Old Route 66 followed today’s I-270 from the north side of St. Louis, but one of southern Illinois’ biggest attractions sits directly east of the Gateway Arch, off the I-55/70 freeway at exit 6. Clearly visible to the south side of the interstate, the enigmatic humps of Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site (hours vary; 618/346-5160) are the remains of the largest prehistoric Indian city north of Mexico. Over 100 earthen mounds of various sizes were built here by the indigenous Mississippian culture while Europe was in the Dark Ages; the largest covers 14 acres—more ground than the Great Pyramid of Cheops.
But don’t expect the works of the pharaohs: Symmetrical, grass-covered hills sitting in flat, lightly wooded bottomlands are what you’ll find here. The view of the Gateway Arch in distant St. Louis from the 100-foot-top of Monks’ Mound lends an odd sense of grandeur to the site, and a sophisticated Interpretive Center is a recommended first stop for its exhibits, award-winning multimedia orientation show, and guided and self-guiding tours.
The nearest town to the Cahokia Mounds is Collinsville, a pleasant little place that’s famous for its 170-foot-high World’s Largest Catsup Bottle, which rises high above 800 S. Morrison Avenue (Hwy-159), a quarter mile south of Main Street, on the grounds of what used to be the Brooks Catsup Company. This decorated water tower was constructed in 1949, and restored by the people of Collinsville in 1993.
