Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park

The Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park is a picturesque ten-acre park located on the west side of the waterway in downtown Joliet. It is the site of historic Bluff Street where Juliet/Joliet had its first businesses and homes. In their memory, a Bluff Street Historic Walk meanders through the Park. It features large boulders with bronze plaques that tell the pioneer history of this area. The Park also has a colored lighted fountain, a pavilion and a large outdoor bandshell where free “Concerts On The Hill” are presented every Thursday night during June, July and August. Children’s drama classes are regularly presented. In addition, this historical and cultural art center features an indoor intimate community theater and multiple meeting rooms for public and private use.

Contact Information:
Bicentennial Park
201 W. Jefferson at Bluffs Street
Joliet, IL 60435
E-mail: bipark@jolietcity.org
Website: www.bicentennialpark.org
(815) 724-3760

Forest Preserve District of Will County

The Forest Preserve District of Will County strives to bring people and nature together and has many forest preserves that are open to the public for recreational activities. Areas for picnicking, biking, hiking, and fishing all can be found in the city of Joliet, as well as throughout Will County. Throughout the year, the Forest Preserve presents programs and special events that combine learning with fun in the out-of-doors. You are invited to come explore what our preserves offer.

Preserves in Joliet:

• Joliet Iron Works Historic Site at Ruby & Scott Street
• Rock Run Greenway: Black Road Access (On Black Road, west
  of Essington)
• Nichols Access ( Essington St. & Ingalls Ave.)
• Theodore Marsh (Gaylord & Theodore St.)
• Sugar Creek Preserve – site of our Administration Center and Wauponsee Glacial Trail head, on Laraway Rd. between Rt. 53 & Briggs St.

For additional information about Forest Preserve Programming Contact:
Becky Sanders
Forest Preserve District of Will County
17540 W. Laraway Road
Joliet, IL 60433
815-727-8700
Website: www.fpdwc.org

Joliet Area Historical Museum

Experience a journey through time. Meet life-size models, interact with touch-screen visuals, view award-winning audio-visuals and explore how the past shaped the world you now enjoy. Take a walk through the I &M Canal during its construction, ride a real trolley car through town in 1920, stroll down Chicago Street in the 1940’s, and meet “Tillie,” a 1909 Economy Motor Buggy, built in Joliet. Explore the Resource and Discovery Room, a hands-on-learning space designed for children and their families. Visit our Special Exhibit Gallery, where the exhibits change every few months. Remember to visit our Gift Shop and take a memory home. There’s always something new to discover at the Museum—
enjoy all it has to offer!

Contact information:
Joliet Area Historical Museum
204 N. Ottawa Street
Joliet, Illinois 60432
Phone: (815) 723-5201
Website: www.jolietmuseum.org

Primary Contact for Youth Programming:
Kim Shehorn-Martin
k.shehorn@jolietmuseum.org
www.jolietmuseum.org
(815) 723-5201 x234

Joliet City Center Partnership

The Joliet City Center Partnership offers a complete listing of retail businesses, restaurants and entertainment venues in downtown Joliet.

Contact information:
116 N. Chicago Street
Joliet, Illinois 60432
Phone: (815) 774-6066
Website: www.jolietdowntown.org

Joliet Public Library

The Joliet Public Library offers programs suitable for kids of all ages. Throughout the year the library schedules such programs as a monthly Craft Club, specialized multi-week “clubs”, character visits, plays, and educational guests. For very young children there are regularly scheduled Lapsits, Toddler Times, Preschool Storytimes and Family Storytimes (also in Spanish). In addition, summer features the wildly popular Summer Reading Program with activities and prizes each week. The best part is all programs at the Joliet Public Library are FREE!

Contact Information:
Joliet Public Library
Main Library
150 N. Ottawa St.
Joliet, IL 60432
815-740-2660
Website: http://www.joliet.lib.il.us/kids/mainlibrary.htm

Amanda Gregory
Youth Services Program Coordinator
740-2663

Joliet Visitors Bureau

The Joliet Visitors Bureau provides visitors and residents with information regarding events, activities and attractions throughout Joliet.

Contact Information:
www.visitjoliet.org
1-877-4-JOLIET

The Rialto Square Theatre

The Rialto Sqare Theatre is a former vaudeville movie palace built during the “Golden Age” of movies. It is considered to be one of the ten most beautiful theatres in the nation, and reflects Italian Renaissance, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Rococo and Venetian and Baroque architecture.

In the last two years, THE RIALTO SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, has become a vital part of the services and arts venues offered to the Joliet and greater Will County Area. The School of the Arts, whose entrance is one door north of the theatre door under the marquee, features a conservatory level Children’s Choir, classes in theatre arts (full productions and specialty training classes); and, classes in fine arts (drawing, painting, fabric art, two dimensional art).

For Additional Information about programming at the Rialto Square Theatre and the School for the Arts Contact:
Joan Caton
Rialto Square Theatre
15 East Van Buren Street
Joliet, IL 60432
Phone: 815-726-7171
E-mail: jcaton@rialtosquare.com
Website: www.rialtosquare.com