Granite City has been trying to rehab itself for so long, and even though it is not your typical…read moreRoute 66 stop - they have been wanting to capitalize on their part of the Mother Road. Though it wasn't during the road's heyday (more in its later years....), they want to make sure travelers will stop through their downtown and get a good look at the mill (because without the mill, there would be no Granite City, right?). But as Yelper Steven pointed out, it's a park dedicated to nostalgia and history. I've noticed that a lot of longtime Granite residents love to cling to the past (in a good and bad way) and showing off these old signs and relics is a great start. A mural and large shield are not too far of a walk. You'll find decent parking, be it on the street or at the small lot across the street from the Neon Sign Park. Be sure to check out the few recently installed Muffler Men statues in Granite City, as well as the "Fork in the Road" sculpture!

A park dedicated to nostalgia and history. The park is located at the corner of Delmar and 19th in…read moreGranite City, IL. It's simply a tribute to two things from our past, classic neon signs and the last 100 miles in Illinois of the historic Route 66. If you're driving thru or by Granite City, it is worth the detour to do a couple of selfies in front of the mural. Of course if you can visit the park at night, you'll see the classic neon signs turned on and in all their glory. It's the Centennial of Route 66, so it is the perfect time to go check out, It's Electric.

This museum consists of the historic home of The Children's Poet Eugene Fields (really more his…read morefather's home, but they are both famous) and the extension, which includes gallery space and a research library. It is another excellent little museum in the area! I did not realize that I knew Field's poetry, but I recognized "The Duel" immediately. We were really here for the Weatherbird 125th exhibit and a talk given by the current cartoonist Mr. Dan Martin, but got there early enough to explore the other exhibits and take a guided tour of the house. The staff were very informative and great at answering our questions. I was also so impressed with the exhibit designs. I think this is WELL worth the 10 bucks entrance fee and parking downtown (they do have a small free lot, which is easy to drive right by). Im encouraging all my friends to catch the Weatherbird exhibit before it leaves at the end of March, and I'd be interested to see what they rotate in later.

The Field House in downtown St. Louis is one of the area's oldest surviving structures. Built in…read more1845 as a part of Walsh's Row, this is the only survivor out of a dozen houses. Roswell Field moved his family into the house in 1850, and his son Eugene was born the same year. Roswell Field was the lawyer who defended Dred Scott in the famous court case, and was one of the key proponents in getting the case moved to the Supreme Court. Eugene lived in the house as a boy, but was later sent to live with relatives back East. He went on to be a famed newspaper columnist and poet in his adult life, but in his later years and after his death at age 45, his children's poems became what he was remembered for. The St. Louis board of education had leased their property to build Walsh's Row back in 1845, and this became important in 1936, when the row was slated for demolition. The board decided to dedicate the Field House as a place where children could go to learn about local history, and it has remained open as a museum ever since. Much of Eugene's furniture was placed in the house after being moved from Chicago. In the 1960s, part of the house was used to display vintage toys, as Eugene was an avid toy collector in his adult life. More recently, the museum has opened an exhibit space next to the house, where many of the toys are kept, and has focused on restoring the house to look more as it would have in the mid 19th century. The tour is not very long, as this is an upper middle class house that isn't incredibly large, but there's lots of history here, and it gives a look into what life was like living in downtown St. Louis in the 1850s.

We got here in the morning for a walk, but there were distressed people in the area without shoes…read moreon and all of their belongings. We turned around.

Colorful mural along the riverfront, goes on for some ways as you are walking to and from the park.read more

Jasmine and Royce had wonderful information to share. They were so personable. Such talented and…read moreenjoyable guides for us.

My cousin, the late Bryan Cather, worked here before his death…read more Bryan encouraged me to go on a tour on my last trip up there. I found the tour well organized and very informative. Good restaurants nearby

The St. Louis city parks website says the park name is Jackson Place Park, but the sign at the…read moreentrance says simply Jackson Park. The website also squeezes an awful lot into the small (less than 3/4-acre) park. It says this park contains a soccer field, softball field, basketball court, playground, and pavilion. The soccer field is not full size, the softball field is pretty rough, and for basketball you have a half court. There is a modern playground but it's not fenced in this Old North St. Louis neighborhood. The small pavilion, presumably for picnicking, has no tables or seating. Restrooms are absent and parking is street only.

I just love this newly renovated space in Granite City. What used to be a church is now an event…read morespace including a large room with stain glass windows and a stage, a smaller adjoining room, and a raised loft area on the main floor that were visible. I understand there's another larger space available to use as well. I've been here twice now - once for an event the library hosted and once for Tinseltown's 2023 holiday pop-up bar they are calling Merry at the Mill. Very impressed with what's been done with this space and looking forward to attending more events here in the future!

WOW! The Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower has been closed for over 18 months to do a remodel and it…read moreis impressive. They've totally redone the lobby of the tower with new educational boards. They now teach about, York, Sacagawea, Seaman and the Crew. Plus, Lewis and Clark. In addition to the lobby boards, they expanded and updated the ones on each of the platforms, too. Besides the improves within The Tower itself, there are vast improvements in the surrounding grounds. The courtyard has been brought back to life with murals on the walls and water fountain is back to spraying the area like a mini Ole Faithful. There's also new picnic areas for guest to enjoy. Best of all there's a new playground for the little people to enjoy. It's got a zip line, slides and jungle nets for climbing. The playground has benches for parents and grandparents to sit and observe the little ones play and frolic. The views from the platforms are still amazing and best on a clear day. When on the third level which is 150 feet in the air you can see, where the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers merge together. In addition to The Confluence, you can see The Arch, Barnes Medical Center, Downtown Clayton and even St. Charles. Even if you are not into the history of L&C or The Confluence, going up the tower is still worth the view.

A family member had heard about this spot and wanted to go see it, so we made a trip. We thought it…read morewas going to be really cool and have stuff to do... but really it is simply a lookout with short walking trails around it. You pay to go up the lookout. It is 3 stories up and you can see the confluence of the rivers. It's literally about a 5 minute event... then it's over. We asked a few questions of our "guide" but unfortunately he shared that he was new and literally had no answers. It is required that a "guide" goes up the tower with you so I would expect that they would give you an overview or a cool fact or something... They have a cool courtyard area with seating that looks like it would host concerts or something... If they offered an event like that here I would recommend going. If not, I wouldn't make the drive (we drove 45 minutes), but might go if I was in the area.

I love this place and all of the people that work here. Yes, finally a government organization…read morewhere the staff is excited to see a customer. I like to sign up for the Gingerbread run and get my stuff right away. You are always greeted with a smile and someone is eager to work with you. I got registered and other staff members came into the office and they were chatty as well. I am excited that I will get the Triple Crown medal again this year.... Thank you Belleville Parks and Rec Dept,.....