Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Aurora (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: George Street Bridge, Hillforest, and Aurora City Hall. Also, be sure to include First Presbyterian Church in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Aurora (Indiana).
Table of Contents
George Street Bridge
Bridge in Aurora, Indiana. George Street Bridge, also known as County Bridge No. 159, is a historic Whipple truss bridge located at Aurora, Dearborn County, Indiana. It was built by the Lomas Forge & Bridge Works in 1887. It traverses Hogan Creek and measures 199 feet, 4 inches, long. It is one of the oldest iron bridges in Indiana.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It is located in the Downtown Aurora Historic District.[1]
Hillforest
Museum in Aurora, Indiana. The Hillforest Mansion, also known as the Thomas Gaff House, is located at 213 Fifth Street, in Aurora, Indiana. Built in 1855 on a bluff above the Ohio River, it is one of the finest surviving examples of an Italian Renaissance estate house, and a rare well-preserved example of the work of architect Isaiah Rogers. The mansion, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992, is owned and operated by Hillforest Historical Foundation. It is located in the Downtown Aurora Historic District.[2]
Address: 213 5th St, 47001-1211 Aurora
Aurora City Hall
Aurora City Hall is a historic city hall located at Aurora, Dearborn County, Indiana. It was built in two sections in 1870 and 1887. The older section is a two-story, Italianate style brick and stone building purchased in 1882 to house the fire department. The 1887 section was built to house the city hall and is a two-story, Romanesque Revival style brick and stone building with a gable front. The buildings were connected about 1970.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. It is located in the Downtown Aurora Historic District.[3]
First Presbyterian Church
Building in Aurora, Indiana. The First Presbyterian Church of Aurora, Indiana is a historic Presbyterian congregation and church located at Aurora, Dearborn County, Indiana. The original building completed in 1855 is still used, and is believed to have been designed by architect John R. Hamilton. It is a two-story, rectangular, Greek Revival style red brick building painted white. It measure approximately 45 feet wide by 75 feet deep and rests on a rough cut limestone foundation. It features a steeply tower consisting of a base, belfry, clock, and steeple.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. It is located in the Downtown Aurora Historic District.
According to the church's website "a committee of the Presbytery of Madison organized the 'First Presbyterian Church of Aurora, Indiana' in 1844" with members of the Hancock, Gaff, Cannon, Kennedy, Lotham, McConnell, and Witherow families and Rev. W.A. Smith as the first installed pastor.
The church's website states that land was purchased in 1848 and the first phase of construction was completed by 1850 "when the congregation began to meet in what is now the basement of the church". Second phase construction was completed in 1855. This included the "Greek Revival" sanctuary and bell-tower and "a four-faced" public clock which was "the official time-piece of the City of Aurora until 1981 when it was formally donated to the Congregation by the city council". The church is said to have had the first pipe organ in Dearborn County, installed in the church in 1860 after "a boat transporting the instrument was wrecked at Aurora and the congregation purchased it as 'salvage'." "The pipes were made of wood, and the bellows were pumped by hand."
The congregation is currently in a "yoked" relationship with Hopewell Presbyterian Church of Dillsboro, Indiana, meaning that the pastor of First Presbyterian also serves as the pastor of Hopewell and that certain administrative and mission functions of both congregations work in close harmony with one another.[4]
Address: 4th St, Aurora, IN 47001, 47001 Aurora
First Evangelical United Church of Christ
Church in Aurora, Indiana. First Evangelical United Church of Christ, also known as the Fifth Street Church and German Reformed Church, is a historic United Church of Christ church located at 111 Fifth Street in Aurora, Dearborn County, Indiana. It was originally constructed in 1848 as a Greek Revival style Baptist church. It was remodeled in 1911 in the Gothic Revival style. It is a one-story, red brick building measuring 40 feet, 6 inches, wide by 60 feet deep. It features arched openings and a projecting front tower topped by an octagonal spire. A parish hall was added to the church between 1932 and 1934. It is the oldest church building in Aurora.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. It is located in the Downtown Aurora Historic District.[5]
First Methodist Church
Church in Aurora, Indiana. Aurora First United Methodist Church, also known as the First United Methodist Church of Aurora and Aurora Methodist Episcopal Church, is a historic Methodist church located at 304 Third Street in Aurora, Dearborn County, Indiana. It was built between about 1855 and 1862, and is a two-story, gable front, Greek Revival style brick building. It measures 45 feet, 6 inches, wide and 95 feet deep. A limestone front was added to the original building in 1903 and one-story rear addition built between 1885 and 1888. The church was remodeled in 1954.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. It is located in the Downtown Aurora Historic District.[6]
Leive
Building in Aurora. Leive, Parks and Stapp Opera House, also known as the Grand Opera House, is a historic opera house located at Aurora, Dearborn County, Indiana. It was built in 1878, and is a three-story, Italianate style brick building. It measures 53 feet wide and 104 feet deep. The front facade features a cast iron storefront with pilasters with Corinthian order capitals.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. It is located in the Downtown Aurora Historic District.[7]
Levi Stevens House
Levi Stevens House, also known as the Stevens-Thatcher-Crosson House, is a historic home located at Aurora, Dearborn County, Indiana. It was built in 1849, and is a 2+1⁄2-story, three bay, Greek Revival style 2/3 I-house. It has an "L"-shaped plan, sits on a rough cut limestone foundation, and has a low side gable roof. It has a one-story rear kitchen addition.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Facade restoration of paint and shutters was completed in 2018.[8]
George Sutton Medical Office
Dr. George Sutton Medical Office Building is a historic medical office building located at Aurora, Dearborn County, Indiana. It was built about 1870, and is a small two-story, Second Empire style brick building. It sits on a limestone block foundation and has a mansard roof.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. It is located in the Downtown Aurora Historic District.[9]
Lewis Hurlbert Sr. House
Historical landmark in Aurora, Indiana. Lewis Hurlbert Sr. House is a historic home located at Aurora, Dearborn County, Indiana. It was built in 1844, and is a two-story, five bay, frame dwelling with Italianate and Greek Revival style design elements. It has a double pile plan, sits on a cut limestone foundation, and side gable roof. It has a two-story addition built in the mid-19th century. Also on the property are the contributing stable, outhouse, and two sections of cat iron fencing.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. It is located in the Downtown Aurora Historic District.[10]
Aurora Public Library
Public library in Aurora, Indiana. The Aurora Public Library was first organized by voluntary contributions. When the town was incorporated in 1819 a lot on Fifth Street was set aside for a public library, but it took time for enough funds to be raised for its establishment.
In 1882 fundraising by the sale of stock in the library property was done in $5 per share for 141 shares, subscribed by 51 people, and the sale of the library lot for another $700 raising $1,405. Non-shareholders could access the library for $1.50 a year.
In 1901 the library with its 3,500 volumes and "several current magazines" was transferred to the city, and opened in two "well lighted rooms" in the city building three afternoons and two evenings per week with an annual circulation totaling 11,000. It was funded with a 3 cent tax per $100 in property value ($370 per year) supplemented by donations of books and money. A 1904 account stated that under its board selected by the city council "Aurora now has a good, free, public library operating under a very favorable law and there is no reason why, fostered as it is, it should not fulfill the expectations of the liberal minded founders of the city who planned for a community where culture would be general and where ignorance should have no place."
The current Aurora Library building was constructed by the Cincinnati architectural firm of Garber & Woodward in 1913–1914, with a small rear addition designed by the same firm and added in 1923. It is a one-story, "T" plan, Renaissance Revival style red brick building on a raised basement. It has a low hipped roof, round arched openings, and terra cotta ornament.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. It is located in the Downtown Aurora Historic District.
The Aurora Public Library operates today as the Aurora Public Library District. The Aurora Public Library also serves residents of several surrounding townships and of the nearby city of Lawrenceburg through a reciprocity agreement.[11]