Tour operators find Oakbrook Terrace an ideal base of operations with its central location, affordable accommodations and wealth of dining and shopping options
Welcome to the friendly City of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. Known as “The City of Hospitality,” this bustling suburban community is just 17 miles west of downtown Chicago, 25 minutes from both Chicago’s O’Hare International and Midway airports, and convenient to four major expressways that connect the city to Northern Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
Oakbrook Terrace is home to a number of corporate headquarters and the largest automobile trade association in the U.S. The 31-story Oakbrook Terrace Tower is the tallest office building in Illinois outside of Chicago and truly a suburban landmark.
Tour operators find Oakbrook Terrace an ideal base of operations, too. They prize its central location, affordable accommodations, and wealth of dining and shopping possibilities.
Lodging
Each hotel offers complimentary, pre-arranged shuttle service within a five-mile radius. Choose from the following:
- Comfort Suites Oakbrook Terrace, 103 rooms. Amenities include a free hot breakfast, fitness center and indoor pool with sauna, plus in-room microwave and refrigerator. (630-916-1000, csobtc.com)
- Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Oakbrook Terrace, 147 rooms. Sporting a remodeled lobby, the hotel offers a fitness center, indoor pool and The Bistro, open for breakfast and dinner. (630-691-1500, marriott.com/chiot)
- Hilton Chicago/Oakbrook Suites, 211 rooms. Adjacent to Drury Lane Theatre & Conference Center, the hotel offers two-room suites featuring a large living room with sofa bed and a working desk and a wet bar with refrigerator and microwave oven. Amenities include an indoor pool and fitness center. The Atrium Restaurant is open for breakfast daily, The Terrace for lunch and dinner. (630-941-0100, oakbrookterracesuites.hilton.com)
- Hilton Garden Inn Chicago/Oakbrook Terrace, 128 rooms. Amenities include an indoor pool and fitness center. Each room has a refrigerator and microwave. The Great American Grill is open for breakfast and dinner. Located adjacent to Drury Lane Theatre and Conference Center. (630-941-1177, chicagooakbrookterrace.hgi.com)
- Holiday Inn Chicago Oakbrook, 232 rooms. Guests enjoy the use of a fitness center and indoor pool. On-site restaurant, Bar Louie, offers American favorites. (630-833-3600, holiday-inn.com/chi-oakbrook)
- Staybridge Suites Chicago-Oakbrook Terrace, 112 suites. Each studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suite has a fully-equipped kitchen with microwave, dishwasher, stove and refrigerator. Guests enjoy a seasonal outdoor whirlpool spa and free hot breakfast. (630-953-9393, staybridge.com/chicagoiloak)
Attractions in Oakbrook Terrace
Oakbrook Terrace is home to Drury Lane Theatre, renowned for its Broadway-style musicals, concerts and other productions since 1984. Shows regularly win rave reviews from critics and earn honors, including the Chicago theater community’s Jeff Awards. Executive producer Kyle DeSantis continues the legacy of his grandfather, Anthony DeSantis, who started the Drury Lane theater empire in Chicago more than 60 years ago.
Drury Lane Theatre
Dinner-theater packages include a meal in Drury Lane’s elegant restaurant, Lucille. Group meals for dinner feature a choice of two entrees from a list that includes stuffed chicken breast, baked salmon and roast pork. At additional cost, groups can add extras like unlimited wine or a shrimp cocktail.
With its central location, Oakbrook Terrace is within easy access of many other cultural attractions in west suburban Chicago. In nearby Wheaton, for example, is the magnificent estate of the late Col. Robert R. McCormick, editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. Groups can tour the mansion, gardens and First Division Military Museum. The Billy Graham Center Museum, on the campus of Wheaton College, is a showcase of Christian evangelism and revivalism in America.
Morton Arboretum in Lisle is a 1,700-acre oasis with trees, shrubs and plants displayed in woodlands, wetlands, gardens and a restored native prairie. Guided tours in open-air trams are available.
Attractions in nearby Oak Park include the Ernest Hemingway birthplace and museum and the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. Also within easy driving distance of Oakbrook Terrace is Brookfield Zoo, one of America’s premier zoos.
Mayslake Peabody Estate, on the Mayslake Forest Preserve in Oak Brook, encompasses the historic Peabody Mansion and Portiuncula Chapel, a replica of the Portiuncula Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi in Italy. Nearby is historic Graue Mill, a water-powered, 19th century grist mill in Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve.
Shopping
Oakbrook Center
Oakbrook Terrace is minutes from Oakbrook Center, a beautifully landscaped outdoor mall on two levels. Department stores include Macy’s, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. For women’s apparel, check out Anthropologie, Talbots, Gap, H&M and J. Jill, to name just a few. Other specialty retailers include Coach, Louis Vuitton, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Paper Source and Barnes & Noble. Tiffany & Co. and Swarovski head the list of fine jewelry purveyors.
Several other shopping areas are within a short drive. REI, the outdoor gear superstore, caters to outdoor enthusiasts, from campers to skiers. Just down the road, The Shops at Oak Brook features stores like World Market and Nordstrom Rack. A bit farther west is The Oak Brook Promenade, a collection of upscale shops and restaurants in a European village setting.
Yorktown Center in Lombard, a major regional shopping hub, includes an enclosed mall, plus the al fresco Shops on Butterfield at Yorktown and The Plaza Shops at Yorktown. Entertainment choices at Yorktown include a multiplex cinema and an arcade.
Dining in Oakbrook Terrace
Cuisine choices are virtually limitless with over 40 restaurants located in Oakbrook Terrace, including the restaurant owned by legendary Chicago Bears coach, Ditka’s. Some other popular spots include Anyway’s Chicago Restaurant & Pub, Giordano’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, Gulliver’s Pizza & Pub and Redstone American Grill.
The Drury Lane Theatre & Conference Center can accommodate banquets of up to 2,500.
With its wealth of hotel, dining, shopping and entertainment options—not to mention a convenient location—the Oakbrook Terrace area is tailor-made for group tours. And it’s all just a short hop from one of the world’s great cities.
For more information, contact the City of Oakbrook Terrace
17 W 275 Butterfield Road
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
630-941-8300
www.oakbrookterrace.net
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