Phillips Park Zoo is located on the grounds of Phillips Park, in Aurora, Illinois. It was originally established in 1915, and is still open year-round with no admission charge. It was once home to exotic animals such as giraffes and monkeys, but the zoo's focus changed to native animals after Brookfield Zoo opened in 1934.

The Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple in Aurora, Illinois, is a sacred place for devotees to experience the blessings and teachings of Sai Baba. Founded by the Sai Samsthan of America, the temple follows similar worship traditions to Shirdi, India, with aratis, bhajans, chanting of the Vishnu Sahasranama, and daily recitation of the Sai Satcharita.

Illinois is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The population was 12,812,508 in 2020. Its largest urban areas include Chicago and the Metro East of Greater St. Louis, as well as Peoria, Rockford, Champaign–Urbana, and Springfield, the state's capital.