Southwest Illinois Tourism
Southwest Illinois Tourism on IllinoisBeautiful.com Southwest Illinois Tourism - your Illinois Tourist Guide to Vacations, Attractions and Events
The Gateway Geyser - East St. Louis, Illinois
The Gateway Geyser - East St. Louis, Illinois
Just look at the geyser soaring to nearly 630-feet, the geyser’s height mirrors that of St. Louis’ famed Gateway Arch, located directly across the Mississippi River.
The center fountain is complemented by four auxiliary fountains, which represent the four rivers that converge in the St. Louis area.
Cahokia Mounds - Collinsville, Illinois
Cahokia Mounds - Collinsville, Illinois
The Interpretation of the Cahokia site focuses on its uniqueness as an urban center, or a city. It is the largest prehistoric Indian city north of Mexico and was a religious, political, economic and cultural center.
Gateway International Raceway - Madison, Illinois
Gateway International Raceway - Madison, Illinois
More than 140,000 international fans pack the stands at the Gateway International Raceway in Madison to watch the world’s leading racecar drivers compete in the NASCAR Busch and Craftsman Truck Series, as well as the NHRA Sears Craftsman Nationals.
Fort de Chartres - Prairie du Rocher, Illinois
Fort de Chartres - Prairie du Rocher, Illinois
The oldest building in Illinois, a massive stone fort called Fort de Chartres, which was built by French colonists in 1753. The fort served as the seat of government during the French rule. After viewing Fort de Chartres, tour the nearby well-preserved sites that were established from Chester to Cahokia by Illinois’ earliest European settlers.
Pere Marquette State Park - Grafton, Illinois
Pere Marquette State Park - Grafton, Illinois
Pere Marquette State Park comprises 8,050 acres making it Illinois’ largest state park.
The Park is famous for the beauty of its fall colors and as a home for bald eagles in the winter. In addition to the spectacular views of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers from several scenic overlooks, visitors can take advantage of a variety of year-round recreational activities, including hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping, fishing, boating, and taking part in interpretative programs.
Eagle Watching in Alton - Alton, Illinois
Eagle Watching in Alton - Alton, Illinois
The Bald Eagle was adopted as the national symbol of the United States in 1782 because of its independence and strength. Measuring about 30 inches (76 cm) in length and possessing a wingspan of 72-84 inches (1.8-2.1 m), the adult eagle is easily identified by its unmistakable brown body set off by a white head and tail and bright yellow bill.
Popeye Statue - Chester, Illinois
Popeye Statue - Chester, Illinois
Popeye Statue is in Elzie C. Segar Park in Chester, Illinois.
This 6 foot tall, 900 pound, bronze-metallic statue of Popeye was inspired by the fact that Segar, Popeye’s creator, was born in Chester and that many of the Popeye characters were modeled after real residents of the town. It is reported that Segar’s old boss at the Opera House, J. William Schuchert, was the model for J. Wellington Wimpy and had a fondness for hamburgers.
Jarrot Mansion - Cahokia, Illinois
Jarrot Mansion - Cahokia, Illinois
The Jarrot Mansion was completed in the year 1810 for Nicholas Jarrot, a native Frenchman who achieved prosperity through trade, land, and law in frontier Cahokia. The Jarrot Mansion is the oldest brick home in the state of Illinois.
Cahokia Court House - Cahokia, Illinois
Cahokia Court House - Cahokia, Illinois
Originally constructed as a dwelling, the Cahokia Courthouse served as the center of political activity in the Old Northwest Territory. The courthouse also served as a U.S. territorial courthouse and the county seat for several years. Additional information about the courthouse can be found on the History page.
Holy Family Log Church - Cahokia, Illinois
Holy Family Log Church - Cahokia, Illinois
The Holy Family Parish Log Church in Cahokia, Illinois is the oldest continuously sited church in the state of Illinois. The Holy Family Parish is the second oldest Catholic Parish in the state being established in May of 1699 when the French priest Father Jean St. Cosme and two workmen erected a missionary cross, a chapel and a log rectory. The original log church built by Father St. Cosme was destroyed by a fire in the 1730’s and the subsequent church was also destroyed by fire in 1783. Only a bell suspended from a tree in the churchyard, a missal printed in 1683, a monstrance made in 1717, a chalice, and a paten were saved from the 1783 fire. Pope John Paul II used the chalice in his Mass when he visited St. Louis in 1999.
Then construction on the present church, with a capacity of over 100 people, was begun but it was not until 1799 that the Church was dedicated. The church’s construction is typical of the French Creole architecture of the era. Built in the poteaux-sur-solle (post-on-sill) manner, a vertical log style that uses hewn walnut logs placed upright on a horizontal base. The roof timbers are oak, and the roof itself is made of cypress clapboards covered by sycamore and the church is held together entirely with wooden pegs instead of nails. In l949, Father Joseph Mueller "rediscovered" the old log church that had been covered over with white clapboarding and the Log Church was restored in time for the parish’s 250th anniversary.
An old cemetery that contains the graves of many of the parish’s priests and the locally prominent Jarrot family is located behind the church.
Visiting the Holy Family Parish Log Church
Visiting Hours
(Times subject to availability of the volunteer docents)
Open for Latin Mass each Sunday at 9 am
Open for tours with advance notice 10 am - 4 pm from Memorial Day through Labor Day
There is no charge to visit the Holy Family Parish Log Church.
Location: Cahokia, Illinois The Holy Family Parish Log Church is located near the intersection of IL-157 and IL-3.
