The Glen Carbon Heritage Museum will be filled with Holiday Magic that you won't want to miss! The halls will be decked with lighted trees and wreaths for display throughout the holiday season. The museum will be open special hours over the holidays so that visitors can vote for their favorites. Prizes will be awarded for winners in each category.
Read moreCraft Beer Week
From Old Herald Brewery and Distillery in Collinsville, to Recess Brewing and Peel Brewing Company in Edwardsville to Old Bakery Beer Company in Alton and Opera House Brewing in Hillsboro, Craft Beer Week celebrates that dedication, highlighting the best the area has to offer in the craft beer scene. So, grab your friends and a beer at all of the participating breweries.
Read moreBethalto Christmas Village
Celebrate Christmas with a stroll through Central Park in Bethalto, enjoying decorated, lighted Christmas-themed cottages, live music, great food, visiting with Santa and Mrs. Claus, holiday vendors and crafters, a live nativity scene, children's craft area, petting zoo, with 75 live trees as a beautiful backdrop.
Read moreVillage of Elsah Museum Annual Photography Exhibit
“Welcome to Elsah”
Patricia Ott
“Elsah Postcard” is the theme of The Village of Elsah Museum’s 2022 Annual Photography Exhibit. The purpose of this annual exhibit is to celebrate and foster an appreciation of the beauty and unique qualities of Elsah and the immediate area in every season. Each year the Museum chooses a theme designed to bring out a different aspect of Elsah’s surroundings.
Read moreThe Great Godfrey Maze
The Great Godfrey Maze is two outdoor mazes covering seven acres that uses tall corn as walls. Special events will be held during the open months (September, and October). For the thrill seekers, try navigating the haunted maze in October!
Read moreBethalto Market In The Park
Bethalto Market In The Park was established in 2019 and has grown ever since. Come out, enjoy Bethalto’s wonderful Central Park, and shop vendors, get some great tips on how to cook the various meats and produce we have to offer, make healthy lifestyle choices, pick up unique artisan creations for your home or gifting, and when possible, enjoy some live entertainment.
Read moreLand Of Goshen Community Market
Come experience the Land of Goshen Community Market! The Market is your best source for locally grown farm products, tasty baked goods, and wonderful art and gift ideas. The selection changes weekly so plan to visit more than once to fully appreciate the wide selection available. Live entertainment and free demonstrations add to the festive atmosphere.
Read moreAlton Farmers' & Artisans' Market
There is an abundance of delicious fresh produce, crafts, baked goods, plants and flowers, locally-raised hormone-free meat, handmade soaps, jewelry, artwork, pottery, art demonstrations and more at the Alton Farmers' & Artisans' Market. Admission is free for shoppers and there is plenty of parking.
Read moreLoading Dock Ice Skating Rink
As the waters begin to freeze at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, the Loading Dock Ice Rink offers a place like no other to enjoy winter right on the riverfront. Embrace the cold with that special someone or friends and family, lace up a pair of ice skates and glide into smiles, laughs and unforgettable memories.
Read moreChristmas Wonderland
Begin your holiday celebration escaping from the chaos of the season and experiencing the enchantment of Christmas at the "Christmas Wonderland" holiday light display. The "Grandpa Gang" has been at it again transforming Rock Springs Park into a Winter Wonderland. Visitors can drive through the park to view more than 2 million lights, cascading waterfalls of lights, lighted trees, and displays.
Read moreOngoing Exhibits & Events - Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
The Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway plays host to a number of ongoing events. In the warmer months visitors can find farmers markets in Alton and Jerseyville. During the winter holidays the Christmas Wonderland is held in Alton after Thanksgiving. The Jacoby Art Center also holds periodic exhibits and the Historic Elsah Foundation holds an annual Photography Contest and Exhibit.
Read moreHorseshoe Lake State State Park
This 2,960 acre park is centered around an oxbow lake with bird watching, nature trails, camping, fishing, hunting and other recreational activities.
Read moreWood River Refinery History Museum
Established in 1986 by a small group of refinery retirees, the Wood River Refinery History Museum (formerly the Shell History Museum) offers a visual history of the Wood River Refinery from its beginning in 1917 to the present. With over 1,000 artifacts, early photographs, including vintage gasoline dispensers, glass motor oil bottles, Shell product advertising, and other memorabilia.
Read moreMississippi River Fish & Wildlife Area
The Mississippi River Fish and Wildlife Area (MRA) is comprised of 24,386 acres and includes 15 wildlife management areas and 11 public access areas scattered along 75 miles along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Of this total, 16,875 acres are actively managed for wetland habitat enhancement and public recreation by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Read moreGordon Moore Park
Highlights of this 702 acre park on the east side of Alton include a first class golf course, a rose garden, an oriental garden, a native prairie grassland area, a 13 acre lake for fishing, a tennis center, a freedom shrine, and a monument to all the volunteers that helped create the park. In addition there soccer and baseball fields, picnic shelters and playgrounds.
Read moreNan Elliott Rose Garden
The Nan Elliott Rose Garden at Gordon Moore Park features more than 125 varieties of roses and 1600 rose bushes. The garden has been noted as one of the best in the St. Louis region, and it is a beautiful site for weddings.
Read moreHeartland Prairie
Take a trip back in time to see what Illinois once looked like. Although Illinois still is known as the "Prairie State," less than 0.01% of Illinois' original 21 million acres of prairie remains in isolated patches around the state. One such place is the 27 acre tall grass Heartland Prairie on the north side of Gordon Moore Park.
Read moreMap of IDNR Public Boat Launches - Meeting of the Great Rivers Region
The IDNR maintains a number of wildlife management areas in Madison, Jersey & Calhoun Counties, Illinois that include primitive boat ramps. These ramps are dirt or gravel roads that lead to the Mississippi and Illinois rivers as well as back water lakes and sloughs.
Read moreIDNR Public Boat Launches - Meeting of the Great Rivers Region
The IDNR maintains a number of wildlife management areas in Madison, Jersey & Calhoun Counties, Illinois that include primitive boat ramps. These ramps are dirt or gravel roads that lead to the Mississippi and Illinois rivers as well as back water lakes and sloughs.
Read morePublic Boat Launches - Meeting of the Great Rivers Region
There is an abundance of public boat launches ranging from full service facilities to more rustic launches where a dirt road meets the river.
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