For more than a century, Phillips Park on Aurora’s east side has been a destination for residents and visitors alike, and plans are underway to build upon its legacy and impact on future generations. 

Officially named by the Aurora City Council in 1902, Phillips Park has grown into a 325-acre community park with multi-generation attractions like the Phillips Park Zoo, the Sunken Garden, Mastodon Lake, Phillips Park Golf Course, Phillips Park Family Aquatic Center, and the Stover Visitors Center. 

During the park’s 120th anniversary year, the City of Aurora is developing a new master plan for Phillips Park and its amenities to improve the overall park experience and better provide recreational and educational opportunities for the community. 

The initiative aims to evaluate and analyze the existing infrastructure, facilities, amenities, and programs and develop an overall master plan to serve as a road map for potential future improvements.

To help determine the future needs for the park, the City is seeking community input through public meetings, workshops, and a community-wide online survey. 

The first in a series of community input workshops will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, at the Stover Visitors Center, 1000 Ray Moses Drive. Participants will learn more about the project and can provide direct input to the City staff and partners leading the master plan initiative. 

Participants can also provide input via the online community survey at www.aurora-il.org/TheFutureofPhillipsPark. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes. 

Feedback from in-person meetings and the online survey will help to determine the potential improvements, establish the overall vision, and guide the project team to develop conceptual designs for the site.

Learn More about the Phillips Park Master Plan