Since 1899, Phillips Park has been Aurora’s crown jewel, originally gifted to the city by the estate of former mayor Travis Phillips. The park saw its first major upgrade in 1915 with the addition of a zoo, once home to exotic animals and an all-glass birdhouse lost to a 1933 hailstorm. In 1923, the Aurora Motor Club added free campgrounds to attract Lincoln Highway travelers, using a shelter near Hill Street for cooking and gathering—a structure that now features interpretive signage. Later enhancements included the Sunken Gardens, designed in 1930 by horticulturist Ray C. Moses, and a Works Progress Administration expansion of the golf course in 1938. Today, the 325-acre park blends historic features with modern amenities, including the zoo, gardens, golf course, aquatic center, and playgrounds.