Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
4.5
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
A sophisticated Native American society of about 20,000 people that operated via a sun calendar and disappeared by 1400.
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  • Chris M
    Pocono Mountains Region, Pennsylvania490 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Needs more context and explanation
    This is a cultural and historical artifact that I wish the site had done a better job putting into context. The museum was closed when we visited and I think that really hurt our better understanding of the site, which is clearly a big deal but it was hard to discern from just the signage on the mounds alone. To visit Monks Mound across the street, I recommend driving and parking there vs trying to cross the busy street on foot. Also be prepared to climb 155 steps one way to reach the top, where there are undeniably great views to be had on a clear day. We hope to return when the museum is open to better appreciate this site.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 20 September 2023
  • D J
    239 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I'm a little obsessed.
    If you're a history / archaeology buff, do not miss this. The more you learn about this site the more you're in awe of it. We signed up for a scheduled tour that begins at the visitor's center (note: GPS guided us to a parking lot as we came from St Louis - go a little further down the road and you'll see the center). Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable and we did some significant walking all around the 'lower' part of the site on one side of the road. If you can't do a scheduled tour, you'll get a lot of the same information along with a virtual reality view of the grounds back at the time it was occupied by purchasing the VR app they offer (it's $5 and VERY worth it). At each site you can visually see the site brought back to life super-imposed over the existing landscape. So cool. On the other side of the road is the pyramid called Monks Mound. A sad name for such an awe-inspiring ancient pyramid. Climb the steps to the top and use the VR app again for sites all around the top, looking out over what would have been a very large settlement with satellite villages off in every direction. I cannot recommend this site enough, it is likely my favorite stop on our "visit to St Louis" beating out the Clydesdales, the Arch, and the Botanical Garden. But much of that is because this type of site is a passion for me. If it is for you as well, you have to go, you won't be disappointed!
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 8 October 2023
  • KristinErin
    Janesville, Wisconsin13 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    What an amazing place!
    I wish the visitor center was open! I wanted to learn it all. Nicely kept paved sidewalks around the park. It’s a lot of walking, it’s very large. And Monk’s Mound was a climb, but totally worth it!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 21 October 2023
  • Free Karma
    Illinois25 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Educational. Peaceful. Trails.
    Educational. Trails with moderate hike up stairs of Monks Mound. Half-day+exploring site. Family-Friendly or solo-friendly. Cute gift shop inside museum with educational movie. I believe renovations are complete in 2024. During my visit in 2021, museum underwent renovations. Note: *Actual visit occurred in 2021*
    Visited February 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 17 January 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles829 reviews
Excellent
569
Very good
213
Average
39
Poor
4
Terrible
4

vacationaholic
Central Oregon, OR445 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Business
Visited this site mid-afternoon. The museum is closed (not sure why). Sketchy folks in the parking lot near the museum. Across the street is the largest mound which you can climb stairs to the top. View was ok. The app you should use to interpret the designed signs (kinda like a QR code) is not user friendly at all and I gave up on the app and just enjoyed the view and read up on stuff later. The paths by the museum were appeared OK if you're mobility challenged - but forget going up the largest mound across the street. I don't have mobility issues - just want to put that limitation out there if you have issues.
Written 10 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Free Karma
Illinois25 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Solo
Educational. Trails with moderate hike up stairs of Monks Mound.
Half-day+exploring site. Family-Friendly or solo-friendly. Cute gift shop inside museum with educational movie. I believe renovations are complete in 2024. During my visit in 2021, museum underwent renovations.

Note: *Actual visit occurred in 2021*
Written 17 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kevin B
Mount Juliet, TN2,325 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Couples
Cahokia Mounds is a site that you could easily drive by and never stop given that it's not super flashy and they're just mounds of earth. It is however a very interesting site to visit and there's a lot of history here that I hadn't known about before visiting. The site is located in the southern part of Illinois and you can actually see St. Louis from the top of the mounds, which is fun. Entrance is free and there's plenty of parking as well. You can walk along the mound system and there are stairs that you can climb to get to the top of the highest mound. It's an interesting historical site and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys history and exploring.
Written 30 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Janet DP
Burlington, WI21 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
Well worth the trip for history buffs. Signage on the trails was confusing as it was difficult to pinpoint their location on the printed map. Some trails marked on the map did not exist on the terrain or could not be spotted. Some of the features were unmarked and unidentified. The virtual tour does not work with all Android phones (check online before expecting to use it on-site). Staff at the museum is very kind and helpful even though that facility was closed for renovations at the time of our visit.
Written 7 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bli1220
Eustis, FL312 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
The Mounds were absolutely awesome. So glad we finally pulled over on one of our Mo-Fl trips.
Would have loved to given this place a 5 star but currently the museum, gift shop and restrooms of main location were all closed. The port-a-potties across the road by Monk Mound were the worse things I have ever experienced. There were no alternative bathrooms. They were dirty, smelled bad and needed trash and hole cleaned. We have been traveling parks all across US for over 6 years and this is the worst ever!!
Will stop again when main facility is open and hopefully give higher rating.
Written 26 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Raintree_Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand3,818 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
The Cahokia Mounds are a historical treasure! The area was once one of the largest settlements in the world, with populations greater than London and Paris at the time. There are some 120 mounds in the area, constructed about 800-1,000 years ago. Monk's Mound is the largest pre-Columbian earthen structure in North America north of Mexico. The large mound is 100 feet in height and covers 14 acres -- an area roughly the size of the base of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Considering that the entire mound was constructed by carrying an estimated 22 million cubic feet of soil, basket by basket, it is an amazing structure. The area has rightfully named a World Heritage Site. Visitors can climb to the top of Monk's Mound for a nice view of the area, including the skyline of St. Louis in the distance.
Written 22 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KristinErin
Janesville, WI13 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
I wish the visitor center was open! I wanted to learn it all.
Nicely kept paved sidewalks around the park.
It’s a lot of walking, it’s very large. And Monk’s Mound was a climb, but totally worth it!
Written 21 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MAP12
New Orleans, LA600 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Friends
I hope to be able to return once the visitor center is open - and when it's not so hot out. The site seems well maintained, but without a visitor center explaining it it's hard to comprehend what it is.
Written 10 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

D J
RatherNotSay239 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Family
If you're a history / archaeology buff, do not miss this. The more you learn about this site the more you're in awe of it. We signed up for a scheduled tour that begins at the visitor's center (note: GPS guided us to a parking lot as we came from St Louis - go a little further down the road and you'll see the center). Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable and we did some significant walking all around the 'lower' part of the site on one side of the road. If you can't do a scheduled tour, you'll get a lot of the same information along with a virtual reality view of the grounds back at the time it was occupied by purchasing the VR app they offer (it's $5 and VERY worth it). At each site you can visually see the site brought back to life super-imposed over the existing landscape. So cool. On the other side of the road is the pyramid called Monks Mound. A sad name for such an awe-inspiring ancient pyramid. Climb the steps to the top and use the VR app again for sites all around the top, looking out over what would have been a very large settlement with satellite villages off in every direction. I cannot recommend this site enough, it is likely my favorite stop on our "visit to St Louis" beating out the Clydesdales, the Arch, and the Botanical Garden. But much of that is because this type of site is a passion for me. If it is for you as well, you have to go, you won't be disappointed!
Written 8 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chris M
Pocono Mountains Region, PA490 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Family
This is a cultural and historical artifact that I wish the site had done a better job putting into context. The museum was closed when we visited and I think that really hurt our better understanding of the site, which is clearly a big deal but it was hard to discern from just the signage on the mounds alone. To visit Monks Mound across the street, I recommend driving and parking there vs trying to cross the busy street on foot. Also be prepared to climb 155 steps one way to reach the top, where there are undeniably great views to be had on a clear day. We hope to return when the museum is open to better appreciate this site.
Written 20 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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CAHOKIA MOUNDS STATE HISTORIC SITE: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site