The Yorktown ReserveBlog

A Guide to Downtown Downers Grove: Tivoli Theatre, Dining, and the Farmers Market

Most Chicago suburbs have a cute downtown area that people congregate in, but Downers Grove has one that you can actually spend a whole day in. Small enough to do an entire day on foot from the Metra platform, Downers Grove features a 1928 movie palace, a main street with restaurants, bars, and shopping, and a Saturday market that takes over the train station parking lot from the spring all the way through the fall. Here’s our guide to the best of the best when it comes to Downers Grove, from dining, the theater, and the farmers’ market, and all the places in between.

The Tivoli: A Movie Palace

Opening on Christmas Day in 1928, this architectural wonder was designed by the firm Van Gurten and Van Gurten, in a brilliant French Renaissance style that has aged into something iconic. Its historical claim is the whole story – It was the second theater in the United States to open that could show sound pictures, and it only trailed the Brooklyn Paramount by a month.

Of course, it’s about a hundred years old, but that isn’t the most unusual thing about it. The thing that makes it iconic still is that nobody carved it up. Most single-screen theaters were renovated into multiplexes in the 70s and 80s. They would drop ceilings and balconies and wall off large rooms, but the Tivoli’s auditorium is still one room with just over a thousand seats. The only addition that has been made is a second 33-seat screen in 2021, but the main auditorium is still intact and runs films and live performances.

Another iconic fact about the Tivoli Palace is that there sits a beautiful 1924 Wurlitzer organ, which still gets played before Friday Evening Features and before After Hours Film Society Screenings. This thing was built for scoring silent films live and is a remnant of a time when cinema relied on live music and not sound from the picture. Maintained by an army of amazing volunteers from the Chicago Area Theatre Organ Enthusiasts, one of their board members, an organist, says that they are “ just a real small group of people doing our darnedest to try to keep these wonderful instruments playing.” Catching a picture here is like catching a piece of history that you can’t find anywhere else.

Best Restaurants in Downtown Downers Grove

Downtown Downers Grove is full of surprises when it comes to the quality of their food and the diverse choices all within a three-block radius. 

• Emmett’s Brewing Company (5200 Main St): In-house brewed beer and some great bar food. This is always the first answer when someone asks, “Where should we get a beer downtown?”
• Pierce Tavern (5135 Main St): If you want a beer but also want to catch a game, this place serves up both. It can get quite rowdy on Saturdays, so make sure you keep that in mind.
• Wasabi Restaurant & Bar (5130 Main St): One of the few Sit-down options in the downtown area that serves American food or is a pub. This place has great Chinese dishes and even better sushi.
• Thai Cafe (4950 Main St): Small and around for a long time, this small business has served everyone who’s stepped through downtown Downers Grove at one point or another. Try the Pad Thai. You won’t regret it.
• The Outpost Mexican Eatery (4948 Main St): Right next door to Thai Cafe. These two restaurants make the block worth the walk. With frozen margaritas and any kind of Mexican food you’re craving
• Gia Mia (994 Warren Ave): A pizza spot that doesn’t feel like takeout. They do wood-fired here, and the crust on the pizza alone is worth the detour.

Saturday Morning Farmer’s Market Downers Grove

Starting halfway through May and running through late October, the Main Street train station parking lot becomes the Downtown Downers Grove Farmers Market. It opens bright and early at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 12:30, just in time for the lunch rush. Make sure you get here early if you want to fill your pantry with local favorites and homemade items. The Indian Boundary YMCA runs this market and describes it as “More than 60 vendors come together each week to offer our neighbors and friends locally grown produce, fresh baked goods, handmade soaps, curated floral arrangements, handcrafted coffee beverages, artisanal cheeses, and so much more. Help us do our part to improve local food security, increase equitable access to sustainably grown produce, and build community around local food” 

If you want to do most of your grocery shopping here and find a close place to park, you’ll want to go before 9:00. If you arrive after 10:00, you’ll be there at the perfect time to catch live music and a coffee. The location means you can take the train in or drive, shop, and explore all the other small businesses in the downtown while you’re at it.