The bright red rose rises from a nest of intersecting interstate highways beside Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Painted on the globe of a water tower, it serves as the emblem of the small suburb of Rosemont, a village whose prominence is tied closely to its location next to one of the world’s busiest air gateways.
With roughly 6,000 hotel rooms and a resident population near 4,200, plus a convention center offering nearly a million square feet of exhibit and meeting space and an arena that attracts crowds comparable to major venues, Rosemont has become a significant hub for meetings, conventions and entertainment. The village continues to expand, adding an entertainment district and a luxury shopping center aimed at both business visitors and leisure travelers.
“My father saw the potential to bring people here,” says Mayor Brad Stephens, whose father, Donald Stephens, was Rosemont’s first mayor after the village incorporated in 1956. Over 14 terms, Donald Stephens convinced major hotel companies to invest in Rosemont and converted an old warehouse into an exposition center to compete with Chicago’s McCormick Place. Brad Stephens succeeded his father in 2007 and has continued that development focus, guiding hundreds of millions in commercial investment into the village.
Rosemont invested $50 million to create MB Financial Park, a cluster of dining and entertainment venues arranged around a central green space the size of a football field. The space serves as a gathering place for festivals and concerts in warm months and transforms into an ice-skating rink in winter. “We wanted a common area in the middle to be a gathering place,” Mayor Stephens says. Opened in 2012, the park functions as a walkable downtown within easy distance of area hotels and the convention center.
The park’s diverse tenants include Zanies Comedy Club, hosting national stand-up acts; a large movie complex with 18 screens and a full-service restaurant; Five Roses Irish Pub; and a two-story Toby Keith’s bar and grill with a stage and skyboxes. Hofbräuhaus, a 550-seat recreation of the famous Munich beer hall, offers Bavarian food and beer brewed on site using traditional recipes and imported ingredients. iFLY provides a vertical wind tunnel experience that simulates skydiving for individuals, corporate groups and team-building events. Kings, an upscale bowling venue with a retro aesthetic, features signature cocktails, a chef-driven scratch kitchen and private party rooms popular with corporate groups and visiting celebrities.
Hofbräuhaus, a replica of the famous Munich beer hall © Hofbräuhaus
Adjacent to the entertainment district, Fashion Outlets of Chicago opened in 2013. This $250 million indoor shopping center presents a more upscale experience than typical outlet malls, featuring marble and granite finishes and curated artwork throughout its 130 stores. Retail options span luxury labels and accessible brands, and outlet versions of major department stores anchor the mall. Air travelers can check bags and obtain boarding passes on-site and arrange shuttles to O’Hare, making the center convenient for visitors arriving or departing by plane.
“When people attend conventions they want more than meeting rooms — they want activity,” says Chris Stephens, executive director of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Planners surveyed meeting attendees about what they want from a convention destination and the answers included shopping, entertainment, close-in parking, tiered restaurant options and nightlife. The entertainment district and shopping center provide these amenities, while the convention center itself is investing in upgrades, with $6.5 million planned this year to refresh conference spaces.
Although Rosemont pursued a casino license, the state’s license went to neighboring Des Plaines. Rivers Casino opened across from Rosemont’s village hall in 2011 and quickly became one of the state’s highest-grossing casinos. Visitors can reach Rosemont by a free shuttle that connects the casino to the Blue Line “L” stop linking downtown Chicago and O’Hare; a paid shuttle serves area hotels.
Established venues in Rosemont still draw business and leisure visitors. The 4,300-seat Rosemont Theatre regularly books major comedians and performers. The Allstate Arena consistently ranks among the nation’s top venues for attendance; it hosts concerts and is home to the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves. Other attractions include the Donald E. Stephens Hummel Museum, which displays an extensive collection of German figurines from the former mayor’s private holdings.
Rosemont is also developing office space aimed at corporate headquarters and is planning a new project on a 26-acre site across I-294 from the entertainment district. Mayor Stephens has indicated plans for this site will be unveiled soon, with a focus on family-friendly entertainment to complement the village’s existing venues and to extend Rosemont’s appeal to a broader range of visitors.
SCENIC DRIVES
The Chicago area offers scenic drives with views of Lake Michigan and riverside landscapes. A pleasant route begins at the Baha’i House of Worship in Wilmette and follows Sheridan Road south past Northwestern University and the Block Museum of Art, then joins Lake Shore Drive. This drive runs alongside lakefront parks and beaches, passing the Museum Campus and Navy Pier, and provides skyline views both from the road and from stops such as Promontory Point in Burnham Park, before ending near the Museum of Science and Industry.
Another attractive route follows both sides of the Fox River through Chicago’s western suburbs. Illinois Route 25 in St. Charles skirts riverfront parks, the Fox River Bike Trail and the 19th-century windmill at Fabyan Forest Preserve. Crossing in Aurora offers additional options, and travelers can continue north on Illinois Route 31 through towns like Geneva, known for its specialty shops and charming downtown. The route past Mount St. Mary Park in St. Charles makes for a scenic roundtrip of about 26 miles, with opportunities for dining, shopping and riverside recreation along the way.