near the Prairie Path at Ardmore Avenue and serves as a hub for many village events.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Veteran's Memorial Park in Villa Park features a Nike Ajax missile and plaques commemorating each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.comA view of Villa Park's iconic Village Hall.
A view of Villa Park's iconic Village Hall with an Adopt-A-Hydrant recipient in the foreground.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Centennial Clock on the Prairie Path was donated by the Rotary Club of Villa Park in 2005 to celebrate the organization's 100 years of service.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Centennial Clock on the Prairie Path was donated by the Rotary Club of Villa Park in 2005 to celebrate the organization's 100 years of service.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Villa Park's gazebo stands near the Prairie Path at Ardmore Avenue and serves as a hub for many village events.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
The Villa Park Chamber of Commerce building sits right on the Prairie Path just west of Ardmore Avenue.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Centennial Clock on the Prairie Path was donated by the Rotary Club of Villa Park in 2005 to celebrate the organization's 100 years of service.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
The Villa Park Chamber of Commerce building sits right on the Prairie Path just west of Ardmore Avenue.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
The Villa Park Public Library opened in 1928 with a total of 400 books. The current building opened in 1969.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Villa Park artist Leonard Lasko donated his "Metamorphosis" sculpture to the village in 1988. It's displayed outside the public library.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Evidence of Villa Park's Adopt-A-Hydrant program can be seen throughout the village. Here's a tribute to Willowbrook High School's football team.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
A creek runs through the campus of Willowbrook High School in Villa Park.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Villa Park's skate park is a concrete dream for local adventure seekers.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Villa Park's skate park is a concrete dream for local adventure seekers.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
Villa Park's skate park is a concrete dream for local adventure seekers.
Kevin Schmit/kschmit@dailyherald.com
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