Every action wings us closer to reality for the Byway Discovery Center, where on June 11, 2025, we at Henderson Associates Architects were delighted to join local officials for a groundbreaking at Great Rivers Park.
As the bald eagle flies, the Byway Discovery Center, at 10815 Lockhaven Road near the mouth of Piasa Creek in Godfrey, Illinois, represents the confluence of some thirty years of teamwork among several local entities. These partners include the communities in the region, the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau, the Great Rivers Land Trust, the Army Corps of Engineers, SMS Engineers, and state and local leaders, plus HAA, Hitchcock Design Group, and full-service general contractor R.W. Boeker.
So, for us, breaking symbolic dirt to christen the soon-to-be born 4,500-square foot recreation and visitor experience site, a.k.a. the Byway Discovery Center at Great Rivers Park, notches as both a professional highlight for our team at HAA and, simply put, underscores our everyday aim to place our clients’ needs top-of-mind and to see those needs brought to life.
To that end, we are excited to continue sharing our role in helping to craft an economic and recreational hub for southwestern Illinois at the confluence of the 33-mile Great Rivers National Scenic Byway.
The Byway project was funded by part of a $10 million Capital Bill Grant that was received by the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau, and it looks toward a Spring 2026 opening date.
For their part, the Tourism Bureau anticipates the success of the seven-day-a-week visitor orientation site with its planned user amenities such as an immersive visual experience, exhibition and educational spaces, gift shop, and public restrooms.
Tourism Bureau President/CEO Cory Jobe notes in a press release that “The new Byway Discovery Center will be a great asset to our Byway region. It is keenly positioned on the Great River Road where visitors will be treated to a natural riverscape and viewshed. We are creating a full immersion experience that we hope will help our visitors and local families discover and explore the region’s premiere outdoor recreation offerings.”
As outdoor enthusiasts and locals ourselves, we at HAA can’t wait for the center to unfold for the use and enjoyment of our neighbors—the ultimate aim of public architecture, after all—infusing economic and cultural-recreational opportunities into our own communities.
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