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

One of the little-known roadside attractions in southern Illinois is the Popeye Statue! If you…read morehaven't been to Chester, you'll find out right away that the creator of the Popeye character, E.C. Segar, was born and raised there. The river town has several tributes to the man. In addition, there are at least 8 other statues of Popeye characters around Chester. Be sure to check out the Visitors Center (if open) and get information on the history of Segar, as well as the locations for all of the other statues. The statue is located just as you are coming off the Mississippi River (Northeast direction), so its kind of oddly placed in front of the woods. But you and the family/friends will get a kick out of it, and of course, a photo op.

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!

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...

You will find this nice sculpture on the Mississippi Riverfront, in St Louis, just behind the…read moreGateway Arch. It is the work of Harry Weber who completed the piece, which is made of bronze and sits 22 feet tall, in 2006 The 3.5 ton sculpture depicts explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their Newfoundland dog, Seaman. It is owned by the city of St Louis and was commissioned by the Greater St. Louis Community Foundation to commemorate the bicentennial of the explorers' return September 1806. According to Weber, it "took seven months of long hours to complete the structure in clay, make molds and reassemble it like a giant jigsaw puzzle. It is a nice sculpture and Weber does a great job encapsulating Lewis and Clark's feeling of accomplishment, sacrifice and pride. It is very detailed and well done. The viewer can really connect to the piece. The sculpture is designated a national Lewis and Clark site by the US Park Service and spending on how high the Mississippi River gets, sometimes the statue is submerged in the river. In 2014, the statue was removed and restored to repair damage it had received from the flood. In 2016, the statue was returned to the riverfront to a location slightly south and about 17 feet higher than before. Before it was moved, during a flood situation, it would look like the duo were sailing into shore Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 10 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. I would recommend checking out the Gateway Arch and Park while visiting this sculpture.

It's a great little Museum, also an Amtrak station. Wonderful folks are working there; it's also a…read morehistoric train depot.

I've only been once, and briefly, but the neatness of the facility, the amount of historical…read moreartifacts (antique clothing, farm equipment, and more), the helpfulness of the staff and the holdings they have will bring me back sometime soon.

I went here for a Friday night concert over the summer. It was very relaxing and entertaining all…read morein one. I forgot the name of the artist, but her performance along with the live band was so captivating. This place gives date night, solo date, and family trip all at the same time. I love events such as these. Also, I know downtown parking usually isn't the best. However, because of the time and people getting off work to head home, parking was quite easy to find. I was able to park within reasonable walking distance near the Hooters across the street.

Tours met here but we came over to get a picture of the old City Hall through the Arch. There's a…read morevisitor center here and a sculpture of a runner. The very interesting shrubbery caught my attention as well as the intricate playground here. There were people working in the garden that was very informative about the types of trees & told me the exotic Pagoda Tree is from Japan.

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.

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