Kane County’s Charming Historical Spots

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America’s early movie theaters drew excited crowds with silent films and live vaudeville acts. The Arcada Theater Building in St. Charles and Paramount Theatre in Aurora, which have hosted some of America’s most famous performers since the 1920’s (including Judy Garland, the John Phillip Sousa Band, the Beach Boys, and more), are still operating as movie theaters today. The Catlow Theater in Barrington, built in 1926, features interior design by Alfoso Iannelli, a prestigious designer who collaborated with Frank Lloyd Wright’s sons and worked at the Orpheum Vaudeville Theatre. Today you can see the latest Hollywood blockbusters and special showings at these charming, historic theaters.

The Batavia Quilt Show fills the historic Railroad Depot Museum with color and character each July. The show features over a hundred beautiful, locally made quilts and free demonstrations of quilting techniques. The historic Depot, built in 1854, was a stop on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, which was nicknamed “Way of the Zephyrs” and “The Way West,” and carried travelers to Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Elgin’s Fire Barn Five was built in 1903 to house fire-fighting horse-drawn carriages. The lovely building is an example of Classical Revival style architecture, and features fanciful windows and domes, a yellow brick façade, and a big red door (modified to house fire engines in 1910). Inside the station, visitors can see antique extinguishers and equipment, Elgin’s first fire engine, the Captain’s office and bunk room, artifacts from the Chicago Fire, and more.

For more information about Kane County, Illinois, visit our Kane County Guide.

Image courtesy of noomhh / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

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