Saw this place on tiktok a few years ago and just knew I had to stop!! I'm so glad we did!! There…read morewas honestly so much to see that we'll probably be back someday! This place was amazing plan on being here for at least four hours. There are so many areas to climb and fit your body through. There were slides, caves and so many areas that if you hadn't been paying attention, you would have missed! We brought the kids here to have a fun time but honestly us adults really enjoyed this as well! There is a place to grab a snack here as well as gift shop. There are multiple floors and rooms and just when you think you've seen all of it another floor or room will pop up. We thought we had seen everything and then realized we missed two whole floors! This is absolutely worth going to!!

This place is really overwhelming. It was SO CROWDED. You know you are old when you start…read morewondering about max capacity and fire codes while in a place. There is constant noise. Kids yelling, crying, people talking, metal banging. Got here close to open. Parked at a lot nearby (thought it was the one for City museum. It was not and cost me $30 so BEWARE). Walked to the museum (about half a block) and the line was through the parking lot. I had not purchased tickets online because they charged a $8 convenience fee. Paid $68 ($62+$6 tax) ($23 per ticket for admission and $8 per person rooftop add on) for one adult and one kid ticket (there is no difference in price) with the roof top add on. They give you a wristband to wear which is nice that you can leave and come back. We left to go grab lunch nearby and were able to exit and re-enter easily. Got inside and had to use the restroom. Restrooms are old, run down, some stalls were out of service, paper towels were out, toilet paper out. I saw the restroom being serviced several times but it always seemed to be out of something. My kid had fun but there were areas they were not allowed to access due to not having a flashlight. Kidlet wanted me to buy one but we had no room to pack it. They could benefit from having a flashlight rental program for people traveling. Lots of kids wearing knee pads but my child did not particularly care they did not have them, they just wanted a light. Line to get on elevator to go to roof was long and hot. Roof was hot and there is not a lot of shade. It was cool views and photo ops if you are into that. I wanted to ride the ferris wheel but it was too hot to be out in the sun. Took the stairs back down. I was surprised I kept seeing it was in a 10 story building but there are only 3-4 floors you can access plus the roof. Due to the way it is laid out there are bottle necks that gather and make it hard to maneuver in some places. The restroom entrance is near the gift shop entrance (which is also where you exit) and people were just standing there so it was difficult to get through. Maneuvering the stairs was difficult as well as people did not keep one side open for going up and one for going down, taking up the whole stairway so you had to wait. Overall this was a way to kill some time before going to the airport. Kidlet had fun and they are the target demographic but I would not go back.

If you can't get your kicks on Route 66, you can at least get them at the Route 66 Museum…read more The Route 66 Museum is directly across the street from, Ariston Cafe which is the oldest restaurant on the historical Route 66. Did you know this year is the centennial of that highway? Which is a good reason to do a road trip to Litchfield and visit both places. The majority of the museum is history about the Litchfield, but there's enough about Route 66 to help you learn about this history making road and the importance it had in its hey day. The museum is run by volunteers and is free. They do have a donation box towards the entrance, so be sure to drop a few bucks in, so it can survive. Even better, be sure to buy a t-shirt or postcard in the small gift shop. Outside the museum office is a display about, Martha Jackson who made this museum a reality. One thing that I found extra cool was the display rack that had pictures of the seniors at Litchfield High School from the year Route 66 opened, to this year's graduating class. What a hoot, seeing how class pictures have changed over the years. I'll be going back soon, to take more time looking at the displays. A volunteer was painting and the smell of paint gives me migraines, so I made a quick exit.

This is such a cute museum and I definitely recommend making a stop if you're traveling on Route…read more66...intentionally. We were doing the east half of Route 66 during our most recent vacation last week and this place is listed on many of the guides. It is SO CUTE and has a ton of Route 66 memorabilia and newspaper clippings. There is also another Route 66 spot right across the street if you need to grab a bite to eat.

For a quick visit and to stretch your legs during a long drive, this place is great. Kids' activity…read moreroom has several hands-on ways to do art. Lego mosaics, a huge Lite-Brite type board (for those of you who remember those), and a life size horse sculpture you can reassemble. Oh, and it's free. Outdoor sculpture garden covers about an acre and has many large sculptures kids can run among. My two boys, 7 and 10, would have liked to stay longer. Permanent exhibit is small but has some notable artists, like Mary Casatt. Not sure if I was supposed to pay for going in that room? Oops. Temp exhibit for next couple months is photos of rock stars, plus autographed guitars from the collection of a local radio guy. Costs $5 and my wife opted for me not to see it. Some of the guitars are hanging in the main lobby, like Clapton's and BB King's. Not that you would drive to Mt. Vernon *just* to see it, but if you are passing thru on I-64, give it a look for an hour or so.

Well worth a visit. Frequently changing displays and great special events. Not too near the hotels,…read morebut only about a mile away. A pleasant little walk.

The art museum is such a beautiful collection of ancient sculptures and artwork. It really lets you…read moresee what the different times were like and understand how talented the human race is at creation. We went during the Ancient Rome exhibition and it was breathtaking to see the size of the sculptures and learn about the families, royalty vs their servants, what type of armor and jewelry they would wear. Alongside the pieces of art that are normally there, I love the museum and think everyone in STL should visit.

Excellent collection for a small city. The museum is not too large but it has a good…read morerepresentative collection of European, American and ancient art. I was happy to find three Bierstadts. Impressionist room is excellent. Not a huge museum but definitely worth visiting!

Both a History of Benton and Franklin County History both Good and Bad Worth the entry fee.read more

This 1905 Franklin County Jail Museum is a very interesting walk through Benton's history…read more Featuring one of the last public executions in Illinois of Charlie Berger, this museum has original noose, weapons, newspaper articles and other historical documentation. When you walk into the house, you enter a beautiful, classic early 1900s home. A very welcoming home with reconstructed living room and kitchen. Prepare to be surprised! It is only when you near the back of the house that you find the white, rusted heavy iron door. Open this door and you enter a cold, dark realm that even Tim Burton couldn't recreate. Perhaps a hundred years for rusting and paint chipping contributes to the overall gloom. These are the prison cells that inspire modern day fiction. All the windows have bars. And the view from the outermost window is of the gallows. These gallows have been recreated in the position they originally stood. There are multiple rooms of cells which you can enter and take photos of. Don't use the toilets, though. They are a bit old. :) Escape back into the semblance of normalcy of the house and head upstairs to take in additional Benton history. The normal bathroom is up there: very clean. When the Beatles FIRST came to America, this is where they played. The museum curator stated that she was a young girl when they arrived: "We had no idea who they were...They weren't known in America at the time, but we all hurried to get a look. We didn't end up seeing them though." There is civil war paraphernalia and an autographed photo of town local John Malkovich. I highly recommend this location! The curator is very knowledgeable and friendly. The location is a few miles off the nearby highway.

This little-known and hidden museum is located inside the supposedly haunted Mineral Springs Mall…read morebuilding in downtown Alton. Some say it is fitting, as Alton is known to be one of the Top 10 haunted places in the United States. The building itself was a hotel that opened over a century ago, and several paranormal sightings have been reported over the years. You can kind of get the idea once you set the foot in the place. Its only five dollars admission, and you get to learn a lot about, well, ways people tortured people for centuries. First off, this museum is not for everyone. There are some offensive and disturbing parts here, as one would sense. This is basically for the open-minded, and for those who have a keen sense of history. The museum is a bit small, but there are several things that await the visitor. The woman who operates this museum has apparently done so much research and collected so many artifacts about the 'torture' subject. You can definitely tell she had an enjoyable time doing this! The weapons/chambers/photographs are accompanied by several materials that talk about how people were tortured. The first paragraph usually explains how the device operated, and the history behind when it was used (like what time period and what country/continent). The always controversial topic of slavery (in most countries of all periods of time) is also explained here. I'd rather not give away too much. You may find the subject on torture interesting! When reading these, I had to put myself in these people's shoes. Whether they were the victims, or the people who lived under one supreme ruler who frequently used the torture devices on the folks under them. Some of these torture methods are still being used today in some parts of the world, sadly. If you make a weekend trip to Alton, check this place out. Unfortunately, the museum is not open during the week, just on Saturday and Sundays. Be sure to check the hours.

$5.00! This museum is for those who love "campy" things. I enjoyed it, in a way that I enjoy…read morevisiting Graceland without being an Elvis fan. If you are into this kind of entertainment than this is for you. Leave the kids at home though. Lovely lady will answer all your questions, and she drives a hearse! How could you not enjoy her museum knowing these facts?!

Local history free to the public. Was there Saturday going to a baby shower, taking my wife. It…read morelooked quite impossible to get her inside, she's using a walker and can't do steps. See the help inside and they're more than happy to help you get into the museum. They have a lift and elevator. The exhibit is eye opening and worth your time to visit.

I had to walk the mile back today after the coffee house, so decided to walk around and explore a…read morebit on my own...came across the Centralia Museum... I HAVE NEVER seen a small Township museum, let alone any museum, with such a plethora of artifacts and info! It was 3 levels, and these pics only represent about 10% or less of the museum!

Interesting and absolutely charming place to visit esp around the holidays & also when they have…read moretheir shows & exhibits - it's a hidden gem for Bond County and it SHINES!

We attended a wedding at the rental hall. I must say it was a great place to hold events.read more

Very interesting displays of soda beverages!!! Also, the…read morepinball machines in the lower kevel were great fun! The old building is beautiful.

Bizarre nostalgic throw-back to sugar laced time before corn syrup drenched mixes arrived…read more I met a friend and his granddaughter in the basement to play retro-arcade games for a ser price fo a few hours. Kid and teenager me would have loved it... the sarcastic 10 year old wanted board games to improve her experience. After considering- I agreed. I would add some chess and checker boards and a few other board games. Or a few Atari games... The epitome was the McDonald's $1 double cheeseburger sign. I asked to order it: they didn't have cheeseburgers, all things are more expensive and everything is not as healthy. I am not wishing for cocaine Coca-Cola or other "medicine" in Dr Pepper. $1.50 for a can of soda is a big jump for a corn syrup from the nickel advertising of a sugar sweet memory. The epitome of the place was playing shuffleboard with the 10 year old. I was trying to play with a sense of touch. She was playing with the idea of creating a highlight reel of knocking my pieces off. I beat her because the idea of the game escaped her. To look back at Asteroids was a shock. Realized that it was just black and white, 2 dimensional game with only a few buttons to control it. Overall I walked still a fan of the glossed over experience. I remember being a broke kid wanting to play unrealistic games to escape from reality. Now I wish for the sugar rush I used to have.