3 Best Landmarks in Aurora, IL

"Aurora Regional Fire Museum features various interactive exhibits designed to educate and engage children, families, and firefighters. The museum has two floors of exhibits that chronicle the history of the Aurora Fire Department and the fire service in the region and explore fire safety and prevention. The museum aims to preserve and exhibit the artifacts and history of fire departments in Aurora and the surrounding area and promotes fire safety. The museum provides tours, presents a variety of family-friendly educational programs, including field trips and scout programs, as well as more. They offer free admission for children ages two and younger.

"The William Tanner House Museum was built in 1857 for William A. Tanner, a hardware merchant. His descendants lived in the house until it was donated to the Aurora Historical Society in 1936. The house is an Italianate-style home that was the prominent merchant William Tanner and his family. The house features oak-grained woodwork, ornate plaster decoration, high ceilings, and antique furnishings. The museum's mission is to give the past a future by collecting, preserving, interpreting, and presenting Aurora's rich, diverse history. Tours of fully furnished homes and exhibits are offered by appointment. In addition, the William Tanner House Museum hosts various events and special occasions.

"Grand Army of the Republic Military Museum served as a veterans' meeting hall and Aurora's first free public library. The hall collects, preserves, interprets, and honors the history of the wartime and subsequent peacetime experiences of the community and its veterans throughout the history of the United States. The octagonally shaped structure was built with locally quarried limestone. The place was created as a monument to Aurora's Civil War veterans and a shrine to their fallen comrades. The GAR founded soldiers' homes, worked to grant relief for widows and orphans, and lobbied for pension legislation. The history of GAR, Post 20, is shared through exhibitions and programs. Grand Army of the Republic Military Museum served as a gathering spot for men who had fought side by side on the battlefields. The hall was a memorial to the Union dead, and it was the site of Aurora's first free library.