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Official website for the City of Aurora, Illinois. Mayor Tom Weisner

Phillips Park Visitors Center and Mastodon Gallery

Phillips Park Visitors Center & Mastodon Gallery showcases the mastodon bones that were unearthed in the park during a 1934 Civil Works Administration Project. The skull being the largest of the artifacts, weighs 188 pounds. The bones, estimated to be between 10,000 to 20,000 years old, include a 92-pound lower jaw, a 6-foot-long tusk, ribs and vertebrae. In addition, you’ll find enlarged photographs and a detailed history time line related to the discovery, as well as displays highlighting the history of Phillips Park, the Sunken Garden and the Phillips Park Zoo.

The 3,500-square-foot building, located at 1000 Moses Drive, also offers a view of the Sunken Garden and includes vending machines and public washrooms. Hours of operation are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, from Labor Day through Memorial Day. During the summer months, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the facility will remain open until 8 p.m. Admission is free and the facility is handicapped accessible. For more information, contact the City of Aurora’s Parks and Recreation Division at (630) 256-3730.