Great River Road
Follow beautiful Illinois route through historic river towns

Steeped in history and brimming with beautiful sights, the Great River Road in southwestern Illinois is more than just a highway. The road entices travelers to take their time to enjoy the scenery, explore the area’s rich past and to make frequent stops along the way.

The route is so enchanting that a 50-mile stretch of it between Hartford and Kampsville was named The Meeting of The Great Rivers National Scenic Byway. The route cuts through rolling farmland, passes between the shadow of towering limestone bluffs and the mighty Mississippi and Illinois rivers and leads to such historic river towns as Elsah, Grafton, Hardin and Kampsville. Each town offers a variety of shopping opportunities, historic homes and charming restaurants and cafes.

Flock to Alton

A good place to begin a day tour of the Great River Road, which is also known as Route 100, is Alton, Ill. The city is home to a variety of antique stores, delightful restaurants and historical attractions. For tourist information, stop at the Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau at the intersection of Broadway and Piasa streets. For details, call 1-800-ALTON-IL (1-800-258-6645) or (618) 465-6676. Or log onto www.visitalton.com.

Because the Mississippi River runs adjacent to the River Road for roughly 20 miles, begin the trip with a stop at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam. The facility, located about two miles southwest of the city off Route 143 Berm, helps control the flow of the river and is the means by which barges are able to navigate. Visitors can watch river craft use the locks from the National Great Rivers Museum at the site, which is open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily. The museum features state-of-the-art exhibits that examine the river. Tours of the locks and dam are offered daily at 10 a.m. and at 1 and 3 p.m. For details, call 1-877-462-6979, or visit www.meetingoftherivers.org.

The river lures eagles to roost along the banks in late December and early January, and thousands of visitors converge on the region to glimpse the majestic birds. The Alton Visitors Bureau offers eagle events and tours throughout the winter. For more details, call 1-800-258-6645.

Thousands of visitors also flock to Alton year-round for antique shopping. The city’s antique district contains more than 50 stores–some located in buildings dating to the 1800s. Most of the shops are located on or near Broadway, but several are scattered throughout the city.

While the city is well known for its shopping, it also offers several historical sites and attractions. Begin with a visit to the Alton Museum of History and Art at 2809 College Ave. Apart from the work of area artists, the museum displays exhibits on steamboats, early area pioneers and famous Alton residents. Hours are 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday and 1–4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children. For more details, call (618) 462-2763, or visit www.altonmuseum.com.

After visiting the museum, explore some of the historical sites that the museum explains. For example, across the street from the museum is a bronze statue of Robert Pershing Wadlow, the world’s tallest man in recorded history at 8-feet-11. Wadlow, who died in 1940 at the age of 22, created a national sensation during his life and was known as the “Gentle Giant.”

At the corner of Broadway and Market streets is Lincoln and Douglas Square, site of the seventh and final senatorial debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in 1858. Statues indicate where the debate took place.

Also, stop at Fifth and Monument streets to see a monument dedicated to Elijah P. Lovejoy, an abolitionist editor murdered in 1837 because of his support of freedom of the press. He died defending his press from an attack by a pro-slavery mob. The monument is a 93-foot granite column topped by a 17-foot bronze statue of Victory.

The monument is located in Alton Cemetery, where Lovejoy and a number of other people who had an impact on the area’s history are buried. Approximately 200 Union soldiers who died during the Civil War also are buried in the National Cemetery on the property’s east side.

During the Civil War, many Confederate soldiers died in the Alton Prison, which was near the corner of Broadway and William streets. The prison was built in 1833 and closed in 1860 because of unsanitary conditions. It was re-opened in 1862 during the Civil War. Because of poor conditions and smallpox, deaths averaged 6–10 a day; in all, more than 1,300 Rebel soldiers died there. All that is left is a remnant of a cell block wall.

Visitors who feel lucky should stop at the Argosy Casino Alton on the riverfront, which offers gaming, entertainment and several restaurants. For details, call (618) 474-7400 or 1-800-711-4263, or visit www.argosy.com.

Bicycle enthusiasts will enjoy the Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail. The 20-mile scenic trail extends from Alton to Pere Marquette State Park. During summer, the route is particularly beautiful with striking white limestone bluffs on one side and colorful sailboats skimming the water on the other.

Roaming on the River Road

As you head north on the River Road, step back in time in the Village of Elsah about 10 miles north of Alton. The river town’s picturesque stone cottages that date to 1800s give the town the feel of a 19th-century New England village. Have lunch in town or enjoy a peaceful getaway in one of the hamlet’s quaint bed-and-breakfast inns.

On a hot summer day, cool off at Raging Rivers Water Park just outside of Elsah on Route 100. The park contains water slides, a wave pool, white water rapids and other water delights. The park is open Memorial Day– Labor Day. For hours and admission, call (618) 786-2345 or visit the Web site www.ragingrivers.com. AAA members receive a discount.

Roughly five miles farther up the road is Grafton, a fishing village near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Along Main Street, visitors can stop at more than 20 quaint antique and specialty shops, restaurants and wineries. For a list of those shops or more details, visit the Web site www.grafton.il.us or call the Grafton Visitors Center at (618) 786-7000.

For a great view of the area, stay at the Tara Point Inn and Cottages, a bed and breakfast located on a bluff above the community. Margaret and Larry Wright designed it as their retirement home but decided to share the awesome view with guests. Call (618) 786-3555, or visit www.tarapoint.com.

Just outside of Grafton you can see the stone Marquette Cross, which marks the spot near where Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet entered Illinois on their expedition in 1673. The two men and five companions were the first white men on the Upper Mississippi River. Also nearby is the free Brussels Ferry, which crosses the Illinois River.

Back on Route 100, about five miles from Grafton is Pere Marquette State Park, so named after Father Marquette. Visitors can picnic, hike, ride horseback and camp in the park, the state’s largest at 8,000 acres. For more comfortable accommodations, stay in the park’s stone cottages or in the lodge, which features a restaurant, a 700-ton stone fireplace and a beautiful wood-beamed great room, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. For more details, call (618) 786-3323.

After the park, Route 100 veers away from the Illinois River through rolling farm country dotted with tin-roofed barns. The route rejoins the river about 20 miles later at Hardin and runs along it to Kampsville, home of the Center for American Archeology. The center’s museum features archeological artifacts that reconstruct thousands of years of prehistoric Indian life. The center is open Tuesday–Sunday from May–October. For hours and details, call (618) 653-4316, or visit www.caa-archeology.org.

From Kampsville, you can either retrace your path back to Alton or head to Jacksonville for more historical attractions. To get to Jacksonville, follow Route 100 north to Interstate 72 east. Then follow U.S. Highway 67 north to Jacksonville. For additional information, call (217) 243-5678 or 1-800-593-5678. Or visit the Web site www.jacksonvilleil.org/tourism.

The city, which was founded in 1825, is home to the Eli Bridge Co., the oldest portable Ferris wheel manufacturer in the country. One of the company’s original Ferris wheels is on display in the Community Park.

History is on display downtown where a number of murals were painted in 2006 to showcase the city’s heritage. Visitors also can tour the Gov. Duncan Home, a 17-room mansion built in 1834 for Gov. Joseph Duncan who served from 1834–1838. It has been fully restored and contains many original furnishings. And several historic walking tours are available, including one that highlights Underground Railroad locations.

To return to Alton, follow Highway 67 south for about 63 miles. Five miles before Alton, stop in Godfrey to dine and shop for antiques.

From St. Louis, take Highway 367 north nine miles to Alton and follow directions in the article. The approximate round-trip mileage is 178 miles.

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