Frequently Asked Questions

What are your hours?/Are you open on Sunday/Monday?

The Little Traveler is open 6 days a week. Regular Hours are:

Tuesday-Friday: 11 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 10:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sundays: 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Closed on Mondays.

HOLIDAY & OTHER CLOSINGS: Close at 3:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Closed on New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The Little Traveler is also closed on January 31 for annual inventory.

Does The Little Traveler make special accommodations for group visits?

You bet we do. If you give us advanced notice, bus tours will be greeted at our door and given a goody bag with information about the store and a shopping coupon. To arrange for a bus tour, e-mail [email protected] or call the store and ask to speak to Betsy, our Events Coordinator. Please visit our Bus Tours page for more information.

For smaller groups, our JULIETS program may be just what you're looking for. Please visit our JULIETS page for details.

Our Atrium Cafe also hosts private events. Visit our Showers, Groups & Parties page for more information.

What's on the Atrium Cafe menu?

The Atrium Cafe is located within The Little Traveler in the peaceful setting of an indoor atrium. Tuesday through Saturday, the menu ranges from traditional tea sandwiches to innovative new wraps, salads, and desserts. Afternoon Tea is served Tuesday through Saturday from 11am-2:30pm—24-hour advance reservations are required for Afternoon Tea. On Sundays, the cafe serves Sunday Brunch, featuring many all-inclusive options.

Click here to see the full menu, served Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-3pm

Click here to see the Afternoon Tea description, served Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-2:30pm. 24-hour advanced reservation required.

Click here to see the Sunday Brunch Menu, served Sundays from 11am-2:30pm

Does the Atrium Cafe have gluten-free items on the menu?

We typically have gluten-free salads and more on our menu. Also, any sandwich in the Atrium Cafe can be made with gluten-free bread; simply make the request with your server.

Tuesday-Saturday Menu

Sunday Brunch Menu

If you have any other dietary restrictions, let your server know and we'll be happy to accommodate you.

What are the hours for the Atrium Cafe?

Lunch and all-day breakfast items are served Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-3pm; See the menu here.

Afternoon Tea is served Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-2:30pm. 24-hour advanced reservations are required for Afternoon Tea. More details here.

Sunday Brunch is served Sundays from 11am-2:30pm. See the menu here.

Please note: our kitchen closes 1/2 hour before Cafe closing, but drinks and desserts will continue to be served until closing.

Are reservations required at the Atrium Cafe?

24-hour advanced reservations are required for Afternoon Tea, served between 11am-2:30pm Tuesday-Saturday.

On Mother's Day, reservations are required for Sunday Brunch.

Except for Afternoon Tea and Mother's Day, reservations are not generally required.

If you have a party of 5 or larger, you may ask to make a reservation by calling the store and leaving a voicemail message with our cafe manager. Store Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11am-4:30pm; Saturday 10:30am-5pm; Sunday 11am-4pm,

Is the Atrium Cafe available to reserve for showers and other parties?

The Atrium Café is known for excellence in private party hosting. The cafe can host parties of up to 45 guests. Customized menus are available to meet your needs and budget. Visit our Showers, Groups & Parties page for more information.

Here are some testimonials:

Thanks so much to you and your staff for making our shower so special. All I'm seeing is rave reviews on Facebook! I really appreciate all your time and effort and would choose Little Traveler again in a heartbeat.

~Lori

I just wanted to send you a note to thank you for arranging the wonderful tea party shower for us last Saturday. Everything was perfect. The servers were courteous & very accommodating. They carefully explained each course for us. Delightful! The food & tea were wonderful. Everyone raved about each course; the desserts were so good.

~Anne

So many of our guests were very impressed with the beautiful decor of the venue, delicious food selection, amazing dessert, and excellent service. My daughter now has one more special memory to add to all of her previous memories of good times with great friends and family at The Little Traveler. ~The Happy Mother of the Bride

Is The Little Traveler wheelchair accessible?

The Fulton Street entrance at the side of the store (under the long blue awning) is wheelchair accessible to the Housewares and Gourmet rooms. Small steps are required to move between these rooms and on to the Toy Room, Fair Trade Gallery, Gift Gallery, Bath Shop, and Linen Room.

At the side of the Dress Dept. we have a wheelchair accessible ramp that gives access to the Dress Dept. Shoe Room, Baby Dept., Brighton, and Paper Dept. If you'd like to enter the store through that entrance, please let an employee know so they can have a Dress Dept. associate open the door for you.

Unfortunately, there isn't a way to reach the Atrium Cafe without going up and down a few steps.

When is Swedish Days/Festival of the Vine/Christmas Walk?

If you don't see an upcoming Geneva-wide festival on our list of Events, visit the Events page at genevachamber.com to see dates for the current year.

How do I get to The Little Traveler?

The Little Traveler is located in the heart of historic downtown Geneva, IL at 404 S. Third Street. (hint: if this address doesn't show up in your GPS, try 403 S. Fourth Street instead - this is the address of our shipping department at the back of our store).

Our Italianate Victorian building is at the corner of Third Street and Fulton Street—2 blocks west of IL Rte 31 (also known as North First Street) and 4 blocks south of IL Rte 38 (also known as State Street, Roosevelt Road & Lincoln Highway) . Here we are on Google Maps.

From Chicago

By Car

From the Southside: Take I-55 South to I-355 north to I-88 west

From Downtown: Take I-290 west to I-88 west

From the Northside: Take I-294 south to I-88 west

Follow I-88 west to the Farnsworth Exit.

Go north (right) on Farnsworth. (Farnsworth will become Kirk Road) - follow for about 5 miles

Turn west (left) onto Rte 38/State Street - follow for about 1.5 miles

Turn south (left) onto Third Street. You'll find us about 0.3 miles down the road (if you get to train tracks, you've gone too far).

By Train

Take the Metra Union Pacific West Line from Ogilvie Transportation Center (or any other stop along the line) to Geneva.

The Little Traveler is located two blocks north of the Geneva train station.

Where can I park?

Downtown Geneva offers street parking, most with a 3-hour time limit. If you are visiting on a busy day and have trouble finding street parking, Geneva offers several parking lots around town, most of them are free.

Here is a link to a map of downtown Geneva parking lots. The Little Traveler is at the corner of S. 3rd and Fulton Streets, so the closest lots are the Fulton Street Lot and the Seigel's Site Lot.