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Visitor Center

Each year, millions of people visit Starved Rock
... come & discover why!

The Starved Rock State Park Visitors Center has several interactive displays, free videos on the park, hiking maps, and more. Trailheads Concessions & Gifts, also located here, is a great place to buy gifts, souvenirs, and snacks (fresh fudge, too)! The Visitor Center and Trailheads are open year-round.

Starved Rock State Park Visitor Center

This is what you'll find in the Visitor Center:

* Three-dimensional topographic map of the park and surrounding area.
* 400-gallon aquarium that holds fish that are found in the Illinois River.
* Educational and interactive displays.
* 56-foot mural, which depicts scenes of Illinois Indians interacting with French missionaries and fur traders.
* Display of stone tools used by Native Americans, as well as the 10,000-year-old crown of a mammoth molar.
* Model of Fort St. Louis which was located on top of Starved Rock from 1682 until the early 1700s.
* Display of the Civilian Conservation Corps and a timeline outlining the development and growth of the park.
* Indian wigwam with lifelike figures is on display and you can look inside and see how Native People once lived.
* Legend of Starved Rock and Lover's Leap.
* Native, mounted birds and mammals.
* Park Map.

At the entrance to the center, you can see a slice of the trunk of one of the largest American Elm trees in the U.S. that grew at Starved Rock. Inside the center, the helpful staff will be on hand to assist you with any questions that you may have about hiking trails, the Visitor Center, or general information about the area.

In addition to the great exhibits and displays there is also a theater that plays three different movies, ranging in length from 9-15 minutes; one of the movies just recently won a national award. Guided hikes are available throughout the year. The Le Rocher Gift Shop and Bookstore offers books on local plants and animals, the history of Starved Rock and the surrounding areas, birdhouses, nature games, binoculars, and much more. You will always be greeted with a smile and we hope you enjoy your visit.

For more information regarding Starved Rock State Park, visit StarvedRockStatePark.org.