So it’s easy to get there from Chicago, and it’s equally easy to find the perfect hotel to meet your group’s needs. More than 100 properties in the area offer competitive rates and free parking.
The best thing about DuPage County, however, is the wide variety of tour options the area offers for travelers. For more information, email Ellen Klesta or go to discoverdupage.com.
Dining Experiences
DuPage County offers unique culinary experiences that should not be missed.
Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket – The Ultimate Route 66 Experience
There’s nothing better than exploring Chicagoland’s Route 66 history, where “The Mother Road” began. While you’re traveling the route, be sure to stop at a Route 66 original, Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket, for some famous fried chicken. Dell Rhea’s has been the place to “get your chicks on Route 66” since 1946.
The North American Pizza & Culinary Academy
The academy works with The Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli, the oldest and most prestigious pizza school in Italy, to offer the second accredited pizza certification program in the U.S.. All pizza certification is taught by Master Instructor Leo Spizzirri, PFC. Groups can enjoy hands-on and demonstration-style cooking classes by professional chefs.
Lynfred Winery
Founded by Fred and Lynn Koehler, Lynfred Winery was the first winery in Illinois and is the oldest continually operated winery in the state, producing more than 50 varietals and 25,000 cases of wine each year. Groups can enjoy wine tastings and tours as well as special group events catered to their needs. Offerings include meals, casino nights, and stays at the on-site guest suites to round out a wine-themed getaway.
The Arts
Drury Lane Theater
The attraction has been a major player in the Chicagoland theater scene for more than 30 years. The dinner theater has produced 2,000-plus musicals and comedies, and welcomed Hollywood personalities to its stage. Groups can experience cultural events and must-see, Broadway-style shows in an intimate setting; the 971-seat proscenium-style theater boasts the opulence of a bygone era.
Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art
Lapidary is the art of cutting and polishing stone and dates back to prehistoric times when early humans began creating tools and weapons from stone. The museum is named for Joseph Lizzadro, an Italian immigrant who arrived in the U.S. in the early 1900s, became a successful businessman, and eventually became a lapidary hobbyist and collector who wanted to share his collection with others.
The Lizzadro Museum houses a world-class collection of jade and hard-stone carvings along with an interactive rock and mineral exhibit. The museum will open in its new, larger location in Oak Brook in September 2019.
Frida Kahlo 2020
From June through August of 2020, groups can enjoy an exclusive exhibition of 26 pieces of the famous Mexican artist’s original work at the College of DuPage. The pieces are on loan from the Dolores Olmedo Museum collection in Mexico City and have already been exhibited in Milan, Budapest, Moscow, and London.
Shopping
Visitors will find world-class shopping at Oakbrook Center, one of the largest premier outdoor shopping destinations in the country; unique boutiques in the charming downtown areas of the county’s towns and cities; and bargains galore at Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora, and Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont.
Top photo: Drury Lane Theater
Photo by drurylane.com
