16 Best Things To Do In Grafton, Illinois

Grafton is a small river town where the Illinois River meets the Mississippi, on Route 100 upriver from Alton. A day here splits between the bluffs above town, with the SkyTour lift and Pere Marquette State Park, and the riverfront restaurants below. The water park runs in summer, and winter adds an ice rink and bald eagles.

1. Grafton SkyTour

The Grafton SkyTour is a scenic lift from downtown up to Aerie's Hill, with open chairs and enclosed gondola cabins on the same line. From the top you look over the confluence of the two rivers.

A day pass costs $12 per person and covers unlimited rides that day, so you can go up for lunch and come back for sunset. Lunch up there means The Terrace, Aerie's hilltop restaurant.

2. Aerie's Alpine Coaster and UTV Tours

Aerie's alpine coaster, which the resort bills as the first in Illinois, winds down the hillside on nearly 4,000 feet of track. Winter doesn't shut it down: the resort says the system is built to get riders on the track no matter the time of year.

Aerie's also runs 30-minute guided UTV tours through the creek beds and limestone outcrops of the hollows behind its attractions. Riders have to be at least 3 years old and over 38 inches tall.

3. Pere Marquette State Park

Pere Marquette State Park has about 12 miles of marked trails. The bluff-top stretches look down on the Illinois River and its backwaters.

To book a guided hike, call the park at 618-786-3323.

4. Pere Marquette Lodge

Pere Marquette Lodge, inside the state park, was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and its lobby centers on a 700-ton stone fireplace. The restaurant is open every day of the year. Order the fried chicken, which the lodge calls its most ordered item.

The lodge also has a tasting room, the Mary Michelle Winery. It opens at 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

5. Pere Marquette Riding Stables

For a trail ride, book Pere Marquette Riding Stables on Route 100 west of town. A standard ride is a 45 to 50 minute loop over 2 1/2 miles of park trails. The stables are open May through October, Wednesday through Monday.

6. Bald eagle watching

The regional tourism bureau puts the prime eagle window at late December through mid-February. Driving the river road from Alton through Grafton to Pere Marquette, you can see anywhere from 25 to 150 eagles in one trip.

For a guided version, the state park's Bald Eagle Days start at the Visitor Center with a video and program, then an observational drive to find the birds. Reservations are required, by phone.

7. Grafton Winery

The Grafton Winery's estate, The Vineyards, is at 21028 Eckert Orchard Road. It's a production winery with tastings and Mississippi River views, and it's open Wednesday through Sunday, and by appointment on Monday and Tuesday.

8. The Loading Dock

The Loading Dock puts restaurant tables right on the river and keeps a live music calendar. It's open daily from April through October and Friday through Sunday the rest of the year.

In winter the same property runs an ice rink from late November through February. Skating costs $10.50 for an all-day pass, plus $5 for rental skates.

9. Riverside Flea Market

The Loading Dock grounds fill with vendors for the Riverside Flea Market one weekend a month from April through October. Saturdays go 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come Saturday if you want the extra hour of browsing.

10. Grafton Harbor and the Grafton Oyster Bar

Grafton Harbor is the town's marina, and it's how you get onto the Mississippi without your own boat. You can rent a pontoon and drive it yourself or hire a captain. On a captained sunset charter, guests can bring their own picnic and drinks.

The Grafton Oyster Bar is at 215 W. Water St. It's closed Mondays and open from 11 a.m. the rest of the week.

11. Grafton Pub

The Grafton Pub is at 225 W. Main St. The tourism bureau's listing mentions burgers, catfish and live music on the deck, while the pub's own menu adds pizza and a kids menu. There are 16 draft beers to pick from.

12. Raging Rivers WaterPark

For a summer day with kids, Raging Rivers WaterPark is on Palisades Parkway at the edge of town. Its rides include:

• Mississippi Monster, a waterslide
• Breaker Beach, a wave pool
• Endless River, a lazy river
• Cascade Body Flumes and Swirl Pools
• Itty Bitty Surf City and Treehouse Harbor, the two areas for small children

The park is seasonal, so check this year's opening dates before you drive.

13. Grafton Visitor Center

The visitor center and the Edward Amburg Museum share one site at 950 E. Main St. The city lists the center as open every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

14. Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail

Bring bikes for the Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail, a 20-mile paved path from Alton to Pere Marquette State Park between the limestone bluffs and the Mississippi. It passes through Elsah, in 1973 the first village placed on the National Register of Historic Places in its entirety, then Clifton Terrace and Grafton itself. Ride it one way and arrange a pickup unless you want 40 miles in a day.

15. Grafton Ferry

Coming from the Missouri side, take the Grafton Ferry across the Mississippi from St. Charles County. The landings are on Grafton Ferry Road off Highway 94 in Missouri and off Market Street near the Grafton Lighthouse in Illinois. The ferry runs seven days a week, all year.

16. TreeHouse Wildlife Center

The TreeHouse Wildlife Center in Dow, between Alton and Grafton, rescues, rehabilitates and releases native wildlife. The nonprofit was established in 1979. Visitors can walk the grounds and see its permanent resident animals daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where to stay

Aerie's 23 hilltop Terrace rooms overlook the town. The Landing, with six king rooms above the check-in office on Main Street, puts you a short walk from the river and downtown restaurants. Inside the state park, Pere Marquette Lodge has 50 lodge rooms and 22 stone cabin rooms. For a tent or an RV, the park campground takes reservations through ExploreMoreIL.