Events - Event View

What do Orson Welles, Geraldine Page, Bill Murray, Chester Gould (Dick Tracy comic creator), Tom Bosley, Punxsutawney Phil, and Shelley Berman have in common?  They all have direct links to Woodstock and the Woodstock Opera House.  This drive will take us through 150 miles of Northern Illinois backroads ending in the picturesque town of Woodstock for a private tour of the Opera House, and hour of strolling the sights and shopping of the Town Square. There are many opportunities to find a place for an early dinner.  We’ll stop at some Illinois State Historical Society markers along the way.  Here is the itinerary for the drive:

• Start from the public parking lot adjacent (just north) of the Buttermilk Restaurant at 7 W State St. in Geneva at 9:00.  Pre-drive meeting, directions/maps, Q&A, depart 9:15.  
• Leg 1: Backroads and Lincoln Highway through Maple Park, Courtland, past DeKalb, Malta, Creston, and Rochelle (and a break).  45 miles and 60 minutes, leave at 10:30.
• Leg 2: West to Dixon and drive past the Ronald Reagan boyhood home, north along the Rock River through Grand Detour, Oregon (scenic overlook stop), Byron, and past Rockford for a break and bite to eat.  90 miles and 120 minutes, leave at 1:30.
• Leg 3: Follow backroads to Woodstock and park on or nearby the town square.  25 miles and 35 minutes, arrive at 2:00.
• Join a private one-hour tour of the Woodstock Opera House at 2:30. Stroll through Mural Alley and the Town Square, drop in at a local brew pub or tavern for an early dinner, visit unique shops with pottery, leather, jewelry, fine art, musical instruments, toys, antiques, and collectibles.
• On the way out of town, you can drive past the George Stickney House (now the Bull Valley Police Headquarters) six miles away.

Situated on the historic downtown square (Groundhog Day movie backdrop), the Woodstock Opera House is one of the oldest continuously operating theaters in the country and one of the most recognized historic theatres in the mid-west.  Originally built in 1889 the Opera House also served as City Hall, the Public Library, the Fire Station, and the Police Station.  The building received significant restoration in the mid 1970’s, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and continues to serve today as an active performing arts/cultural center, meeting place and focal point of the community.