Visitors Guide to Attractions
Monroe County, Illinois
The drive along the Great River Road through Monroe County features the rich farmland of the American Bottom, the tree-lined streets with the century-old buildings of its towns, and a number of historic sites that preserve the strong German and French heritage of the residents. The area also features a number of areas preserving and protecting nature.
Bellefontaine House
Waterloo, Illinois
The Bellefontaine House was built in the 1870’s around the spring that gives the house its name. The restored home now houses the Monroe County Historical Society. Visiting hours by appointment.
Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve
Fults, Illinois
Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve sits atop bluffs with expansive views of the Mississippi River valley. The preserve features upland habitat that includes woodland, prairie and glade communities. The area contains the Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve Trail, a 1.4 mile loop trail that has a 250 foot ascent and is rated as moderately strenuous and is accessible year-round.
Kidd Lake State Natural Area
Fults, Illinois
Kidd Lake State Natural Area is an example of the once expansive wetlands of the Mississippi floodplain known as the American Bottom. It is an important rest stop for migrating waterfowl and continues to provide critical habitat to a diverse range of birds, as well as amphibians and reptiles. Kidd Lake State Natural Area is a primitive area primarily devoted as a home to wildlife. There are no man-made improvements to provide visitors easy access to the area such as trails, parking lots, etc.
Peterstown House
Waterloo, Illinois
This restored 1830s building began as a general store, tavern, and inn for stagecoach travelers on the Kaskaskia Trail. The Peterstown Heritage Society rescued the building from demolition and it is now a museum furnished with antique furniture of the mid-1880s. A pioneer log cabin was relocated to the property in 1975.
The Rock Mill
Maeystown, Illinois
Built in 1859 this steam-powered flour mill was built along the middle creek in Maeystown. The building has been used as a furniture factory, a gas station, and a custom furniture business. The Maeystown Preservation Society bought the mill in 1980, made restorations, and reopened it as a museum with exhibits about immigrant life.
White Rock Nature Preserve
Valmeyer, Illinois
White Rock Nature Preserve is home to 306 acres of Illinois' natural habitat. The tract is located within the Hill Prairie Corridor, a 25-mile stretch of ribbons and patches of hill prairie perched on top of the Mississippi River bluffs. White Rock Nature Preserve hosts several rare habitats including loess hill prairie, limestone glades and upland forest. It contains two miles of non-looping trails through dense woodlands with both trails ending at hill prairies.
Stone Bridges Tour
Monroe County, Illinois
The landscape of Monroe County is dotted with a number of European-style stone arch bridges. greatriverroad.com has put together an easy driving tour to see five of these structures. The scenery along this route winds its way through scenic farmlands, colorful forests, through the historic town of Maeystown, and beneath the bluffs along the American Bottom lowlands. This stone bridge route is especially nice during autumn.
Eckert's Fun Farm
Millstadt, Illinois
Eckert's Millstadt location truly earns its name as the "Fun Farm." With activities such as Uncle Aubrey's Workshop, Billy Bob's Pig Races, the 70-foot underground slide at Eckert's Mining Company, and the Deere Express how can you go wrong? Our Millstadt Fun Farm has been open since 1968, although times have changed, our Millstadt Farm has held true to its country roots.
Nearby Attractions
Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri
Sainte Genevieve has the largest concentration of French Colonial architecture in North America and includes the Bolduc House, the Amoreaux House, and the Maison Guibourd- Vallé. The influence of the American expansion into the area in the 19th century can be seen at the Felix Vallé State Historic Site. Nearby Hawn State Park and Pickle Springs Natural area offer nature lovers unique hiking opportunities.
St. Clair County
The attractions of St. Clair County reflects its rich and varied history. Discover French colonial life at Cahokia, the first European settlement on the Mississippi River. The city of Belleville offers visitors a diverse range of attractions that includes the William & Florence Schmidt Art Center, the new Labor & Industry Museum and the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows.
For Travelers Heading Up River
The Metropolitan Saint Louis Area
Metropolitan Saint Louis has a lot to offer its visitors. The area's most prominent attraction is the Gateway Arch. Saint Louis has a number of outstanding public institutions that are free to visit including the Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, and the Science Center. The Saint Louis region has a number of green spaces for nature and outdoor enthusiasts. Forest Park is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. Faust County Park, in Saint Louis County, is home to many historical and cultural attractions including the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, a historical village, and the Saint Louis Carousel. The county is also home to Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park, Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, the Powder Valley Conservation Area.
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
The Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway area is one of America’s newer scenic byways. With over 20,000 acres of forest and wetlands at the heart of the Mississippi Flyway, it is a nature lovers paradise. Visitors will find spectacular colors in the fall and bald eagles in the winter. History abounds in the region ranging from the prehistoric Cahokia Mounds to sites on the National Register of Historic Places.
For Travelers Heading Down River
The Mississippi Meets the Ohio River Region
After the Mississippi River passes St. Louis it begins to change character. When the Mississippi River meets the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois it is halfway on its journey to the sea. It is here that the brown muddy water of the Mississippi begins to mingle with the clearer water of the Ohio. Without the locks and dams the Mississippi begins to wind and curve so much so that the distance by water from Cape Girardeau to the Gulf of Mexico is twice the distance as a crow flies. The region where the Mississippi River meets the Ohio River is an area of transition in several respects both in terms of the flora and fauna but the culture begins to take on that of the Deep South. The Meeting the Ohio region of the Middle Mississippi River Valley offers it visitors a wide variety of options of activities to do and sites to see. Whether you’re looking for historical or cultural sites or a place to enjoy nature you’ll find it in this part of the country.
