ALTON - A special groundbreaking ceremony for the much-anticipated Byway Discovery Center at Great Rivers Park, 10815 Lockhaven Rd., Godfrey, will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
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Local and regional elected officials will be on hand to put shovels in the ground for the new National Scenic Byway corridor activation project which is expected to open its doors in Spring 2026. The project was funded by a portion of a $10 Million Capital Bill Grant received by the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau.
“The new Byway Discovery Center will be a great asset to our Byway region,” Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau noted. “It is keenly positioned on the Great River Road where visitors will be treated to a natural riverscape and viewshed. We are creating a full immersion experience that we hope will help our visitors and local families discover and explore the region’s premiere outdoor recreation offerings.”
The Byway Discovery Center, a 4,500-square-foot visitor orientation facility, will be constructed on a parcel of land near the mouth of Piasa Creek on the Madison/Jersey County line. It is located west of Alton on the Scenic Byway.
The center will be a place where visitors can learn about Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway and will serve as a place of exploration and discovery with nature, history, and the regional nature-based tourism amenities that exist on the 33-mile stretch of road from Hartford to Pere Marquette State Park. The center will include a state-of-the-art video immersion experience and 1,400 square feet of permanent exhibit space, a gift shop, lecture facilities and public restrooms. The center will be open seven days a week and will be managed by the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau.
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