Saint Charles Things to Do

This could go under restaurant review or things to do, but I'll just drop it here in Things To Do. For a truly unique dining experience, I would highly recommend Capone's Hideaway. It was a true speakeasy back in the 20's and mobsters from Chicago would trek the 50 or so miles out to this little barn along the Fox River. The name Hideaway is a truly accurate description. You really have to want to eat here as it is a tad difficult to find. There are plenty of signs that take you from Route 25 through the winding turns down the hill to the restaurant. From what I've been told, back in the 20's, there were three operational stories-bottom floor was the bar, second floor was for gambling and the third floor was the brothel. The bottom two floors still welcome guests. The cuisine is standard American steakhouse choices and pricing. The food is pretty good and there is a store that sells many types of cigars and some souvenirs. If you like taking a little step back into history, this is definitely the place for you.

The construction of this building began in 1906 and finished in 1908. The library, which contained over 2,000 books, had only one librarian, Miss Mary Stewart. Miss Stewart remained the sole librarian until 1929.

In 1933, the library gained a mezzanine and turned the basement into a children's room.
Several additions and restorations took place over the years. These were carefully done in order to preserve the feeling of the building.
Most of the furniture pieces inside are the original ones dated from 1908.

The Old St Charles Post Office Building is where Doc Moran Inc is located today. The building served as a post office from 1937 until 1985. It was built on a land donated by Mrs. E. J. Baker.

The original plan of the building, which was designed by federal employees, brought opposition from the town's mayor, Dr. Ival Langum, and two of St. Charles's most prominent citizens, Mr. E.J. Baker and Lester Norris. They strongly believed that its architecture would greatly contrast with that of the surrounding buildings. Mayor Langum, Mr. Baker, and Mr. Norris went to Washington D.C. to protest the construction of such a building. Their objections were acknowledged and the post office was constructed of Bedford stone with a copper roof.

The new post office is located at 1405 W. Main Street, with a branch office at 616 East Main Street.

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One of the oldest midsummer festival in the Midwest is the Swedish Day, dating back to 1911. It is held every year downtown Geneva, IL on the 3rd Sunday in June. The festival has something for everybody: Arts & Crafts Fair, Folk Dancers, Maypole Celebration, Live Scandinavian Music, Children's Choir, etc.
The food choices is also great and it gives you a chance to sample some Swedish dishes. They do have good pancakes!

This is the old building where city meetings were held until the construction of the Municipal Building was complete.
Before this building reached its 100th birthday in 1992 it faced an uncertain future. Although the Old City Building has a rich history, city officials during the late 1970s began to consider the possibility of razing the building rather than restoring it. By this point in time, the building was deteriorating. Thanks to the foresight of Historical Society members and the building's placement on the National Register of Historic Places, the Old City Building remains standing today. In 1996, the building was covered with foam insulation and dryvit in order to preserve the bricks.

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The Municipal Building that we see today was built on the site of the old Fixture Factory which burned in 1929. The construction of the new building completed in 1940. The construction cost was covered by the Baker and Norris families and it was a gift to the city of St Charles.
The building is made of black granite and white Georgian marble.

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I have to admit, I do not know too much about this church (except that it was another building whose construction was paid in full by Edward Baker), but I like the building and the Gothic style. The church is also the sponsor of the St Charles Farmers Market that runs every Friday from June to end of October (rain or shine) from 7am to 1pm.

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This is the place to go to if you want to learn about St Charles history. The museum is located in the historic McCornack Oil Company building constructed in 1928. It hosts exhibits that change during the year, so check with them for the most current one.
The museum is closed on Mondays.
There is also a public parking area just behind the museum. You can park your car there and start exploring the city.