Aurora: DCM @ The Mall

Welcome to DCM @ The Mall

Aurora, Illinois -- The need for an indoor playdate recently brought my family to Westfield Fox Valley Mall and the temporary quarters of DuPage Children's Museum, or DCM @ the Mall.  In January, the museum's Naperville building flooded due to a burst pipe. Thanks to a partnership with Fox Valley Mall, the children's museum currently has several of its exhibits set up in a storefront near the second level of Carson Pirie Scott. Patrons of are invited to "pay as you will," then enjoy exhibits such as magnetic tiles, blocks, "Ramps and Rollers" and the Creativity Studio. (Classes are also offered at this location.) To my delight, this scaled-down version of DCM engaged my children with  building exhibits that they often skip in favor of the flashier activities at the "real" museum. With no noisy water table or wind tunnel to entice them, all the kids in our group were eagerly creating giant Tinker Toy towers, magnetic title structures and complex marble runs. In a nod to the Metra trains that pass DCM's Naperville site, two colorful trains flank the entrance of DCM @ The Mall and welcome imaginary engineering. Fox Valley's trackless train has been cleverly routed past DCM @ The Mall giving that same, "Hey, look! A Train!" moment indoors that guests have watching real diesel engines from the windows of the Naperville museum.

DCM @ The Mall is a perfect rainy day outing or any-day trek with the littles. Combined with  shopping for the grownups and the mall's other activities for kids (Playspace! Bungee Bounce!), Fox Valley Mall makes it easy to spend several hours being well entertained.

Fox Valley Mall is on the west side of Illinois Route 59 between New York Street and McCoy Drive.

Make your own tracks!

Two colorful trains flank the entrance of DCM @ The Mall

Someone is disappointed that the mall's trackless train left without taking him along for the ride!

Aurora: Preschooler Train Class

Engine-eye view of Blackberry's train

The Fox Valley Park District is offering a fun class for preschoolers at Blackberry Farm this summer. The All Aboard! program for 4 to 6 year old meets at the farms Train Depot where children get to pretend to be station masters, then take a ride around the pond on the small-scale train. There are also train crafts, including a take-home whistle. The class meets for two hours with the choice of a June 30 or July 10 session. Full details are in the Summer Activity Guide. (Psst, it's on page 45.) Registration for residents begins May 10. Non-residents can sign up for activities beginning May 19.

Trains as "icing-on-the-cake"

This is the time of year when the orchards are pulling out all the stops to bring in the crowds (and their dollars). Among the activities at the larger sites, a "train" of some sort that happens to have an apple or pumpkin theme often appears to entice families of little ones. I don't begrudge these places their success in marketing and entertaining, especially when the season is so brief. On the other hand, the grown ups in this household have the opposite goal of finding entertainment that is pleasant but affordable. Plunking down $10-plus dollars per kid for autumnal side show attractions just isn't happening for us. The point? We don't always go places to see the train or ride the train, we consider the train we happen to pass an icing-on-the-cake moment for the kid who always asks, "Do you think we will see a train?" 

At Waterman's Honey Hill Orchard

So this weekend, we headed out to Waterman for a day at Honey Hill Orchard. It was a delighful fall day on all sorts of levels, but for Mr. Train, just getting there was a treat. Our route took us along Route 30, a road that runs parallel to tracks from just west of Aurora Municipal Airport. Even though we didn't happen to pass any actual trains, the view from the van took in enough signals to make the drive fun. So it wasn't really a train day. It was an apple day with a side order of tracks. And that was good. 

Aurora: David L. Pierce Art & History Center

Summer has officially begun, which means we are already planning our free days with help from our summer handbook: the Passport to Adventure. Since so many of its suggestions are local history museums and so many of our towns owe much of their early success to the railroad industry, I can sneak in some summer learning while my train fan thinks we're just looking for more train stuff.

Roundhouse model 

Aurora's David L. Pierce Art & History Center second floor exhibit provides a walk through the city's history, including the role of railroads in the community's development. My kids' favorites included the model of the Roundhouse, a real handcar and an engine's bell. There are also numerous pictures of trains that once traveled through town. For my toddler, it's enough to see the choo-choo on the wall. My older guy knows enough train history at this point that he can now tell me more about the steam engines, Zephyrs, etc. than I can explain to him.

Since we are in the middle of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie, seeing artifacts from the pioneer era interested my kids, too, and they asked about several other older items, like clothes, stoves and phones: "Did Laura and Mary have this in their house?" Often the answer was no, but we talked about who could have used it, both famous and in our own family.

Since I was so happy the museum prompted my kids to ask questions about history, I was willing to be talked into buying a few items in the gift shop. The staff there was very nice and helpful about pointing out things in the museum and the shop that would interest the children.

And for the drive home, simply taking Illinois 25 past the Roundhouse restaurant, Metra station and along the tracks made for happy travelers.

Handcar

The David L. Pierce Art & History Center is at 20 E. Downer Place, Aurora. 

Quiz your kids on local train history
or stand back as they tell you what they already know.  

Small hands can't resist ringing this old bell. 

Aurora: Lego Bash

The Fox Valley Park District has a Lego Bash this weekend with train displays among the creations. It will be at Blackberry Farm, which will be also introducing everyone to its new play area this year. Sounds fun!

Aurora: Choo Choo's Restaurant

Push a button and this crossing signal lights up

The Hershey train brings meals and desserts to kids

With coupons for free kids meals in hand, thanks to awards from our library's summer reading program, we headed to Choo Choos in Aurora. To be perfectly honest, without those certificates, it would have been a tough sell for the grown ups. The seen-better-days landscaping doesn't exactly entice anyone in. Meandering past a Browns Chicken sign, through the Mexican restaurant half of the business and then sinking into a booth that has long since lost any supportive abilities doesn't set the stage well for a good dinner. The kids, however, have a completely different perspective. The back of the restaurant is dedicated to trains and ice cream, so there's ample train decor to look at. An animated Christmas village can be control by kids pushing buttons while waiting for their food. Meals come to kids on a train that meanders through the village and up to the tables, one trip for the main meal and another for the ice cream. So, I wouldn't call it a destination restaurant, but then I'm not a train-loving child. In their minds, any place that brings them food on a train is good indeed. Know your audience, restaurateurs. Just give their parents a reason to come back, too, please. 

Aurora: Blackberry Farm

Watching the train from the wagon ride

I love a destination that is more than trains. Obviously we're a family that enjoys almost any railroad attraction, but certain members of the group appreciate other activities, too. Aurora's Blackberry Farm fits the bill perfectly.

As the name suggests, Blackberry Farm primarily offers farm activities. It is a living-history farm, so in addition to the animals on display (rabbit, goats, sheep, chickens, pigs), there are numerous buildings to tour that recall days gone by. The schoolhouse, blacksmith shop and log cabin are among our family's favorites. We also enjoy the Streets Museum, which recreates the feel of walking through a Victorian-era town. (Everyone enjoyed it during our most recent visit, but in previous years, the dim lighting and loud sounds of a player piano bothered younger kids.) For my girly girl, there are pony rides and a carousel. All the kids love riding the pedal tractors on the newly renovated tractor course and playing in the corn -- basically a sand table, but with dried corn instead. Mom and Dad enjoy the many quiet picnic tables for a peaceful lunch before visiting the next site.

Of course, it all comes back to the trains with us. Our most recent visit took place during the Model Train Show weekend, which gave my train fanatic four train layouts to enjoy throughout the park. Even without those displays, Blackberry Farm is still a joy for the train lover. At the center of the park is a small lake and around that lake cruises a miniature train which leaves every few minutes from a traditional train depot. (The entire facility is undergoing significant renovations this year, so most of the depot is being remodeled, but during our visit one open room offered a train table and other toys for young guests.) Thankfully, beyond the admission fee there are no additional charges for activities, so it is possible to accommodate requests to ride the train again and again. As a break from riding the train, an old-fashioned hay wagon tractor ride circles the lake in the opposite direction, giving kids a chance to see the train from another angle. 


For train lovers, nature lovers and history lovers, Blackberry Farm is a fun way to spend a day. It's big enough to offer plenty to do, but small enough to be manageable for young kids. Special events throughout the year keep it entertaining enough for repeat visits. Take note of the Polar Express program scheduled for Dec. 1, 2, 8 and 9.

On the train: The forced smiles are due to the children's concern that Dad
wouldn't get on the train before it left the station!

Upcoming: Blackberry Farm Model Train Show

Now that my oldest son has figure out how to read, there's no sneaking past things he will love. Yesterday he noticed a poster for the upcoming model train show at Blackberry Farm in Aurora. It's coming July 21 and 22, 11 a.m. till 4:30. He also noticed a listing for the Museums at Lisle Station Park -- including a historical train station, caboose,  farmhouse, and blacksmith shop. Assuming the heat lets up, we will see you there!