Effingham, Illinois: America's Largest Cross
RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report
The Cross at the Crossroads
- Address:
- W. Knagge Rd, Effingham, IL
- Directions:
- I-57 exit 159. Drive east toward Effingham, then make a quick right onto Raney St. Drive south for one mile, then turn right onto Pike Ave.
- Phone:
- 217-347-2846
- RA Rates:
- Major Fun
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At 198 feet tall, "The Cross at the Crossroads" looms over "The Crossroads of America" at the intersection of Interstates 57 and 70. Roadsideamerica.com Report... [03/01/2009]
Visitor Tips and News About America's Largest Cross
Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.
This is wonderfully big. You can drive by on either Hwy 70 between Terra Haute and St. Louis OR Hwy 57 running North and South. This is why it is called "at the crossroads." I recommend getting off the freeway to visit. It is a little tricky to get to, but there are small signs to follow once you are off the freeway. There is a visitor center with information on the cross and a small video you can watch. The cross is surrounded by 10 "stations," each with a push button that recites a Commandment and information. There is quite a lot to listen to.
[Cindie Bowman, 02/21/2009]In case a nearly 200-foot cross isn't surreal enough for you, this site is enhanced by ten rock-shaped (as in "Rock of Ages", natch) speakers next to the stone tablets for each Commandment, blasting out what sounds like the stuttering instrumental break from Pink Floyd's "One Of These Days." Press a button by each station and hear a bit of wisdom appropriate to the given Commandment.
[Aqua Larva, 10/28/2006]
A friend and I stopped to see this gigantic white cross on the side of the road. We planned most of our trip using tips from roadsideamerica.com. Nobody was around and it was in an industrial area of the town, which made it even stranger than anticipated.
[Nikki, 09/09/2006]The cross is beautiful, and is well worth the trip to see it. The Meditation Walk and Ten Commandments monuments have been added. In addition, there is a small trailer sitting on the site that offers a very small gift shop, and the chance to see (and purchase) a video of how they built the cross.
In response to the claims that Effingham is the "Crossroads of America," Terre Haute, IN claims that they are "The Crossroads of America."
[L G, 04/30/2004]Page of 2 [Next 1 items]
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And Terre Haute even has an official Indiana state marker and a $50 coffee table book called "Terre Haute: The Crossroads of America" to prove it. About two dozen other towns have claimed to be the Crossroads of America.