The Popeye statue at the Illinois Welcome Center in Chester is a fun and unmistakably local…read morelandmark, sitting right in the parking area on the Illinois side of the bridge that leads to Perryville Missouri. It's a cheerful figure and on a quick stop, it adds a little personality to what would otherwise be a standard highway welcome center. The placement is perfect. Enter the parking lot and there he is with that classic grin before you even get to the building. It's here because Chester is the hometown of Elzie Crisler Segar, the creator of Popeye. The town has fully embraced that heritage, scattering character statues around the area and celebrating its connection to the comic strip. The welcome center Popeye is one of the most visible of the bunch, acting as a friendly introduction to the town's quirky claim to fame. As roadside attractions go, it's simple but charming, and it sets the tone nicely for a visit to Chester. [Review 1097 of 2026 - 257 in Illinois - 26276 overall]

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!

I was here around 5:30am, long before the welcome center itself opened, but the restrooms were…read morestill accessible, and the parking lot was quiet. As far as I could tell, there's no signage prohibiting overnight parking, through with trucks roaring past onto or off the bridge approach probably woulnd't make for a restful night. The small outdoor displays cover the history of Chester, including why Popeye is such a big deal here, and they add a nice bit of context to the stop. The lot also overlooks the old Chester Iron Bridge, soon to be demolished for the big new span, so you get a front-row view of a piece of local infrastructure that's about to disappear. It's a great spot along the Mississippi River, with enough space to pull in, stretch your legs, and take in the scenery before heading into town whether that's Chester or Perryville. Even at dawn, with the building closed and the bridge traffic just starting to pick up, the welcome center feels like a friendly gateway into Illinois. [Review 1098 of 2026 - 258 in Illinois - 26277 overall]

Cute little welcome center with lots of cute little decor was fun to stop and see your beautiful…read moreMerrells and everything in between it was clean, beautiful, and I love the cut out to take pictures highly recommend stopping on your road trip

A nice park for a walk. Have some nice information about the history of the park and area. Along…read morewith Menard home, get a great idea of the importance of that settlement. Includes cemetery and fantastic lookout of the river.

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.

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...

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.

" Nice Historical Home "…read more The Cohen Home is a beautiful historical site located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. It has a wonderful view of the River. Its unusual blue storm windows make it a very visible landmark for boats on the river and travelers approaching the Chester Bridge from Missouri. It is speculated that the window color cut down on the heat entering the house. It is said that Mark Twain referred to the Cohen Home as "the house with blue windows" as he traveled the Mississippi. Tours of the home are usually done by appointments.

Great small park nice museum of Civil War and the battle and then the reconstructed earth fort The…read morediorama in the museum explains the fighting very well. The town is also nice clean and enjoyable

This place is so awesome and full of history! My friend introduced me to this site when I lived in…read morethe area. If you are a history buff, or closet one, such as I, you need to check this place out. Seriously. You are standing on the site of where the Battle of Pilot Knob took place. The Fort is still in great shape, you can walk all the way around it and see the gun batteries. Not only does it include earthenwork remains of the fort itself, but it also has a large visitors center with many artifacts, flags, and an award-winning video. Definitely worth the trip!

St. Louis, we need to talk about Suson Park. Because how is this hidden gem just sitting in South…read moreCounty and people aren't talking about it more? Suson Park is basically a little farm hiding inside a county park AND it's FREE. You can walk around and see cows, horses, goats, pigs, chickens, ducks and other farm animals. St. Louis County actually describes it as a working animal farm, and the barn is open to the public. And there's some seriously good St. Louis history here. The county bought the original property in 1962 from Sidney Salomon Jr., who was a major figure in St. Louis sports history. He owned the original Sportsman's Park and later the St. Louis Arena and became the first owner of the St. Louis Blues. Even better: Suson is a combination of the names of his children, Susan and Sonny. The park opened to the public in 1964, and today you've got the animal farm, fishing lakes, walking paths, playgrounds and picnic areas. So basically, you can spend an afternoon hanging out with a goat, watching a pig do absolutely nothing, saying hello to a cow and pretending you're on a farm vacation, all without leaving St. Louis County. And did I mention FREE? This is exactly the kind of place I mean when I say St. Louis has hidden gems.

Hot but fun taking the grandkids to see and feed the goats and ducks!!!!…read more Always clean and a busy busy park!!! So much to do!!!! Fish, picnic or walk!!!!

What a lovely little park! It's very well maintained. I spent the afternoon here with my 3 year old…read moreniece, who loved their playground perfect for ages 2-5. Ground was covered in recycled tire treads, and the play equipment was just her size. There were a few benches, a pavilion with picnic table, and porta potty nearby in the area where she played. There are also some fun and unique features: - there is a small but picturesque waterfall (a bridal party was taking photos while we were there) - there is a mini Statue of Liberty, how fun and patriotic! - there was also a war memorial with some remembrance benches Of course, there were also some typical park attractions like a (very hilly) walking path; gazebo; pavilions with picnic tables and grills; koi pond; basketball hoop; and shady, grassy spaces to enjoy and be one with nature. This is a small park, and park was either street side or in one of two very small lots. This is not a busy spot. If you come here, it's to enjoy some quiet time with a grandchild (or niece or kids!), have a small friend and family gathering, and relax in DeSoto's small town hospitality. They take good care of their parks!

My favorite De Soto park. A beautiful, small, hidden gem of a park. It's a little off the main…read morethoroughfare so not usually as crowded as Walter Park. The pavilion and landscaping are very nice. Highly recommended.

Docent lead tour. Quite a history. House in pretty good order for our tour, but in process of up…read morekeeping which is nice to see . Small museum In basement of the house. Lots of parking. Check for tour times and you might want to include a tour of Fort Kaskaskia at the same time

Wonderful old house, with historic value…read more The kitchen was kept in a separate building at the back of the property. Not having fire departments back then, cooking was done away from the main house for safety reasons. This is a great house to visit with period furniture. Well worth a visit.