The much-anticipated project calls for the design and development of a new Byway Discovery Center. The project is funded by a $10 Million Capital Bill Grant received by the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau to create and enhance product development along the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway. The Bureau also manages the 33-mile scenic byway which runs from Hartford to Pere Marquette State Park in Jersey County.

This project will enhance the livability of the region while revealing our commitment to activate the byway corridor with key products, programs, and projects that steward key natural and cultural assets, promote active living, and build a vibrant livability destination for leisure travelers, our residences and businesses, relocators, and investors.

The design of the Byway Discovery Center includes new hardscape-including landscaping, parking with access for motor coach buses, outdoor gathering areas, interpretive panels and kiosks. In addition, there will be state-of-the-art security and lighting at the park. Plans include construction of a 4,500-square-foot state-of-the-art Byway Discovery Center. The Center will include exhibit space, a gift shop and lecture facilities, and public rest rooms. It will be open seven days a week and will be managed and staffed by the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau along with a corps of dedicated volunteers.

The design elements of the Discovery Center will include stone façade matching the limestone bluffs of the nearby Byway, and the building will be set back in to the contours of the surrounding land. There will also be expansive glass windows and modern features. The building is designed with purposeful creativity and responsible advocacy. Its bold climate and clean technology elements will also reveal our commitment to livability and sustainable community building.

Design and engineering firms working on the Byway Discovery Center include SMS Engineers of Alton; Henderson Associates Architects of Edwardsville; Kennedy Hutson Associates Architects of Monticello; the Hitchcock Design Group of Naperville; and Taylor Studios of Rantoul.

The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau is managing all aspects of the project from design to implementation to contract management and is working in conjunction with the Great Rivers Land Trust, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and Jersey County.

The project is anticipated to be completed by Spring of 2026.