1 Area Attractions

• Alton. Antique district, Alton Belle Casino, Clark Bridge, Robert Wadlow "tallest man ever" statue, historic cemeteries, Victorian homes, Elijah Lovejoy memorial. This river town is rich in architecture and history.
  http://www.altoncvb.org/
  
  
• Cahokia Mounds. World Heritage Site, Monks Mound has great views, nice Interpretive Center. Learn about a culture that existed a thousand years ago, and the reason St. Louis was called Mound City.
  http://www.cahokiamounds.com/
  
  
• Calhoun County. Take the Golden Eagle, Winfield or Grafton ferries, and have a big meal at a Brussels restaurant. This beautiful county is protected from development by the Mississippi river on the west and the Illinois river on the east.
  http://www.outfitters.com/illinois/calhoun/
  
  
• Chain of Rocks. East access to bicycle/pedestrian bridge, fishing and ATVer area, dam. The connection from here south to Eads Bridge is an important piece of the Confluence Greenway project.
  http://www.thom.org/gallery/set/chain-of-rocks.html
  
  
• Collinsville. Giant Brooks Catsup bottle. Actually a water tower for the former catsup plant, this roadside curiosity has been restored in recent years with fresh paint to look brand new.
  http://www.catsupbottle.com/
  
  
• Elsah. Quaint river bluff village. Principia College nearby. A traditional destination for a weekend lunch or piece of pie.
  http://www.elsah.org/
  
  
• Fairmount Park. Horse racing has a lot of competition these days from the gaming "boats;" however, for many it is still the king of sports.
  http://www.fairmountpark.com/
  
  
• Gateway International Raceway. Reopened in 1997, this facility has a 1.25 mile oval track, 1.6 mile road course and a quarter-mile drag trip. There are 60,000 permanent seats for the track, and 25,000 at the drag strip.
  http://www.gatewayraceway.com/
  
  
• Grafton. The Elsah Landing (new location), Mississippi River views, Illinois River ferry. Get to know a community that fought back from the 1993 flood. The Raging Rivers water park is near the town.
  http://www.grafton.il.us/
  
  
• Granite City. Locks and canal. A major port in St. Louis, this duty-free site is next to Melvin Price military base which provides housing, storage and PX facilities for military personnel in the St. Louis region.
  http://www.granitecity.com/
  
  
• Great River Road. Hiking, biking and eagle-watching,especially in winter. Good opportunity to see the Mississippi River and Alton Lake
  http://www.aaamissouri.com/auto-travel/daytours/rivroad.html
  
  
• Horseshoe Lake. State recreation area, secluded but with views of the Arch.
  http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/PARKS/R4/Horsesp.htm
  
  
• Mel Price Lock & Dam 26, and Riverlands Conservation Area. Check out the viewing area for this massive investment, and the Corp of Engineers attention to the nearby environment.
  
  
• Pere Marquette Lodge. Park for hiking, meal or overnight. This Illinois state park is a year-round getaway facility.
  http://www.greatriverroad.com/Pere/PereIndex.htm
  
  
• Raging Rivers. The Raging Rivers water park is near the town of Grafton.
  http://www.ragingrivers.com/
  
  
• SIU-Edwardsville. SIU campus greenery, old downtown shopping district. SIU-Edwardsville is an important university resource for the whole area.
  http://www.siue.edu/