Est. 1856 · National Register of Historic Places · Oldest U.S. Limestone Roundhouse · Walter Payton Restoration · Chicago and Aurora Railroad
The Aurora Roundhouse was constructed in 1856 to service locomotives operating on the Chicago and Aurora Railroad — a corridor that became a backbone of Midwestern rail freight through the second half of the 19th century. The building's distinctive limestone construction and circular plan made it a regional engineering landmark. It is the oldest limestone roundhouse in the United States and remains the largest roundhouse west of the Allegheny Mountains.
The roundhouse continued in railroad service into the mid-20th century before falling into disuse. By the late 1980s the structure had deteriorated significantly. Restoration began on March 17, 1995, with NFL Hall of Famer Walter Payton serving as a principal investor and public face of the redevelopment. The complex reopened on March 21, 1996 as Walter Payton's Roundhouse Complex, combining a brewery, restaurant, and event space inside the historic shell.
Following Payton's death in 1999 and subsequent ownership changes, the property is now operated as the Two Brothers Roundhouse — the Aurora flagship of Two Brothers Brewing Company, which produces beer, coffee, and distilled spirits on site. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sources
- https://www.americanghostwalks.com/tour/two-brothers-roundhouse-ghost-tour-illinois
- https://www.americanghostwalks.com/aurora
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Brothers_Roundhouse
- https://www.twobrothersbrewing.com/restaurants-roundhouse
ApparitionsShadow figuresCold spotsEMF anomaliesPhantom sounds
The most-reported figure at the Two Brothers Roundhouse is described as a full-body apparition of a male train worker dressed in 1950s-era clothing. Witnesses, including current and former staff, report the figure in a particular corridor of the building that is consistently described as cold regardless of season. The corridor connects sections of the original locomotive service area.
A second cluster of reports concerns the Lager Room — the brewing-floor space within the restored complex. Staff members closing the building after operating hours have reported shadow figures described as silhouettes 'dancing' in the empty room. The figures are reported moving against the architecture rather than reflecting any external light source.
Diane Ladley of American Ghost Walks hosts the lantern tour, drawing on staff interviews and historical research into the railroad-era casualties associated with the original roundhouse function. The tour does not theatrically stage encounters; the format is documentary storytelling combined with a structured investigation segment using EMF and audio equipment provided to participants. The Two Brothers Roundhouse is consistently described in regional travel coverage as the most paranormally active building in Aurora.
