Geneva's The Little Traveler Worth the Trip

• Geneva Destinations is a series of articles profiling prominent places in town that are unique to Geneva.

Planning on doing some shopping in the Geneva area? Don't forget a stop into The Little Traveler.

For nearly nine decades, the store, located in a sprawling 36-room Victorian mansion at 404 S. Third St., has been a cornerstone of the city's downtown shopping district.

Some of the treasures one can find in the historic store includes women's apparel, jewelry and fashion accessories, housewares, gourmet foods and wines, a year-round Christmas shop, stationery and toys. The Little Traveler also has the Midwest's largest selection of Naot shoes.

The store is filled with treasures, including one-of-a-kind pieces from Europe and the Far East. The collections are continuously changing.

The Little Traveler’s legendary Atrium Cafe tearoom serves a variety of homemade sandwiches, salads and sweets all day. Enjoy the sandwich plate, which features sliced ham, sliced turkey, ham salad and chicken salad on crustless bread. Or how about an omelette, with ham, mushrooms and cheese? Desserts include seasonal pies and ice cream sundaes. Coffee not your bag? How about hot chocolate, made with Ghiradelli chocolate and topped with whipped cream? You can also get wine by the glass.

Events are held year-round at The Little Traveler, including wine tastings, teas, the Harvest Taste culinary competition, and trunk shows.

The establishment nabbed the award for “Best Tea Room/Tea House in the 15th Annual West Suburban Living magazine’s “Best of the West."

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, call 630-232-4200 or visit http://littletraveler.com/.