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Fox River House
Photo: Smallbones, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons · tap to enlarge
National Register of Historic Places

Fox River House

Also known as Galena Hotel

Aurora’s first place on the National RegisterListed May 4, 1976; only 192 of Illinois’s 1,939 listings are older
Listed 1976Aurora
DirectionsAdd an old photo

Many listed buildings are private homes. Please enjoy them from the street.

About

About Fox River House

Fox River House, at 166 W. Galena, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 4, 1976: the first place in Aurora to be listed. Only 192 of Illinois’s 1,939 listings are older. The Register lists it for its commerce and social history, at the local level. 13 more Register listings are within a quarter mile.

What it isHistoric hotel in Aurora, Illinois. From Wikidata (CC0). Read about it on Wikipedia ↗

PDFRead the original nominationThe form that put it on the Register, with its history, photos and a map · 17 MB · National Archives↗
Through the years

1857 to today

  1. 1857Built
  2. 1976Added to the National Register of Historic Places
  3. 2026On the Register for 50 years
Visit

Make it a walk: 5 landmarks in about 10 minutes

166 W. Galena, Aurora · about 0.2 miles on foot, as the crow flies

DirectionsWalk the tour in Google Maps
  1. 1Fox River HouseStart here
  2. 2Hobbs BuildingBuilt 1895 · next door
  3. 3International Harvester Showroom and WarehouseBuilt 1901 · next door
  4. 4Hotel AuroraBuilt 1917 · 0.1 mi on
  5. 5Stolp Island Historic DistrictItalianate · next door
Around it

17 more Register listings within half a mile

★ National Historic Landmark · D district · B building · S site. Each opens its own page.

BKeystone BuildingPrairie School0.1 miBGraham BuildingPrairie School0.1 miBOld Second National BankPrairie School0.1 miBAurora Elks Lodge No. 705Prairie School0.2 miBGAR Memorial BuildingGothic Revival0.2 miBStolp Woolen Mill StoreBuilding0.2 miBParamount TheatreBuilding0.2 miBHotel ArthurRenaissance · Built 19050.2 miBMary A. Todd SchoolBuilding0.2 miDLaSalle Street Auto Row Historic DistrictLate Victorian0.3 miDAurora Broadway Historic District (Additional Documentation)District0.3 miBCol. Ira C. Copley MansionNeo-Classical Revival0.3 miBHealy ChapelPrairie School0.3 miBWilliam A. Tanner HouseItalianate · Built 18570.3 miBMasonic TempleNeo-Classical Revival0.5 miBSt. Charles HospitalArt Deco0.5 miBChicago, Burlington, & Quincy Roundhouse and Locomotive ShopRoundhouse0.5 mi

Memories of Fox River House

The record says what it is. Neighbors know what it means.

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Have an old photo of it?Add it · +10

Questions about Fox River House

Is Fox River House on the National Register of Historic Places?

Yes. It was added on May 4, 1976 (Register number 76000710).

Is Fox River House a National Historic Landmark?

No. It is on the National Register; Illinois has 86 National Historic Landmarks. The nearest is Sam and Ruth Van Sickle Ford House, 2.1 miles away.

Can you visit Fox River House?

Our record doesn’t say whether it is open to visitors. Many listed buildings are private, so it may only be seen from the street.

Where can I read the history of Fox River House?

In its National Register nomination, the form that put it on the Register: a 17 MB PDF at the National Archives, linked on this page.

Sources: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (05/22/2026) · National Archives catalog record 28893154 · Wikidata. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.