The Paramount Theatre in downtown Aurora has an Art Deco design with Venetian elements.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
This occasional feature is a travelogue of sorts, designed to offer a look around our towns from a different angle.
Today the focus is on Aurora.
It's a big city, so I decided to focus on beautiful downtown Aurora. Yes, I said it. Beautiful. Downtown. Aurora.
This area mixes in historic buildings and new structures that will also stand the test of time. There is a riverwalk along the Fox River, and sculptures dot the terrain and make you stop to look.
It also is rich in cultural with dining, musical venues and theater.
There were multiple times my husband and I stopped and said, “That is so cool.” Or, “I didn't know this was here.”
So check it out for yourself. You won't be sorry.
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 Aurora 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?
In the meantime, please enjoy our snapshot of “An Hour in Aurora.”
The Hollywood Casino opened in downtown Aurora June 17, 1993. It is a floating gambling venue with table games, slots and poker, as well as live music and many dining options.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
Aurora University on Gladstone Avenue was built in 1893 on 37 acres. Today, it is a liberal arts college with 5,000 students offering bachelors, master's and doctoral degrees.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
The Eckhart Building is one of three original buildings on the campus of Aurora University. The campus was built in 1893 on 37 acres.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
This fountain across the street from SciTech on Benton has rotating parts.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
One of many sculptures that dot the downtown in Aurora.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
The Hotel Aurora was built in 1917 on Stolp Island and was the first skyscraper in that location. It was formerly a mill race and a swimming hole. Named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
The Paramount Theatre on Galena Boulevard opened in 1931. It was designed by Rapp and Rapp in the Art Deco style with Venetian elements. It is currently showing “Oklahoma!”
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
The Grand Army of the Republic Hall on Downer Place was built in 1869 as a tribute to veterans of the Civil War. It is a historical landmark.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
The Grand Army of the Republic Hall on Downer Place was built in 1869 as a tribute to veterans of the Civil War. It is a historical landmark.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
A cannon outside the Grand Army of the Republic Hall on Downer Place.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
SciTech Museum is a science museum for all ages on Benton Street. It opened in 1988 and is housed in the former U.S. Post Office.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
The RiverFront Playhouse is a nonprofit storefront theater founded in 1978. It is at 11& 13 S. Water Street Mall. It is currently showing “Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.”
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
The RiverFront Theater is a nonprofit storefront theater founded in 1978. It is at 11& 13 S. Water Street Mall. It is currently showing "Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean."
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
The Aurora Fire Museum is in the 1894 fire station and preserves and exhibits artifacts and history of all the fire departments in Aurora.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
The sculpture of a firefighter outside the Aurora Fire Museum on Broadway.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
A sign on the side of a building along Route 25 in downtown Aurora.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
A view of downtown Aurora from a parking deck.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
The Leland Tower, at left, is a 22-story building on Stolp Island. A former hotel, it once was the tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago. It now houses apartments.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
A view across the Fox River and the water that flows through downtown Aurora.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
The Roundhouse was constructed in 1856 as a roundhouse for the Chicago and Aurora Railroad and served in that capacity until 1974. It is the oldest limestone building in the United States.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
The Aurora Farmers Market is one of the oldest in the area. It is open June through October at the Aurora Transportation Center on Broadway.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
The view of downtown Aurora across the Fox River from Veterans Memorial Island.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
RiverEdge Park opened in 2013 along the Fox River. This new venue offers a gathering place for summer concerts and the Fourth of July fireworks.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
Hollywood Casino opened in 1993 and offers gambling, music and dining.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com
A sculpture titled "Memory" is part of the New York Street Memorial Bridge, which was built in November 1931 as a tribute to veterans of World War I. There are four concrete sculptures in all.
Kim Becker/Kbecker@dailyherald.com