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Back in the day, Leland was the place to be! Part swanky hotel, part club, people came from all over to see and be seen at Leland. Join local historian Tracy Duran to learn and reminisce!
The Leland Hotel opened on February 8, 1928 with fireworks and plenty of spectators. The hotel was one of the most luxurious in the state. Sammy Davis Jr., Gene Autry, Kim Novak, Chick Hearn, Eddie Albert, and secretly, Al Capone numbered among its guests.
Hear from local historian Tracy Duran on the early history of the Leland Hotel, including its status as a social hub and even a recording studio! Following the presentation, we'll hold an open forum where attendees can share their memories of the Leland Hotel, Sky Club, and Downtown Aurora! The open forum will be available in-person only. If you have memories to share but cannot attend in-person, please send them to genealogyhelp@aurorapubliclibrary.org by Thursday, August 7.
After the program, attendees are invited to walk over to Leland for an exclusive look inside!
Tracy Duran is an independent historian and the Vice President of the Board at the Aurora Regional Fire Museum with a passion for uncovering and illuminating the rich, layered history of Aurora, Illinois. She combines research and storytelling to bring the city’s past to life. Based in North Aurora, Tracy is dedicated to sharing Aurora’s vibrant history with the local community and beyond. Discover her work at www.tracyduran.com and follow along on Instagram at Discovering Aurora.
Join us in person or virtually via Zoom here. The Zoom event will cover the presentation only. Passcode for the Zoom event: Leland
I acknowledge my participation (or my child’s participation) in this virtual program includes the recording of this program which may include my name as listed on my account, images and/or video footage. I grant the Aurora Public Library District my permission to use the photographs and/or video footage for any legal use, including but not limited to: publicity, copyright purposes, illustration, advertising, and web content.
Furthermore, I understand that no royalty, fee or other compensation shall become payable to me by reason of such use.
AGE GROUP: | Adults - ages 19+ |
EVENT TYPE: | Virtual Program | Local Resources and Community Conversation | Local History and Genealogy |
TAGS: | Community history |
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