The Tar Pits are interesting -- and a little smelly, but that's part of the charm -- and pleasant, but I'd recommend springing for the museum entry to make the whole experience so much more valuable, and enjoyable.
Seen from a short distance, the sculpture is fascinating for its improbability and simplicity. Walking through it is an odd experience but seeing it up close takes a little of the wonder away from it.
I stopped here years ago, just for a break from the Interstate. In some ways, there wasn't a lot to see; a couple of the buildings were reconstructed, but most were just foundations. Still, the layout of the fort is clear, the reconstructions are very good exemplars of what it was like Back In The Day, and the park ranger was full of interesting information about the place. It has stuck in my memory as an hour or so very well spent.
Really pretty, and an easy walk. Open until 8pm.
No hand towels. No bath mat. The bathroom floor is a lawsuit waiting to happen. The fire alarm went off at 9.30pm. Hot water took forever to arrive. The security doors were unlocked all night. The tv was very small. The smoke detector in our room had been ripped out. The housekeeper looked like a penitentiary escapee, and at 8pm they still hadn't prepared our room and had to change us to another.
A really weird experience.
Not sure why they call it an arboretum. Not much info about the trees. But lots of beautiful gardens, a few relocated historical buildings, a veteran's Memorial. Some woods if the trail's not too muddy. Good place for a walk.
Parking on the Illinois side. Ask Google Maps for the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge Parking. Nice long walk all the way across.
The cemetery in which this monument stands is a the end of the road, around the curve and perhaps 300 yards beyond where the map navigator takes you.
One of the nicest homes I saw in the area. Typical of high-end construction when it was built in 1896.