Location: Alton
Top Things to do in Alton
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The 8 Best Free Things to do in Alton, Illinois (IL)
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about 15 miles (24 km) north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. It is famous for its limestone bluffs along the river north of the city, for its role preceding and during the American Civil War, and as the hometown of jazz musician Miles Davis and Robert Wadlow, the tallest known person in history. It was the site of the last Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debate in October 1858. The former state penitentiary here was used during the war to hold up to 12,000 Confederate prisoners of war.
Restaurants in Alton
1. Great Rivers Scenic Route
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 231 reviews
Reviewed By apkh0828 - Granite City, United States
AMAZING RIVER VIEW, LEAVES TURNING, QUAINT LITTLE TOWN OF Elijah, Bike Trail, Bird Watching, with many great shops in the town of Grafton. Nice wine tasting places, book shops, antique shops, ice cream parlor, and of course my favorite rock shop just as you enter Grafton on the right hand side of street. Beasley Fish and Find Inn our favorite places to eat. And for the bikers HogPit is the place to go! Head North to Pete Marquette State Park for great hiking and horseback riding. Spend a day or a weekend here, you will love it!
2. Mississippi Mud Pottery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 18 reviews
We specialize in handmade functional stoneware pottery that is dishwasher, microwave, oven and food safe. Stop in and watch us create and browse our showroom filled with our finished ware.
Reviewed By BeenTo7Continents - Des Plaines, United States
Tons of colorful pottery at reasonable prices. Two dogs will say hello while you browse. If I lived here I would be buying my wedding gifts all the time here. As it was we stopped in thinking we'd buy one bowl and bought an olive tray for every day use, a St. Patrick's Day magnet and a Valentine tray. If you looked at the website ahead of time there are far more items and patterns in the physical store than in the online store.
3. National Great Rivers Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 106 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
The National Great Rivers Museum is one of 11 planned visitors centers operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that tells the story of the Mississippi River. Located on the Great River Road (State Highway 143) south of the Clark Bridge, adjacent to the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, between Alton and Wood River, Illinois, the 12,000-square-foot facility features state-of-the-art interactive displays and exhibits that help visitors understand the many aspects of the Mississippi River and how it affects our lives. The natural ecosystem of the Mississippi River and how humans interact with it is one of the major themes of the museum, which was opened in 2003. A large model of the bluffs of the region is in the center of the museum and provides information on the various wildlife from prairie plants and trees to birds and other animals. An aquarium displays the various species of fish that inhabit the river. Also learn about the mechanics of the river, how soil is made, the effects of erosion, what causes floods. Another them is how the Mississippi River has been home to many people throughout the ages, including nearby Cahokia Mounds. The construction of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam is explained and visitors can make a free tour of the facility. In addition, two video presentations are offered daily--"Power of the River," which tours the river from its source, and "Lewis and Clark: A Confluence of Time and Courage," which tells the story of the Corps of Discovery.
4. World's Tallest Man Statue
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 153 reviews
Reviewed By EwanderingMan - Hendersonville, United States
Yup, check the "Guinness Book of World Records." Robert Pershing Wadlow, born and reared in Alton, is the tallest person to ever have walked on earth for whom there is irrefutable documentation. His statue is on the site of the former Shurtleff College campus (now Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine) that he had attended. There is visitor parking on campus about 60 yards (by paved walkway... behind the statue); i.e. the parking spaces are not visible from College Avenue. To access the small "Robert Wadlow Statue Visitor Only" parking lot, turn north from College Avenue onto Seminary Street. (The Upper Alton Baptist Church is at that corner.) About 100 yards from that intersection, there is a right turn into the campus. The small lane goes directly to the Visitor parking spaces.
5. Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 37 reviews
Reviewed By Q1815QZbryanw - Roseville, United States
This is a powerful monument about an influential abolitionist who influenced the anti-slave sentiments of both John Brown and Abraham Lincoln. Walk about 200 yards behind the monument and witness Lovejoy's actual grave--and stand where a youthful Abraham Lincoln stood before his trip to Washington D.C.
6. Argosy Casino Alton
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 153 reviews
Reviewed By jbsoccr03
Plenty of vintage slots with some newer ones mixed in. Easy to get in and out of. Friendly environment and simple layout
7. Alton Prison
8. Alton Square Mall
Overall Ratings
2.5 based on 14 reviews
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