When we're eating dinner on a Friday night in downtown Elmhurst we like to stop by and visit. It's…read moresuch a cool place and so big. Located downstairs next to the railroad tracks and police department, you won't miss the sign posted. It's home of the Illinois Western Railroad. They have both HO, HOn3, and N scale layouts depicting a nostalgic look at life as it was in the Midwest in the 40's, 50's and 60's. Scenes vary from rolling hillsides and farms to a large steel mill. All the club members are very friendly and love to share their knowledge on model trains. So much attention to detail that you can spend all night down there. Bring the kids and your date...it's free. Kindly leave a donation though. This is similar to the Museum of Science & Industry! Much smaller of course. Look for the Oscar Meyer Weiner mobile! Open Friday nights & Sunday afternoons.

I was a "social member" of the Elmhurst Model Railroad Club (EMRRC) for a few years, accompanying…read moreregular members and their operations. Although the train layouts are excellent, the attitude of the Board of Directors and "key monitors" were horrible. Unfriendly, arrogant, and a sense of making visitors feel like imbeciles was present every time I was there. When I spoke with some of the Board, I was told to pay up, or get out. If I didn't like it, there were plenty of other train clubs out there, so go find one (which I did). It's really too bad, because there is a potential for camaraderie, fellowship, and good faith, none of which have been exhibited any of the times I was at EMRRC. Only reason I didn't give them 1 star is because they have the potential of being a great organization with excellent facilities. They just need to clean up the upper echelon, and remember that what they do reflects the rest of the Club and its posture. My close friends who had been long-time members of EMRRC, have recently refused to renew their dues, and have moved on to friendlier clubs in the immediate area.

University of Illinois extension presented this new conference at Elgin Community College this…read moreyear. I learned about it and bought a ticket for something new to do on a Saturday. Ultimately I left with a lot more knowledge than I had and thought the ticket price was well worth the cost. It began with the main presentation by the horticulturist for Lurie Garden (in Millennium Park). She covered the topic of gardening for the seasons, with thoughts in mind of how your plants look in winter months as well as warm months, something not many take into consideration. Consideration was also given to seasonal management, how, when and what to cut back. Overall the level of detail was good, the presentation was educational without being excessively technical and I left with some good ideas for new plants for my garden. The main presentation was followed by three smaller sessions which attendees could choose from when buying their tickets. For the first, I chose Sustainable Landscaping presented by the Home Program manager of the Conservation Foundation. I again left with a big list of plants I want to investigate to add to my yard. For the second I chose Improving soil health for tree growth and longevity given by a Green Industry coordinator from Morton Arboretum. This presentation was heavily science-based and some of it admittedly went over my head but I got the gist of it and still left with some great ideas and knowledge of soil compaction issues and how to alleviate them (in particular, this one taught me a lot I was clueless about before). The third session I chose was about invasive pests, specifically the spotted lanternfly, which causes a lot of crop damage. Also very educational and now I can identify and help control this population. There was a lunch break with food provided and shorter breaks between the presentations. Overall I highly recommend this conference if you want to learn more about gardening topics and how to manage and improve your yard in general.

Workshop 88 is a newly founded space where people with common interests; generally in science,…read moretechnology, and/or the digital and electronic arts, can socialize and collaborate. Come share ideas, have fun, learn something new or make something. Meetings and classes are open to the public so if you are interested, drop in. Check the website or follow them on twitter @Workshop88 for details on meetings and other upcoming social events.

Workshop 88 is not closed!…read more They are a lively community of creative talented makers who are active in the maker community, attending Maker Fairs, teaching classes and more. The space is well equipped with 3D printers (dual head, PLA, ABS, delta types), a laser cutter/engraver, vinyl cutters, a wood shop, lathe, mill, metal working tools and much more. There is no access to the space from Main Street which probably led to this confusion. Access to the space is via the parking lot behind main street, the parking lot entrance is actually on Pennsylvania Ave, North and East of the address on main. They have open house Thursday nights - come check it out!

Beautiful historic building, and a nice affordable place to have an event. The ladies that take…read morecare of this beautiful sanctuary are warm, understanding and loving. Thank you Julie and Ann for a great experience.

Not a member, but I did apply for a scholarship they had a while back, the ladies were all very…read morenice and if you look into the good work and service they do, you will be impressed.

You have to be a member to get in or you can get in if you come as a guest with someone who is a…read moremember. Members pay dues but you enjoy, a variety of good food and drinks at a really reasonable cost. A bottle of beer is $2.50. They have slot machines, darts, a full bar and lots of space for a variety of games or activities. I saw various groups of people playing dominoes, cards and just relaxing and enjoying a conversation. I ordered the ribeye steak it was juicy, tender and cooked as requested. The chicken wings were a little bland of flavor and salty at the same time. I saw a couple of pizzas come out of the kitchen and they looked promising. This was more of a family community hangout spot that looks like it hasn't changed or been upgraded in over 25 years. If I return it will be to enjoy the conversation of friends.

Fun,family friendly,lots of kids for my 9yr old daughter to play with! Loved the out door…read moreconcessions and free activities!! Such a welcoming place. I would love to have a sponsor and become an active member!!

I joined Fox.Build in June of this year (2023), and I typically work here about three or four days…read morea week. I enjoy the opportunity to come in at all hours (sometimes I need to finish a project late at night). The other members who work here are friendly, down-to-earth, and actually really fascinating. I use Fox.Build for coworking, which is a good way to get out of the house, get around others who are working hard (sometimes it's good to have that buzz of activity going on around you), and be in the middle of the walkable downtown of St. Charles. 5/5 would recommend.

Have been a member since February. Really enjoy the camaraderie and advice in growing my business…read more I work out of fox build 3 days a week. Great selection of tools in the shop

Lisle Woman's Club is a service organization that has expanded my group of friends plus it allows…read moreme to participate in events where I can volunteer and raise money for charitable causes. We are doing our 20th garden walk in mid-June this year, called Garden Gait at the Heritage Museum in downtown Lisle. In 2022 Garden Gait is on June 12. All members participate and it is by far our largest, most fun event of the year!

Attended a bridal shower & I was the designated driver. Quite a nice friendly local haunt to stop…read moreby & hang with the locals. All on tap & selections also in bottles great bartender too. Quite knowledgeable. When back to Aurora, could easily stop by for a little hydration too. Cheers!

Practically next door to the Phoenix Club, St. George Citizens Club (or St. George's as most people…read morecall it) is a small club next door to St. George Byzantine Catholic Church. The unique link to the church makes St. George's the host of a few different church events, and the catering company that operates out of their kitchen cooks food that is way better than what you'd expect out of an Aurora-area social club. HOW TO JOIN: You need two people to sign for you who have been a member in good standing for at least the last two years without their membership lapsing. I believe this year the membership fee was raised to $40? Once you apply, you wait for a letter in the mail then you go in and pay your dues and get your key card. They'll buzz you in and give you the form without a key, and if you're looking for members to sign for you I recommend asking around at the Phoenix Club (potentially during a Bingo night, which is open to the public over there) as many people are members at both clubs. FOOD AND DRINK: St. George's has a full bar, but all of their beer is bottled. This makes drinking here slightly more expensive than other clubs that have beer on draft, but we're talking the difference of 50 cents or so per beer. The food served at St. George's is on a completely different level, because it's made by Oh! Chefs, an independent catering company that shares the building. They serve food Tuesday through Friday from 12:00 to 8:00, then on Saturday from 4:00 to 8:00. They also have rotating daily specials like cheaper pizza, cheaper burgers, etc. EVENTS: St. George's has a partition that divides the bar into a larger party room which they open up for the various events they hold. Everything gets posted to the St. George's Facebook page and covers fairly typical things involving local sports, holiday parties, and stuff like that. GAMBLING: Gambling seems fairly limited at St. George's, potentially due to its relationship with the church? Who knows. There aren't any slot machines, but there are pull tabs and two different dice rolls you can do with the bartender. One is 50 cents and you can win free drinks and the other is $1 and has a cash prize. I don't really fully understand how these work, but I think it closely mirrors Yatzee rules. They also do 50/50's and other raffles during events. CLUB FACILITIES: St. George's is on the small side, and it can be difficult to get a seat at the bar if you go during "prime" evening hours. At events when they open the partition seating never seems to be an issue. WHY WE LIKE IT: The food is seriously high-quality stuff. Most other clubs have basic things like sandwiches and fried food, but the menu here could just be its own restaurant. They also make their pizzas completely from scratch, which is kind of unheard of for clubs which typically just throw a frozen pizza in. Also, because it's among the smaller clubs, the atmosphere is always very chill even when it's full.