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.

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.

October 23, 2021 Wow…read morethis place is so cool! What a perfect stop to let the kids run about on this rainy day. Downstairs is designed more for younger kids. Upstairs designed more for kids 8 and above. Supervision is mandatory. Lots of themed rooms for kids to learn through play. There's a garden room with big water tables. An auto shop for the car enthusiasts. A farm where you can "milk"a cow (fake cow &water). A grocery store where the kids can shop and be the cashier. A veterinarian pet shop. Fire department. Well baby check office. There are cool tubes with air that suck up handkerchiefs and tunnel above your head and shoot out from the ceiling. Musical rooms. Hair styling room. A theater room complete with a stage and curtain! There's a Lego wall. And rubber band wall to make art. A small real plane to climb in and imagine flying over fields. Really too much to list. But wow! Great entertainment for kids (and parents) of all ages. Covid19 protocol: Bathrooms were clean. Hands sanitizer was placed all over both upstairs and downstairs. Employees wore masks. Patrons were strongly recommended to wear masks, although most didn't. Staff picked up several times while we were there.. although i didn't notice any surface cleaning. Now my cooty radar was a little high, but i get that way in any type of kids play area. I made sure my kids sanitized hands after each room and we washed hands before leaving. Lots of touchable surfaces. Pre pandemic, i wouldn't think much about it, but current pandemic, I just am a little more leery. So go with that in mind. And don't come if you or anyone is sick. Above all.. ENJOY! Very cool place.

discovery is the best place a child could ask for it's so relatable to the real life just much…read morecooler I love discovery so much !

So much fun! The first visit was nearly 10 years ago. That time was fun too…read more On my most recent visit, it was just as much fun. I think I had forgot just how many different holes and paths you could take. They've also added more stuff than I remember. They had a section roped off because they're adding yet another section. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy the place as much this time around but I did. This is a must-visit when in StL but be warned, you will be tired after playing on this adult playground. The only annoyance this time is that I seem to remember that you could pay one price and get everything. This time, there was the general ticket that gives you access to 3 floors but no roof access. No pinball access. You have to pay extra for those two things. I guess extra charges make sense but just wrap the price all in one. I feel like the floors and roof should be in one ticket. There were a few times that employees came out on the roof to run people off that didn't have the appropriate color of bracelet. If you love having fun, definitely do this when visiting StL.

I thought I had written a review of this a couple years ago but maybe I didn't…read more I think of this place almost EVERY DAY. Definitely whenever someone mentions St Louis or anything that I associate with St Louis. It's my favorite place in the world. I think another reviewer recommended wearing closed toe-shoes, comfortable clothing that you can move in - preferably long pants - as long as they have good pockets, because you don't want to be carrying a purse or bag. This is important. If you have a fear of heights - the City Museum might make you forget that you have a fear of heights. Because it made me forget that I do. I was climbing everywhere. It's amazing. I know how to weld, and all the welds look great and are finished smoothly so you don't get scratched or snagged. Impressive! We went there once when our daughter was 6, and again when she was 21, and I can definitely say that I had a better time when she was older (even though, obviously, I was significantly older as well). Because it does seem a little not-safe if you have a little kid with you. But even then I had absolutely loved it. I live 8 hours away but would literally clear my schedule for the next couple days, anytime, if someone wanted me to go there with them. Just let me grab my sneakers and joggers and I'm ready!

Not worth the money!! $22.50 Wasted!! so disorganized and not worth the trip!! Maybe children under…read more12 would enjoy. But why make parents pay!!

My granddaughter just had her 8th birthday party at the science center. She invited all her…read morefriends, their siblings (one was 3 weeks old) and parents. It was a blast and educational too. They played in the main area before going to the party room for a very entertaining science presentation. Even the adults got to take a ride on the hover board. We provided the food and the favors. It was the best birthday party ever!

Great people good vibes laughter education just everything was good from my experience I would like…read moreto take other people with me

Loved the history!!! Such a great visit with my husband and his uncle! It really made his day! The…read moretrain was very cool as well as all the war history from this area. It was my first trip to Evansville and neat to learn about its past!

I recommend checking this out if you are ever here it is the home of William Henry Harrison it is…read morepretty and if you are a history buff check this place out

I am a self proclaimed presidential history "nerd". I've read a biography on each president in…read moreorder (currently reading F.D.R.), and my bucket list includes visiting all their birth and burial places. I also make it a point to visit presidential libraries, national historic sites, etc. I've seen DOZENS of locations now, and I can honestly say Grouseland is - by far - one of the most impressive locations I've visited. The amount of authentic items dating back to William Henry Harrison is jaw dropping! Additionally, the collection of items not necessarily related to Harrison are breathtaking. For example, they own an impressive collection of real signatures as far back as Adams, Madison, and John Quincy Adams (to name just a few). The staff was fantastic. The day I visited, their computer system was down and they were unable to run my card for the entry fee. No matter, they let me get back with them later. Their volunteers are knowledgeable about their collections and items within the home. Can't say enough about this "diamond in the rough" presidential history site. I was truly blown away...

Very nice local museum with many items of general interest. I am very interested in George Rogers…read moreClark and William Clark so a visit to this museum was a must. They did have two small displays with some original pieces. There is much more to the museum than the Clark's though. If you love history a visit is a must.

This was a really great little find as I was exploring the downtown area near the riverfront. I was…read moreon a paddle wheeler that was docked just a little bit away. This was right across from a hop-on hop-off stop, but nobody mentioned it and I almost missed it. They have a pretty diverse array of items on display ranging from old artifacts of the civil war, old police memorabilia and clothing a furniture from the last century. Overall, a very interesting and well documented collection and deserving of more attention. The staff person was extremely welcoming and warm and made me feel right at home. If you have just a few minutes to spare or a bit more, take the opportunity to check out this little museum. It is the in the middle of the Market place and it looks for all the world like an old train station. You need to enter on the second street side.