Kinda blew right past the welcome center hosting this tribute due to lots of goings on going on…read morewhat with the bridge construction and reconfiguring the approaches and all that... Popeye is all bronzed up for the world to adore as he welcomes folks to Chester Illinois, hometown of EC Segar. plenty of parking but the lot will need some attention when the road is completed. the visitor's center was closed when I got here it's full up with sailor stuff so try to get here when you can step in and have a look around. there's maps available in the lobby that show the location of 18 other statues of characters from print and film if you want to spend a day doing nothing of merit but enjoyable regardless. this, the first statue, dates from 1977. after a twenty-nine year hiatus 18 additional marble statues were eventually installed around town - one per year - to enhance the visitor experience. yea Popeye!

Had to explain to some younger children about Popeye. A group of men apparently touring had a…read moreblast taking pictures with the statue. Fun to see! The deck attached to the building has an awesome view of the Mississippi River and the bridge going over it to the Missouri side. The Welcome Center has facts information about the history of the area. Don't forget to eat your spina

I wouldn't necessarily have guessed I was going to say this, but this is a fun welcome center! It…read moreis located right by the Mississippi River and has a good parking area. There are clean restrooms and area information, as one might expect, but it's the other additions that make it stand out as more than just your typical rest area. There is a great overlook that provides a gorgeous view of the Mississippi. A Popeye statue outside gives you a hint to what you can find inside: it's the home of the creator of Popeye! Nearby are Lewis and Clark, and you can learn more about how their journey took them near this spot to cross the river. Nice stop!

Here to check the new bridge being build. Nice view at this cold weather 32 degrees sunny. Popeye…read morestatue. Enjoy reading stories about Popeye. Thank you

This is a picturesque historic park. We visited on a Friday in October when it was cool, rainy, and…read moreblustery so not anyone else there. The pavilion has a great view. On one side is a playground while the other side has 2 pit toilet buildings labeled "any gender." There was also a grill. The area down the road has the remnants of mounds where the fort ramparts were located. There's a sign which explains the history. In between the two sites there's an old cemetery. Near the entrance there's a sign for the Menard home located down the road not too far. Don't forget to visit it- the architecture is interesting even if the house is closed.

Open fields, historical graveyards, playgrounds, Mississippi overlook, picnic areas & a campgroundread more

" Nice Historical Home "…read more The Cohen Home is a beautiful historical site located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. It has a wonderful view of the River. Its unusual blue storm windows make it a very visible landmark for boats on the river and travelers approaching the Chester Bridge from Missouri. It is speculated that the window color cut down on the heat entering the house. It is said that Mark Twain referred to the Cohen Home as "the house with blue windows" as he traveled the Mississippi. Tours of the home are usually done by appointments.

My husband I have started cycling in Kaskaskia, IL not long ago and we are definitely hooked! We…read morestart at the Kaskaskia Bell State Historic Site and do a big loop around the area - around 12 miles. It is so quiet here, very peaceful. The tiny town has a church that offers services each Saturday at 3:30. The Bell Historic Site gives a short presentation and a viewing of the bell (just press the button twice!). Great history here and we also found a few fun geocaches while here. This is true rural America - farmers in the fields harvesting corn and soybeans, folks gathering for church, waving as they go by. I know they hold an annual picnic in September, so be sure to check it out! I'm putting it on the calendar for 2012...

Great small park nice museum of Civil War and the battle and then the reconstructed earth fort The…read morediorama in the museum explains the fighting very well. The town is also nice clean and enjoyable

This place is so awesome and full of history! My friend introduced me to this site when I lived in…read morethe area. If you are a history buff, or closet one, such as I, you need to check this place out. Seriously. You are standing on the site of where the Battle of Pilot Knob took place. The Fort is still in great shape, you can walk all the way around it and see the gun batteries. Not only does it include earthenwork remains of the fort itself, but it also has a large visitors center with many artifacts, flags, and an award-winning video. Definitely worth the trip!

We joined a group of people to do a group tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Kirkwood, MO. It…read moreis well worth the $20 tour fee. Anne was our docent. She was very knowledgeable about Wright and Russell and Ruth Kraus who the house was built for and the only residents. The Kraus house is one of the very few Wright houses that have not been remodeled and contains the original furniture designed by Wright. It has a cozy feel from the time you walk inside. I was intrigued by the esthetic design throughout the home.

I've been to about 150 Frank Lloyd Wright homes and have been lucky enough to have been inside…read morearound 30. We didn't know if we could get on the tour that day so we first stopped by to see it and take some pictures. We met an intern and found out that we could get in on a tour about 2 hours later. So we paid our fee and went to see Frank Lloyd Wright's mentor, Louis Sullivan's Wainwright Building in downtown St. Louis. I believe this is one of Sullivan's best work still standing. When we returned for the tour I was stunned. This is a great, late house by Wright that has many magical and playful elements to it. It's has most of the original furnishings and something totaling unexpected in a Usonian house--art glass windows. The tour guide was new and did an excellent. Everyone involved in this project should be very proud of the work they've done, and continue to do.

Wonderful old house, with historic value…read more The kitchen was kept in a separate building at the back of the property. Not having fire departments back then, cooking was done away from the main house for safety reasons. This is a great house to visit with period furniture. Well worth a visit.

We visited this site on 10/13/23 after driving through the Kaskaskia park. It was the last weekend…read moreof the season for the home. It was a little difficult to figure out how to get in because the front steps were roped off and the door to the museum (under the steps) was locked. So we went around to the back where we found the caretaker in the summer kitchen. We were treated to a very informative tour of just about the entire house. Michelle Baker, the guide, has a great deal of affection for the property and knew a lot about the Menard family and the history of the house and property. So glad we got to see it before the season ended. Oh, btw, the spring house is very interesting but watch out for chipmunks hiding there. You might just frighten them as much as they did you.

A friend of mine had her bridal shower here and I have to say, it was one of the nicest venues I…read morecould imagine having a shower at. The place is small, but plenty big enough for the 50 people she had at her shower. Also, it was homey and comfortable and quiet. The building is historic and they left the entire thing open for us to explore during the shower. Also, we had full use of the kitchen, so bringing in our own food was easy peasy. We had sandwiches and T Ravs and 3 kinds of gooey butter cake, all made by local places or by the friends and family of the bride, and they did not care. We did not have to use their caterer or anything like that. It was a huge money saver and guaranteed that we had what we wanted. Also, they don't care if you bring alcohol. (bonus for a shower with beer I must add). I will say parking was a bit of a nightmare, but nothing unmanageable. I would suggest telling people to carpool if you are looking at more than 20 cars, the place just can't hold it. So in short, this place is great for a lot of things, and even has those big white tents that you can rent for an indoor/outdoor event. It's the home of the St. Louis Ambassadors, so whatever date you are looking for you can't overlap their dates, but they still have plenty of open dates. Great place for a shower, or even a small wedding. It will keep things classy while keeping your price tag down.

My fiance and I was trying to have a small baby shower for our second born. Little did I know I…read morewould have to be so frustrated and sadden that this event that I have been planning completely has been ruined. They did not only tell me about the different Caters that have set prices in $$$$ range for a small group setting. They also never disclosed the pricing of the different preferred Caters until after the Non-rufunable deposit was sign. The customer service which is not as great as the pictures on the website. The young lady that answers the phone not only is NO help please don't interupt her on her lunch or a bad day then you will not get any help. I have been trying to contact both the Director that stated should could not afford the venue and caters. She has yet to respond to my emails nor phone calls. Because of this horrible experience not only has my blood pressure went up which is not good for me nor my unborn but now I have so little time to find another venue with such short notice. If you are looking to spend over $2500 for a small baby shower be my guest. I just know my fiance and I are not only planning a wedding for next year with yes with both income with a child and another on the way but we are do not have budget for this at all

This past weekend was the 45th annual Rendzevous at the Fort. This is a two day event at the fort…read more The hours are 10-5. They have gun demonstrations, flag raising and lowering ceremonies, people dress in period costumes. It costs $5 per car (what super cheap right) to park and you can walk back in time. We walk up to watch a juggling demonstration, they bring kids and adults from the crowd to get everyone excited. Yes, you get to see men waking around in buckskin and French and British soldiers. You can buy buttons made from bones, a fox hide or a buffalo burger. This is held every year on the first weekend in June. After a fun day at the fort Prairie du Rocher has food stands and you can stop and watch the parade at 6 o'clock. If you are wanting to get out of the city and see learn a little history, this is the place.

Great place to take kids. Fun to climb on and pretend they are defending the fort. The drive down…read moreis nice whether you take the river road or Kaskaskia. I would recommend hitting Gallaghers in Waterloo or J. Fires on the way back.