(sub) urban Adventure Tour
Saturday, May 6, 2 p.m.
$20 for trolley pass
Tour starts and ends at the Batavia Depot Museum. Hop on the History Trolley and uncover the hidden histories of historic buildings outside Batavia’s downtown.
Delve into Batavia’s resilient past during Preservation Week
BATAVIA, IL – Learn about Batavia’s resilient people and places during 2023 Preservation Week, April 30-May 6. Batavia Depot Museum will host two architecture-focused events, a downtown bar crawl featuring the city’s oldest buildings and a hidden history trolley tour of storied sites outside downtown.
Preservation Week highlights the importance of local history and inspires residents to preserve their personal, family and community collections for future generations. This year’s theme is “Building Resilient Communities.”
The museum’s (sub)urban Adventure Tour on May 6 uncovers hidden histories of buildings outside Batavia’s downtown historic district. This hour-long History Trolley trip highlights landmarks such as the towering Campana Building on Batavia Avenue. Constructed by the Campana Company in 1936, this elegant state-of-the-art structure became a marketing tool for the company, which produced cosmetics. “A lovely, modern building must make lovely, modern products,” Garrett said.
“The Campana Factory is a prime early example of American Streamline Moderne architecture, which developed the stylized geometry of Art Deco into a simplified, aerodynamic aesthetic,” she noted.
Within the walls of these structures featured on the tours, people worked, played and commiserated, Garrett said. "One of the most comforting things about connecting with history is the way it reminds us that people all across time and place have weathered their own challenges in ways we probably recognize.”
Preservation Week is presented by the Batavia Depot Museum, Batavia Historical Society, Batavia Public Library and Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley. Follow their social media for fun facts, hidden histories, local trivia and pop-up experiences all week long.
For more information on our Batavia Park District programs and events, call (630) 879-5235 or visit bataviaparks.org.
