Plan Your Meetings with Great Rivers & Routes
There’s only one place in America where historic Route 66 meets the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway. Let the majesty of the confluence of the Missouri, Mississippi, and Illinois rivers inspire your team. Invest in creativity as you explore a region overflowing with history. Imagine your organization’s future in a destination that puts you at the center of convenience, but keeps you secluded enough to be productive.
Journey to Southwest Illinois where award-winning lodging, modern meeting facilities, and experienced staff await you. Conveniently located within minutes from downtown St. Louis and accessible from six interstates, Lambert International Airport, and the Alton Amtrak Station, let the Great Rivers & Routes region be the destination for your next great meeting.
When your meetings wind down for the day, we have the activities you’re looking for to allow your group to bond together. Test your luck at the Argosy Casino. Savor the tastes of the region with tours at Old Bakery Beer, Recess Brewing, or Old Herald Brewery & Distillery. Let courage, or fear, get the best of you on an outing with a few famous ghosts on a Haunted Tour. Relax and unwind as you sip wine on top of the bluffs with stunning river views.
The sales staff at the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau is here to help you every step of the way as your plan your next meeting. Email Laura Scarborough at lscarborough@riversandroutes.com or call (800) 258-6645.
Gateway Center
The region’s multi-purpose convention center offers beautiful, flexible event space with ample free parking. With in-house catering, décor, and production services, clients have all of the elements they need for an excellent event experience.
Meeting planners like the Gateway Center’s building layout because they can host their general sessions, breakout rooms, expo, and banquets all under one roof. From elaborate receptions to corporation functions, the versatile space is adaptable to the needs of any event planner.
The Gateway Center offers 50,000 total square with including 40,000 contiguous space with collapsible air wall partitions. They have in-house catering and in-house production services.
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Collinsville – St. Louis
The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Collinsville is waiting to welcome you with a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie. Adjacent to the Gateway Center, the DoubleTree offers meeting and banquet space with on-site catering, complimentary high-speed internet, and audio/visual equipment to rent.
The hotel’s meeting rooms can accommodate between 43-421 with theatre-style seating, 23-228 with classroom-style seating, and 32-307 with banquet-style seating.
Drury Inn St. Louis Collinsville
Conveniently located near the highway, the Drury Inn offers free breakfast and evening Kickback. Amenities include a business center, fitness center, free Wi-Fi and indoor pool.
The large hotel meeting rooms can accommodate 24 with classroom-style seating and 40 with theatre-style seating. The small board room can accommodate 8.
Hampton Inn Collinsville
Conveniently located near the Gateway Center and major St. Louis highways, the Hampton Inn offers comfort for guests with amenities such as, a business center, fitness center, free continental breakfast, free Wi-Fi, and indoor pool.
The hotel board room can accommodate 10.
Columbus Plaza Banquet and Meeting Center
Columbus Plaza Banquet Meeting Center makes an event unforgettable. Specializing in private and corporate parties, a variety of event spaces are available that can accommodate between 40-400.
Best Western Premier Alton-St. Louis Area Hotel
Enjoy your stay at the Best Western Premier, featuring 136 guest rooms, heated indoor pool, and complimentary high speed WIFI throughout hotel. Convention, conference, meeting space, and an elegant newly remodeled ballroom perfect for your association meeting, boarding meeting, conference or wedding reception. The Best Western Premier also features Great Rivers Tap & Grill.
The Ballroom seats 650 theater-style, 900 reception-style, 450 banquet- style, or 300 classroom- style. The Gallagher, Mitchell, Ruder, and Godfrey rooms each seat 150 theater-style, 225 reception-style, 100 banquet-style, or 65 classroom-style. The conference center seats 25 reception-style, 20 banquet-style, or 15 conference-style.
Pere Marquette Lodge & Conference Center
As a centerpiece of Pere Marquette State Park, the lodge and restaurant are an attraction for visitors from miles around. Visitors can spend a day at the park and explore the Great Room of the lodge, dine in the restaurant or even spend a night in a cozy lodge room or cabin. The centerpiece of the rustic timber 1930s Great Room is the 700 ton stone fireplace and life-size chess set. The Great Rooms beckons visitors to pull up a chair and a glass of wine with a view of the Illinois River. The Lodge restaurant is known for its family-style chicken dinner and seasonal Sunday brunch buffets. Spend the afternoon or a weekend for an unforgettable experience.
Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton
Alton's newest hotel is just minutes from the National Great Rivers Museum, Alton Antique District, Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater and just across the street from the Alton Regional Multi-Modal Transportation Center which will include Amtrak High-Speed Rail Passenger Service and Madison County Transit Buses.The hotel has two meeting rooms that each accommodate 30 in theater and banquet-style seating or can be combined to seat 60. The board room can accommodate 10-12.
Best Western Plus Parkway Hotel
The friendly staff at the Best Western Plus Parkway Hotel is ready to ensure a comfortable and memorable stay. The hotel is conveniently located with easy access to key area attractions, restaurants, and businesses.
The hotel board room can accommodate 10-12 and includes complimentary coffee service and Wi-Fi.
National Great Rivers Museum
The 12,000-square foot National Great Rivers Museum is located on the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam #26. Adjacent to the regional bike trails and situated on the banks of the Mississippi River, this museum is dedicated to telling the story of the people, nature, and wildlife that have shaped our river throughout history. The museum is packed with 20 highly interactive and computer animated exhibits that illustrate the impact of the Mississippi River on our people and our region.
The Museum has meeting space that can accommodate 60 in classroom-style seating, 110 in theater-style seating, and 150 in gallery-style seating. The esplanade can accommodate larger groups as needed.
Julia’s Banquet Center
Julia's Banquet Center offers four halls available for rent for your special occasion. Their services include custom menus for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, table service (butlers) or buffet style meals, and they offer many catering packages with a fixed price so there are never any surprises.
Jacoby Arts Center
The Jacoby Arts Center occupies the former Jacoby Furniture building and combines the historic with the contemporary in this newly updated facility. The 140,000 square-foot center is dedicated to giving artists a place to pursue their art and showcase their masterpieces. The building holds an art gallery, gift shop, classrooms, performance and meeting space.
WOW Furnishings and Event Center
The main location event center (515 E. Third Street) is the home for beautiful weddings, showers, professional meetings, etc. Providing over 6500 square feet of access for events that can accommodate up to 275.
WOW on Broadway can accommodate up to 100 in a flexible event space in downtown Alton.
Tony’s Restaurant
Tony's Restaurant, known as the original Pasta House in the region, has been satisfying customers in the Metro area for over 60 years with their specialty pastas and famous Pepperloin Steaks. More than 20 different homemade specialty pastas along with a variety of seafood and chicken entrees highlight the menu. Tony's also has an incomparable wine selection with more than 60 different bottle varieties and 30 by the glass varieties. If beer is more your style, Tony's has over 30 craft beers on draft. Tony's has meals for every taste and every wallet. It is the longest family-owned restaurant in operation in the Metro area.
The restaurant has five meeting spaces that can accommodate a variety of group sizes.
Rooms/Banquet-style capacity:
- Vogue 250
- Victorian 70
- Fountain 30
- VIP 24
- Conference 12
Argosy Casino AltonArgosy Casino Alton offers three floors of gaming action, featuring more than 1,000 of your favorite slots plus Blackjack, Craps, Roulette and other exciting table games. Whether you're in the mood for a delicious entree or just a quick bite, Argosy has buffet and restaurant dining options. The restaurants offer a variety of choices, all with the red-carpet service you deserve. Journey offers delicious steaks, seafood, gourmet burgers, salads and more ... all with the "Best View in Town." The Captain's Table Buffet is a visitor favorite offering a variety of culinary creations, along with carving and saute stations, hand tossed pizzas, and rich homemade desserts. Enjoy regional craft beers at the newest addition to Argosy Casino, Hops House, located on the main floor of the casino.The Casino has four meeting rooms which can accommodate between 50-250:
Rooms/Banquet-style capacity: Music Hall 250Buffet Dining Room 200Journey 100Journey Balcony 50
BEALL MansionIndulge yourself at the BEALL Mansion, a sumptuous Bed and Breakfast Inn located 12 blocks from the Mississippi River on Millionaire’s Row in historic Alton. The BEALL features affordable elegance in a stately turn-of-the-century mansion.
The Formal Dining Room can accommodate 20 with banquet-style seating and 30 with theater-style seating. The Butler’s Pantry can accommodate up to 10.
Post Commons Post Commons is the new daytime living room for Alton. Located in the beautifully renovated 1909 Federal Post Office, it offers a relaxing atmosphere to enjoy world-class coffee, a brunch kitchen, whiskey bar and event space. Take in the beautiful views of the Mississippi River and linger as long as you like!The Event Room can accommodate up to 100 people and the Simmons Room can accommodate up to 15 people.
Old Bakery Beer Company The Old Bakery Beer Company is a certified organic craft brewery located in downtown Alton, IL. In addition to the line of up of all organic beers, their restaurant and tasting room features a menu of seasonally-rotating sandwiches, salads, and soups, designed to pair well with beer and highlight the vast array of produce and artisan goods available in Southern Illinois & Eastern Missouri.
The Old Bakery Beer Co. offers a great venue for receptions, meetings, parties, or any other celebration for your friends and family. This versatile space has an industrial feel that reflects the building’s history, and can be dressed up using your vision or left alone for a more laid back vibe. The private room can accommodate up to 100 people in banquet-style seating.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville The Morris University Center can host a wide range of events including conferences, banquets, festivals, seminars, receptions, and more. Events Services at SIUE can accommodate your event needs with professional planning and flexibility.
Rooms:
Meridian Ballroom - 860 theater, 480 banquet
Conference - 360 theater, 300 banquet
Mississippi/Illinois - 120 theater, 80 banquet
International - 70 theater, 50 banquet
Services & Equipment: In-house catering, in-house A/V service, complimentary water service, easels and mobile whiteboards
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Edwardsville
Edwardsville's newest hotel is sure to answer the needs of business and personal travelers alike! The hotel is perfectly situated across from the main entrance of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and beside the Edwardsville High School. The hotel has a meeting room which can accommodate up to 60 people and board room which can accommodate up to 12. Coffee and breakfast service available. Complimentary whiteboard, television, and water service. Projector screen available to rent.
Comfort Inn Edwardsville
Whether traveling for leisure or visiting for work, the Comfort Inn offers amenities you can count on including free hot breakfast and Wi-Fi. Behind every great day, is a great night at the Comfort Inn Edwardsville.
The hotel meeting room can accommodate 45 people with classroom-style seating and 60 with banquet or theater-style seating. Coffee and breakfast service available. Complimentary whiteboard, television, and water service.
Wildey Theater
The Wildey Theatre is a premier gathering spot for cultural events along Route 66. First opened in 1909, the theatre served as an opera house that hosted concerts, dance performances and movies. In 1984, the Wildey closed as a full-time movie theater and was named a "local landmark" a few years later. Since then, the city has renovated the theater back to its original glory and it is now a premium venue for guests to experience the best live performances, popular classic films, and private events.The Wildey Theatre features two special event spaces - The Marquee Room on the second floor and a larger space on the 3rd floor, both accessible via elevator and stairs. The Marquee Room is 40' x31' and offers restored original maple hardwood floors, tall windows and exposed brick. The space will accommodate 75 people for a seated meal or 125-150 for an open house reception.
The 3rd Floor is 45'x45' with wooden floors, exposed brick walls and a beautiful dome in the ceiling. The space will accommodate 130 for a seated meal or 175-200 for an open house reception.
The theatre seats 325 and has ample event space on stage and in the re-configured lobbies.
Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities Foundation
Lewis and Clark Community College’s Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities, located at the former site of the historic Lincoln School in Edwardsville, conducts activities that promote mutual understanding and respect among people of different cultures, ethnicities and religions, while influencing positive social change. Through lectures, readings, dialogue, public service opportunities and other programming, the center brings together diverse audiences, transforms attitudes and perceptions, and encourages positive action around global humanities issues, especially those surrounding water.The facility is perfect for business holiday parties, small weddings and reception, conferences, meetings, and other events.
Rooms/Banquet-style seating:
- Ballroom 140
- Conference 208 60
- Conference 209 10
Leclaire Room at N.O. Nelson Campus
The Leclaire Room on the N.O. Nelson Campus in Edwardsville will seat 250 people. Bella Milano Restaurant is the current exclusive caterer for this venue.This room is equipped with a computer projection system and a screen for showing PowerPoint, slideshows, DVDs, etc. The room will be set up according to your instructions with 6-foot round or 8-foot rectangle tables and cleaned after your event for no additional charge.
Crystal Garden Banquet & Event Center
Crystal Garden anxiously awaits the chance to host your special event. They take pride in each and every event they host and are confident that your guests will walk away talking about the great food, friendly staff, and wonderful service they experience with them.
Each of their three venues offers the perfect setting for any occasion. Whether your taste is simple or adventures, unique or classic, Crystal Garden can provide a menu to fulfill your desires and dazzle your guests.
Rooms/Banquet-style capacity:
Cherub 250
Crystal 350
Court Yard (outdoor) 400
Aerie’s Resort & Winery
Whether visiting Aerie's for a special occasion or for a relaxing Grafton getaway, you'll find many opportunities waiting for you. Choose from a wide selection of overnight accommodations. Enjoy a meal or bottle of wine at the Winery at Aerie's Resort and then take a zip on the Grafton Zipline! Meeting facilities available at The Lodge or The Terrace at Aeries Resort. The Terrace Banquet Centerfeatures seating for 300 with spectacular panoramic view through wrap-around windows and an adjacent outdoor deck overlooking the Illinois & Mississippi Rivers which seats an additional 350. The Resort has two additional meeting rooms which accommodate 130 and 40.
Grafton Winery & Brewhaus
Located in the quaint river town of Grafton, Illinois along the Great River Road Scenic Byway, the Grafton Winery and Brewhaus overlooks the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Nestled among the river bluffs, our winery offers great views of the river for every season. We are a full production winery and microbrewery. We have several different varieties of wines ranging from dry to sweet as well as seasonal wines to suit every palette. Come join us for lunch or dinner! Plus, this is a great venue for parties, showers, rehearsal dinners or any other special event.
Ruebel Hotel
Located in the heart of Grafton, the Ruebel Hotel was built in 1884, caught fire in 1912 and was rebuilt and completely renovated in 1997. In 2008, it was upgraded to modern standards. The Ruebel Hotel has a magnificently restored bar from the 1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis.
The hotel meeting room can accommodate up to 60. They have on-site catering and complimentary Wi-Fi.
Lewis & Clark Community College
Choose Lewis & Clark Community College as the site for your next event. They offer full-service events hosting and catering for corporate meetings. The Commons can accommodate 550 banquet-style, 650 theater-style, and 780 classroom-style. The Trimpe Building can accommodate 200 banquet-style, 187 theater-style, and 368 classroom-style. The Hathaway Cultural Center can accommodate 953 theater-style. The multipurpose room can accommodate up to 300 classroom-style.
Blackburn College
Blackburn College offers facility rentals needed for meetings, conferences, workshops, special events, camps and stage performances. Located in central Illinois and easily accessible by public transportation and by HWY 55, making it an ideal place to host your next function. Woodson Hall can accommodate 250 banquet-style. Bothwell Auditorium can accommodate 367 theater-style. Olin Lecture Hall can accomodate 126 theater-style.
Audubon Center at Riverlands
The Audubon Center at Riverlands is situated within the 3,700 acre Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, which offers prime prairie, wetland, and lowland forest habitats for both resident and migratory birds. Riverlands is located at the heart of the Mississippi River Flyway and at the confluence point of several of our nation's greatest rivers. The mission of the center is to connect people to the beauty and significance of the Mississippi River and the Great Rivers confluence, to inspire conservation in support of the river’s rich diversity of birds, wildlife, and other natural resources, and to support healthy, vibrant communities. The Great Egret Multi-Purpose room is available to rent and can accommodate 25 people in conference-style seating or 35 in theater-style seating.
Super 8 Jerseyville
The Super 8 Jerseyville is located on Illinois State Route 109, less than one hour from St. Louis. The conference room can accommodate up to 40 people.