St. Charles, a charming downtown located along the Fox River offers specialty shops, activities, and dining. With a mix of vintage Victorian-style buildings and storefronts with unique advertising creeping out into the street, this day trip offers something for everyone.
Getting to St. Charles
Pace Bus 801
St. Charles is serviced by pace bus 801 which goes to two different Metra Stations. It routes to the Geneva Train Station, Metra Up West line and the Elgin Train Station, Metra Milwaukee District West. Both train lines take you into Chicago. Pace Bus 801 runs weekdays and Saturdays. There are no buses on Sunday!
By Car
Depending on traffic, St. Charles is about an hour drive from Chicago. There was free parking throughout the downtown area. both street parking and parking lots were available. Please do note and follow all signs, as some spots were only for a certain amount of time.
A Bike Connection
Potawanami Park conveniently connects to the Fox River Bike Trail.
Shopping in Downtown
Brave Ghoulish Mortals while looking for horror relics of the journey. The first floor features your light pop culture horrors like Stranger Things, Disney, Little Shop of Horrors, and D&D. The basement/downstairs is more classic Horror including Freddy Cougar and scary clowns. On a personal note, I am not one for horror and refuse to go into haunted houses. However, I did enjoy the light spooky theatrics of the first floor. I didn’t like the basement and would suggest my non-horror friends to avoid the downstairs.
Town House Books is the place to go if you are hoping to get lost in a bookstore. With rooms upon rooms of shelves filled with books, it felt like there was something new to discover as you continued to wander. However, if you are looking to track down a specific title, I’d suggest seeking out assistance right away!
A Collection of years gone by; Antique Market 1 is the place to find vintage belongings. There are several dealers throughout this mall.
At Circa Vintage Gallery there is no need to envision what it (furniture, unique Knick knacks, dishes,ect..) could look like in a home. Located inside a Victorian style home, Circa Vintage Gallery sets up merchandise to fit the room.
Rocket Fizz is a chain feels like an old-fashioned candy store, housing nostalgic sweets. It also has an enormous selection of unique sodas like butter beer, unicorn yak, key lime pie, and more!
More Shopping
Hoarders Trading Post is a record shop is on the edge of downtown. The large space offered lots of records to be flipped through and CDs to be looked at. Prices here ranged largely, as the shop had a large table of bargain bins with records starting at $2. On the flip side, they had specialty records that rocked a price tag of $120!
Made locally, these Chicagoland soaps from Mion Artisian Soap are all natural. The store smells amazing!
From laid back outfits to work wear, Jeans and a Cute Top shop has got an outfit for any occasion.
Boutique Baby is a shop that offers cute children clothing up through 10 years. There were also baby necessities including car seats and carriers. Plus, they have toys and books, some even with a Chicago flair!
Activities in St. Charles
Get Cooking! Fox Den Cooking Classes offers a variety of events for all ages.
Don’t get yourself into a pickle. Learn more about this fox river towns past at St. Charles History Museum. The story of the town was nicely curated with a timeline with unique artifacts. And you can learn about why pickles are so near and dear to the area. The st Charles History Museum also has a rotating exhibit on display as well.
Go on a paddle-wheel boat ride at Pottawatomie Park or play a round of mini golf. This community area also features 1.3 miles of walking trails, several playgrounds, tennis quarts, and a volleyball quart. It also connects to The Fox River Trail.
Watch a performance in St. Charles. The Steel Beam Theatre presents plays and musicals throughout the year. At the Moonlight Theatre, you can find events like concerts and comedy shows.
The Arcada Theatre is a speakeasy featuring dancing, dining, and events.
Dining, Treats & Drinks
The Filling Station Pub & Grill is a cute old school roadside pub. Their menu features sandwiches and burgers. They also have a well decorated outside patio for good weather season.
St. Charles one of my favorite local breakfast chains, The Brunch Cafe. Here you can find delicious Lemon Poppy Seed Crepes!
For a sweet treat grab a scoop of ice cream from Kimmer’s Ice Cream.
Walkability
The downtown stretches across the river and shoots off alongside streets creating at times a feel of different town areas. It is all fairly walkable, however due to that nature we found ourselves driving from area to area.
Know Before You Go to St. Charles
Some stores and activities do not open until 12ish. If you are looking for the full downtown experience, I usually suggest planning a trip from 12pm-5pm. The best days to go are also going to be weekends, as some places may be closed Monday/Tuesday.
You always make these little town look so appealing! I love the little bit of humor and puns in this one 😉
A caption under the photos would be helpful.
Thanks for reading! I will be sure to add captions to the photos in the future.