Welcome to
Granite City
Granite City is the last Illinois Route 66 stop before the Mother Road crosses the Mississippi River into Missouri — at the iconic Chain of Rocks Bridge, a mile-long bridge with a famous 22-degree bend in the middle.
The bridge was decommissioned in 1970, restored in 1999, and now serves as a pedestrian/bicycle bridge — one of the most distinctive Route 66 photo stops anywhere.
exploreThings to See & Do
Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
Historic 1929 Mississippi River bridge with its famous 22-degree bend — Route 66's gateway from Illinois into Missouri
Nameoki Village Historic District
Granite City's oldest neighborhood, a National Register district of late-19th-century company-town architecture from the Niedringhaus brothers' founding era.
Granite City Art & Design District (GCADD)
Granite City's downtown arts hub featuring galleries, studios, public murals, the SIUE-affiliated GCADD gallery, and rotating exhibitions year-round.
Piasa Bird Mural
The legendary Native American thunderbird mural rendered on a bluff-side wall near the Mississippi, a striking and free Route 66 photo stop with deep regional folklore.
Niedringhaus Historic District
Granite City's grand Victorian neighborhood of larger homes and civic buildings from the company-town founders, a National Register district adjacent to Nameoki Village.
Tips for Visiting Granite City
Chain of Rocks Bridge is pedestrian/bicycle only since 1999 — park at the Madison, IL trailhead.
The 22-degree bend in the middle of the bridge is the iconic Route 66 photo.
From Chain of Rocks you can see the Gateway Arch — a Route 66 farewell to Illinois.