illinois waterway visitor center

Try to go during their once a year tour where you can actually walk out on the damn. Lots of VERY interesting information! Helpful people. Fun time, especially in the winter when the bald eagles are there.

This facility has a very education program and visitor center that boasts a 30 min lecture, plenty of pictures of Eagles and the locks and Dam. There is an out door viewing area or large viewing windows! Kids of all ages love it! We try to go every year. When it's below zero, expect to see 30 or 40 bald Eagles there!

Good overview of the history of the area and information related to Illinois and the river basin. Lots of good information, including a navigation map of the Illinois River.

Small and free but full of information and a great view of the locks. 1/2 hour stop unless you're watching a boat go through the lock.

This one hour barge ride is well worth the time. The barge is pulled by a mule down a short restored section of the Illinois Michigan (I&M) canal.All the boat personnel are in period costume and character. These volunteer actors speak in the heavy Irish brogue, of the hard working men and women that hand dug this commercial waterway, meant to connect the Mississippi / Illinois Rivers at LaSalle / Peru, IL to Chicago and Lake Michigan.Each character tells the story of his life on the canal. It is storytelling and folk tales, at their cultural best because they are set in the actual background they took place.This inexpensive tour is interesting for all, including children who are fascinated, by the boat moving slowly down the canal and the highly engaging actors.Bravo!

Very close to Starved Rock Park and was nice to sit outside and watch the Barges go thru the Locks. Met some very nice area people and learned a lot from them too.

bald eagles winter along the illinois and are well worth the drive from chicago to see them. we drove route 6 along the illinios river and saw several eagles along the river. when we went to the locks in the river there were 3 bald eagle circling over head, they are huge birds and to see them in flight is wonderful. we were the only people out, because it was about 10 degrees, very quiet and peaceful. we went home north on interstate 39 just to see the wind mills along the highway. for a least dozens of miles in the farmers fields are these huge wind mills for generating electric. we got off the interstate highway and drove down a country road just to see them up close, it felt as if we had stepped into the future.

I have visited this Visitor Center several times over the years (I use to live in the area). It's a FREE "mini-museum" and is a great place to watch the barges and boats traverse the lock. You have a bird's eye view and can use this as a good teaching lesson to any youngsters in your family. In good weather, it is awesome to sit ona a bench and you can actually talk to the workers or other personnel on the barges/boats/etc.It is interesting, fun yet relaxing and a interesting location to spend a few hours. Also, Illinois Starved Rock State Park is across the river and I HIGHLY reccomend a visit to it after you leave this Visitor Center. Make sure to see the wood carvings around the awesome Lodge and hike a trail or two-easy, beautiful in every season and you would swear that you are in the hills of the Ozarks! Enjoy!

I live nearby and have been there many times. There is a small museum with some stuffed animals, hands on exhibits for the kids, and some history of the ILL waterway. It's free, does not take long, and worth a stop since you're only 5 minutes from Starved Rock Lodge.In the wintertime, when the river is frozen, Eagles will gather at the dam where there is open water to catch fish. Depending on the circumstances, I've seen anywhere from 5 to 30 at one time.

This was one of our stops on during the Trolley tour as part of the Starved Rock Fall Colors weekend. We were lucky enough to arrive in time to see a barges pass through the lock. I had no concept of how this operation worked until I was there to see it for myself. It was an awesome experience and I would go again in January to watch the eagles.

I go here to sit and relax and watch nature, good way to view the birds by the locks and fish in the water. Pelicans can be seen here. If a barge is coming through its a good way to see how the locks work. Inside you can choose to read the history you would like and learn as you like. worth a short visit just to see, and its free to see.

It is interesting to see a ship go through a lock if you get there at a time when a boat is going through it. However, the rangers on duty had little to say, were not motivated to tell interesting stories, or to relate any history. They really need to be replaced with better, more interesting rangers.

Very interesting, great place to watch eagles in january. Bring your binoculars and camera. Can watch inside or out on the deck.Neat to watch the barges in and out of the locks, too.

My fiancé and I tried to go today but it was closed due to flooding. So I would recommend calling ahead. Even though we didn't get to see the museum, the view of Starved Rock from the other side of the river is a good one.

When the weather is cold, the eagles like to be near the locks where the water isn't frozen. The IL Waterway Visitor Center has huge window with telescopes so you can see the eagles and get warm at the same time.