MADISON COUNTY, Ill. — Two significant development projects along the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway in Metro East are planned, funded by a $10 million grant.
A new $7.2 million visitors center for the tourism route, to be called the Byway Discovery Center, will be built on land at the Madison and Jersey County line west of Alton, near the mouth of Piasa Creek, said Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, which will operate the site. The 4,500-square-foot new facility will add parking for motor coaches, outdoor gathering and learning areas, interpretive panels and an outdoor art installation, kiosks, a riverside trail and a kayak landing, the organization said.
Inside, the center will have 1,400 square feet of permanent exhibit space, a gift shop, lecture facility and restrooms. The site will be open seven days a week, the bureau said.
Click here to read the full story from the St. Louis Business Journal.
