Very interesting, great place to watch eagles in january. Bring your binoculars and camera. Can watch inside or out on the deck.Neat to watch the barges in and out of the locks, too.
Good overview of the history of the area and information related to Illinois and the river basin. Lots of good information, including a navigation map of the Illinois River.
My fiancé and I tried to go today but it was closed due to flooding. So I would recommend calling ahead. Even though we didn't get to see the museum, the view of Starved Rock from the other side of the river is a good one.
I have visited this Visitor Center several times over the years (I use to live in the area). It's a FREE "mini-museum" and is a great place to watch the barges and boats traverse the lock. You have a bird's eye view and can use this as a good teaching lesson to any youngsters in your family. In good weather, it is awesome to sit ona a bench and you can actually talk to the workers or other personnel on the barges/boats/etc.It is interesting, fun yet relaxing and a interesting location to spend a few hours. Also, Illinois Starved Rock State Park is across the river and I HIGHLY reccomend a visit to it after you leave this Visitor Center. Make sure to see the wood carvings around the awesome Lodge and hike a trail or two-easy, beautiful in every season and you would swear that you are in the hills of the Ozarks! Enjoy!
Try to go during their once a year tour where you can actually walk out on the damn. Lots of VERY interesting information! Helpful people. Fun time, especially in the winter when the bald eagles are there.
Small and free but full of information and a great view of the locks. 1/2 hour stop unless you're watching a boat go through the lock.
This was one of our stops on during the Trolley tour as part of the Starved Rock Fall Colors weekend. We were lucky enough to arrive in time to see a barges pass through the lock. I had no concept of how this operation worked until I was there to see it for myself. It was an awesome experience and I would go again in January to watch the eagles.
This one hour barge ride is well worth the time. The barge is pulled by a mule down a short restored section of the Illinois Michigan (I&M) canal.All the boat personnel are in period costume and character. These volunteer actors speak in the heavy Irish brogue, of the hard working men and women that hand dug this commercial waterway, meant to connect the Mississippi / Illinois Rivers at LaSalle / Peru, IL to Chicago and Lake Michigan.Each character tells the story of his life on the canal. It is storytelling and folk tales, at their cultural best because they are set in the actual background they took place.This inexpensive tour is interesting for all, including children who are fascinated, by the boat moving slowly down the canal and the highly engaging actors.Bravo!
It is interesting to see a ship go through a lock if you get there at a time when a boat is going through it. However, the rangers on duty had little to say, were not motivated to tell interesting stories, or to relate any history. They really need to be replaced with better, more interesting rangers.
bald eagles winter along the illinois and are well worth the drive from chicago to see them. we drove route 6 along the illinios river and saw several eagles along the river. when we went to the locks in the river there were 3 bald eagle circling over head, they are huge birds and to see them in flight is wonderful. we were the only people out, because it was about 10 degrees, very quiet and peaceful. we went home north on interstate 39 just to see the wind mills along the highway. for a least dozens of miles in the farmers fields are these huge wind mills for generating electric. we got off the interstate highway and drove down a country road just to see them up close, it felt as if we had stepped into the future.