Camp Aramoni, the luxury boutique campground in Illinois, has opened for its inaugural season. The woman-owned, family-operated team had earlier opened for a soft launch preview season from September to November 2021 following pandemic delays.
Located near the state’s Starved Rock State Park, Camp Aramoni was born from the remnants of a 19th-century brickyard, which was restored by wife and husband duo Jennifer and Tim Bias with their daughter Stephanie and son Jacob, and transformed into a luxe campsite and event space. The campgrounds comprises 96 acres of forest, hiking trails, ponds and native wildflower fields along the Vermilion River, with 11 safari-style tents. Each tent is outfitted with hotel-level amenities, including cooling and heating options, king-sized beds, en-suite restrooms, mini-fridges and personal campfires with nightly gourmet s’mores, to name a few.
The property offers several main posts for various guest experiences, including The Barn, the campground’s lodge, which offers dining areas where breakfast and dinner are served daily, a space for food and wine tastings and a general store stocked with sundries, snacks, and grab-and-go meals. Just steps outside this space sits The Burlington, a restored 1971 Airstream Overlander RV converted into a coffee, espresso and cocktail bar.
Guests can go hiking to spot local wildlife. They can also opt for a-la-carte experience upgrades, including morning yoga classes, wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, lawn games, canoeing and bicycle rides, as well as in-suite massages. The Starved Rock State Park and Matthiessen State Park are a quick car or shuttle ride away.
Camp Aramoni will offer a chef-driven food and beverage program with seasonally focused menus featuring hyper-local ingredients (including honey from on-site hives) available for in-suite delivery or for full-service dining at The Barn. The culinary team, led by Cleetus Friedman, F&B director, will curate everything from personalized food and drink packages for events, craft cocktail kits, local food and beverage tastings, and gourmet picnic packages. Guests can also look forward to collaborations with area distilleries, breweries and artisans throughout the surrounding region as well as experiences at their campground-adjacent event space Bricks & Stones, including live performances, wood-fired pizza evenings and seasonally focused community brunches.
Camp Aramoni’s private event space, Bricks & Stones, was formerly the brickyard’s blacksmith shop during the 1800s and now serves as a venue for weddings, corporate retreats and other large functions. The building showcases a grand fireplace, numerous brick kilns, plus modern amenities such as the Bowers Suite, a multipurpose room named after the former superintendent of the brickyard. Guests will also be offered a seasonal and customizable menu. The event space can accommodate 75 seated guests indoors, besides hosting parties or festivals outdoors in the large open lawn with a covered pavilion, outdoor kitchen, and deck providing views of the river and campgrounds.
For more information or to book a stay, visit www.camparamoni.com.
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