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1 mile up the Great River Road (a site in an of itself) from the Alton Visitor's Center, the Piasa Bird park is a monument to the Illini Indian legend of the great Piasa Bird. It is pronounced "Pie-uh-saw". Legend has it that the Piasa Bird "was as large as a calf with horns like a deer, red eyes, a beard like a tiger's, a face like a man, the body covered with green, red and black scales and a tail so long it passed around the body, over the head and between the legs." Legend also said that the great winged creature could away a full grown deer and had a taste for human flesh. In 1673, French explorers Pere Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet were the first Europeans to see and document the images and story of a great creature. While the original Illini painting is long gone, multiple recreations were made at different locations along the bluffs. This current location and park was built in 1998. It's a must see on your trip through the Alton area because it's an important part of the area's history and will explain why multiple businesses have that strange "Pie-ass-uh" name.
Lovely landmark that is significant to Alton! I remember as a child coming here and recently came back to check it out. Looks a lot nicer and very clean. It's currently under construction. No trials or hiking area. J
Landmark in the middle of nowhere, that's pretty cool. There' s plenty of parking and a plaque with info that you can almost read, but may be better to bring a large piece of paper and pencil to transfer the message to easier readability. .|\---/| | o_o | .\_^_/..2021 read more
It was a beautiful late afternoon. It seemed a lovely idea to take a walk near the big water. It was convenient to do so at the first noticeable stop on the River Road past Alton, a place called Piasa Park. I'll leave it to others to tell the tale of the Piasa, but I will share my first impressions, mainly in the form of photo captions. There was little in the way of pleasant walking, and eventually I saw there is a sign that plainly says the parking lot is for bike parking on the Vadalabene bike trail. But there was a lot of activity in the parking lot, and on a trail near the parking lot, maybe just high school kids hanging out on a weekend night. Maybe. If I were you, then I'd pull up to read the historical marker, roll down your window to take a photo of the piasa-like cliff art, then drive on. read more
1 mile up the Great River Road (a site in an of itself) from the Alton Visitor's Center, the Piasa Bird park is a monument to the Illini Indian legend of the great Piasa Bird. It is pronounced "Pie-uh-saw". Legend has it that the Piasa Bird "was as large as a calf with horns like a deer, red eyes, a beard like a tiger's, a face like a man, the body covered with green, red and black scales and a tail so long it passed around the body, over the head and between the legs." Legend also said that the great winged creature could away a full grown deer and had a taste for human flesh. In 1673, French explorers Pere Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet were the first Europeans to see and document the images and story of a great creature. While the original Illini painting is long gone, multiple recreations were made at different locations along the bluffs. This current location and park was built in 1998. It's a must see on your trip through the Alton area because it's an important part of the area's history and will explain why multiple businesses have that strange "Pie-ass-uh" name. read more
The Piasa Bird is a large painting on a cliff face on the Mississippi River just north of Alton. The original paintings were discovered in the 17th century, but were destroyed. The bird was repainted and later restored in its current location. The legend of the Piasa Bird is likely a concoction of an American writer, and the original paintings may not have even been birds. However, the Piasa Bird is a part of local tradition and a must-see for anyone traveling on the Great River Road. And bird watchers that travel the road to see bald eagles in the winter will surely want to add the Piasa Bird to their life list. read more
