EDWARDSVILLE – An initiative from the City’s Tourism Advisory Committee aims to make it easier than ever to find your fun in Edwardsville - whether you’re online planning an outing or already on the go.
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“Destination Edwardsville” highlights 17 existing local attractions, sharing information about those via a QR code that you scan with your cellphone. The project is being rolled out now; Destination Edwardsville yard signs are in place at various locations in the City. A QR code on each sign directs you to a Destination Edwardsville page on the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau website. All 17 attractions are featured there, offering a helping hand in planning outings in Edwardsville.
“Our QR code project consolidates in one location many of the terrific tourist destinations in Edwardsville,” said Rich Walker, a member of the City’s Tourism Advisory Committee. “This is a fun way to make sure you know about all of the places you can visit when you have a day or a weekend to spend with friends or family.” Walker said the idea for the project sprang from a trip he and his wife took to Boston. Monument signs along Boston’s historic trails offered QR codes with information about that location plus others that could be visited. “We thought we could apply that to all of the great places and sites we have in Edwardsville,” he added. The 17 Destination Edwardsville attractions include sites of interest run by nonprofit organizations that also have their own website.
The Destination Edwardsville website includes a link to those organizations to ensure the most up-to-date information on hours, activities and admission is available to visitors. The 17 attractions are: Edwardsville Arts Center, Edwardsville Children’s Museum, Edwardsville Parks, Edwardsville Public Library, Edwardsville Township Community Park, the Gardens at SIUE, the Land of Goshen Community Market, Madison County Historical Society Museum and Archives, Main Street Community Center, Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities, MCT Trails, Nickel Plate Station, 1820 Colonel Benjamin Stephenson House, Route 66, Watershed Nature Center, the Wildey Theatre and Woodlawn Cemetery. The Nickel Plate Station, Watershed Nature Center and Edwardsville Children’s Museum also will feature a monument sign. The QR code on the sign offers access to additional details and to the other Destination Edwardsville sites. The Edwardsville Community Foundation provided funding for the signs, and Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau partnered with the City to create and promote the Destination Edwardsville web pages. Mayor Art Risavy said Destination Edwardsville is the kind of creative initiative he envisioned coming from the Tourism Advisory Committee, which met for the first time in May 2022.
“I appreciate the hard work by the committee members to bring this project to life,” he said. “These sites are a great sampling of what Edwardsville offers for all interests and all ages.” The initial group of attractions makes up the first phase of the Destination Edwardsville project. Walker said the Tourism Advisory Committee plans to expand the project to include many other City attractions in the future. More information on Destination Edwardsville can be found at www.cityofedwardsville.com/findyourfun.
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