Granite City, Illinois: Old Chain of Rocks Route 66 Bridge

Old Chain of Rocks Bridge is a can't miss. Fantastic for photos, a nice walk or run, or picnic. Peaceful and beautiful.

A beautiful and nostalgic place to visit. It rained the day we were there, but was still beautiful. Be sure to secure your electronics and lock your car, as vandals continue to be a problem. We were told that video surveillance has been installed, so it may be a bit better.

Definitely worth a stop, but I would recommend parking on the Illinois side if you plan on leaving your car for more than a few minutes. It feels much safer. We were told by locals on the Missouri side about broken out windows and did see several piles of broken glass in the parking area.

I was here with a friend on 2/14/10 and it was snowing. This is a very nostalgic place, and it doesn't seem like it's a mile across. It's a quick walk across. After the 22 degree turn, there is a red car further down that you can sit in and have your picture taken. Also midway through the bridge there is an old time gas pump and some Route 66 benches to sit down on.

Parking is somewhat limited. It really depends on how many people are there. We were told by locals that the parking lot (Missouri side) is usually closed unless there is a big event. There is a decent sized area to park on the side of the road outside of the parking lot, but probably only about 10 cars at a time could fit.

A must stop on our Rt 66 trip. Did it on our BMW R1150GS, bike was loaded down, never got out of sight of it either, not the safest area, get out before dark!!