Pere Marquette Lodge & Cnfrnc

We stayed in a cabin in the back behind the lodge. Quiet and nice. It had a double bed and a bunk bed so could fit a family of four. Spacious with a couch tv and large handicapped shower.\r Clean room, bed a bit soft to my liking but I'm selective. \r \r We had drinks out on the veranda of the lodge so beautiful with the rolling lawn to the river, if you can over look the occasional car rolling by on the road that intersects it.\r \r We did eat at the lodge both dinner and breakfast. Food was good. I don't eat meat and they has several vegetarian selections on the menu. I had the portabella mushroom and onion soup and my husband had the pulled pork. Both good. \r \r We loved the bike paths and hiking trails. If you have a bike and enjoy riding bring it. You can ride 15m to grafton on the trail. Bring a helmet.\r \r We also used the pool sana and whirl pool wonderful! more

We stopped @ The Lodge for breakfast and it was fantastic. The food was hot and delicious. The portions were generous. \r \r Very impressive dining room with many tables. The massive fireplace was not lit, but still nice to look at. \r \r The service was good also. \r \r Defiantly worth a short trip down the road if you are staying in Grafton or Elsha. \r \r Take a drive or hike through the park, if time permits. \r \r Very enjoyable morning. more

We spent one night here at the lodge as part of our Spirit of Peoria riverboat trip. I had always wanted to stay here and it lived up to my expectations! The lodge is awesome- built in the 1930's. The pool, jacuzzi, sauna area is great. Our room was very nicely decorated and comfortable bed. As part of our tour we were taken on a fantastic nature walk. You can walk or bicycle on a trail clear to Grafton- around 5 miles- if you would like.\r The breakfast buffet that was part of our group package was great, too. The winery that is located near the entrance is nice as well.\r I will definitely go back. more

My husband and I spent a night in one of the rooms in the original section of the lodge. It was very nice, very quiet. The lodge itself is incredible with lovely huge wood beams and a huge gorgeous fireplace. The lodge is a great place to sit and have a glass of wine and just relax. We hiked some paths in the park which are very accessible from the lodge. There's also a bike path nearby. We plan on making a return visit soon. Highly recommend staying here for a relaxing getaway. more

This is a hidden treasure. The lodge was built by the CCC in the 1930s and is gorgeous. We had dinner and breakfast there. The choices are amazing and the food was very good, as well as reasonably priced. The rooms are spacious. Internet connection through WiFi was spotty but in such a beautiful setting, one should be appreciating nature and not worried about connections! Definitely recommend. more

My husband and I was so tired of being cooped up and we decided to just runaway from everything and everybody. We had been to Pere Marquete Lodge before and loved it. When I saw they were having a music fest, and craft show March 3 we just had to go and have some fun.\r This time I booked a cabin and it was just great. I slept better that weekend there, then I do at home. The bed was so comfortable and the cute cabin made us wish we had been born at another time in history. When we arrived, lovely Raynae checked us in with her beautiful smile that made us feel so very welcomed. I had requested our cabin to be nice and warm and she did not let us down. It was so cozy and toastie and sooo relaxing. We always love to visit the nice town of Grafton. The shops are great. Sunday was the highlight as the great lodge room was filled with crafters, with the most unusal handmade crafts and jewerly galore. My favorite purchase was an autographed book from a wonderful illinois author. Iam already on the 5th chapter, it is so good. We loved watching the dancers. The cloggers were great as was the folk dancers. If you want a clean,safe place to have fun I highly recommend this wonderful place. more

Having been raised in the Alton area, I know Pere Marquette Lodge (PML) pretty well. I was amazed by it's splendor as a kid. Pere Marquettte has an enduring allure, a storied history and a ""feel"" of being an old friend. As an adult I find myself staying there at least a few times a year and in fact my family does an annual reunion there once a year. While the lodge cannot be everything to everybody, it does have something to appeal to every individual and you will always leave with a warm feeling toward the place. \r \r As for lodging, I have stayed in both the cabins (if you want solitude) and in the newer wing of the main lodge. While I cannot speak for the original rooms in the lodge (though I'd like to try them sometime) you will find the in-lodge accommodations nice in the winter months as when it is bad outside, you never have to leave the building. Do not expect ""luxury"" rooms as this is a lodge, not the Waldorf. But what you will get a room that is nice sized, tastefully decorated and a darn comfortable bed. Like most, I don't do well with sleeping at hotels, but I never have that problem at PML. The cabins are just as nice (maybe even more appealing with the limestone walls) but weather does dictate choice of room location. I will add I have stayed national park lodges and these rooms are at least AS nice as any of those (my most recent experience was the Old Faithful Inn).\r \r The indoor swimming pool is clean, nice sized and a few years back they upgraded to the saline purification system, thus avoiding the damaging effects of chlorine. The building being nice and solid, affords more quiet rooms than most modern hotels can offer. You will enjoy strolling the halls and getting to know the place. \r \r The dining room is also appealing. Again, the food is not gourmet, but satisfying. The menu sticks to some key items but if you are there for an entire weekend you will not have to worry about eating the same thing twice. A good fried chicken dinner is increasingly hard to find these days and when you have the craving, PML is known for their fried chicken dinners with a ""special recipe"" and ample portions that make it worth the drive on any weekend afternoon. The chicken is always ( I have found) fresh, tasty and you will have more than the average person can eat on your plate. I'll also add that I recently had one of the best hamburgers I have eaten in a long time in the PML dining room. \r \r And, the park also boasts a nice campground (both developed and primiitve) which I have recommended numerous times as it is within walking distance to the lodge. \r \r If you choose to visit the Pere Marquette State Park/Grafton area, the PML remains the best choice for lodging. It really is a jewel of a place and you will do yourself (and your family) a favor by staying at least two nights. Even with the generous noon checkout time, one evening is not enough to take it all in. You really need a full day and two evenings to fully appreciate what the area, and the lodge, has to offer. \r \r I can ramble on, but hope I have made my point. Pere Marquette is not a dude ranch, but has great hiking trails and in season horseback riding. It is not a 5 star hotel, but a comfortable place which will not bust your budget. It is not a national park lodge, but you will think it could be. While not as big as Starved Rock State Park near LaSalle, Pere Marquette and it's lodge offer a wonderful opportunity to relax and get away as much as anyplace in Southern Illinois. more

We stayed in the older part of the lodge. we had a huge room with a king size bed. We did a couple of the packages they had to offer. well worth it with the vouchers you get to use in the restaurant. Andrew at the front desk was so helpful. we would love to go back and stay again!! more

The lodge itself is worth the visit. The structure is amazing. The deck provides a great view of the river. There are plenty of scenic overlooks along the scenic drive through the park. The cabin was cozy and accommodating. A short walk to the river at night provides a star filled sky. Breakfast in the restaurant was excellent, and servers delightful. Be sure to get a table by the window to watch the hummingbirds feeding. Nearby Grafton has plenty of shops, bars and restaurants. And bring your bicycle, it's a 5 mile ride to Grafton on the Great River Road bike trail. A trip across the river on the ferries, and a visit to the Zip line are a unique experience. Once the leaves start to change color, this is the place to be. more

We are birders, so we planned our stay for when the migration was high. We were not disappointed! The lodge is set overlooking the Illinois River, and just by sitting on the terrace we were able to see birds galore--including a Mississippi Kite! We hiked the trails through the woods on the bluffs and were rewarded with great views and several unusual birds. Even if you are not a birder, the serenity of the setting is a wonderful experience by itself. We enjoyed staying in a cabin--it had the authentic feel of the CCC era but with modern amenities. The meals in the dining room were excellent, reasonably priced, and the staff very friendly. My only complaint is that we had to get to the lodge through the back roads since the river road was closed because of flooding (which was not their fault) but the signage on the back route was poor and confusing. more

The rivers are all in flood this week and the awesome River Road to Pere Marquette from Alton was closed, but the alternate directions (the ""back way"") to the park and lodge worked well. They were open and welcomed us on entry. Although we were way too early...well, we didn't know how long the detour was going to be and were eager to get there....they said a cabin room was ready for us if we wanted. We did! The A/C was off when we entered and there was a little bit of musty smell which almost instantly disappeared. (It is summer during flood season, after all!) By the time we unpacked, the room was quite comfortable. We walked back to the lodge to check out the massive fireplace in the great room and remember the efforts of the CCC ""boys"" who built this place, including the impressive furniture in the great room, in the 30's. These men deserve our gratitude, not only for the magnificent parks and lodges etc. that they built all over the US, but for serving us again in WW2, where their CCC training gave them a head start on basic training.\r We sat on the porch and watched the flood level Illinois River for a while. The temperature was cool and humidity was surprisingly low enough to be very comfortable , although a citronella candle might have warded off a few pesky gnats that came visiting with the flood. When the wine bar opened at 3PM, we moved in there with our cousins who were joining us for dinner and enjoyed a bottle of Norton.\r Dinner was relaxed and quite good, with our waiter Joe's friendly and efficient attention. The entrees were delicious (the fried chicken declared even better than at our cousin's favorite restaurant), the salads cold and crisp, but the starter mushrooms, stuffed with crab and asiago cheese, were especially marvelous! \r The next morning I hit the exercise room, which is in the pool area. I was 30 minutes too early for the pool's opening time, but the front desk man made a quick call to the maintenance guy who came up and unlocked it for me. They were very friendly about it and I thanked them both for letting me in early. They could have stood by the posted times or made me feel that I was putting them out to open things up early, but they did neither and I appreciate that.\r Breakfast was good...well, it's hard to hurt breakfast....and the young women on duty there were both friendly and efficient. All in all, we have only compliments for the entire staff, from the front desk, to the housekeeper, the wine bar manager, the maintenance man and the restaurant staff. Everyone was pleasant and helpful and made us feel welcome. The lodge itself is well maintained for a state park lodge (those who find fault should not expect the Ritz Carlton) and the park around it is beautiful, even with the Illinois coming closer than they (or we) would prefer. We will be back! more

nice place just to stop in and see, beautiful great room inside, large indoor chess set to play. nice rooms and cabins outside with fireplaces. sunday brunch is good, but i thing kinds pricey, used to have family style but its been while, dont know if they still have it or not. we always stop here when going down the great river road. drive past the lodge up to the top of the long hill, nice views. nice indoor pool. more

My husband and I stayed here for our anniversary. We loved it. The room was clean, bed was comfortable and the staff friendly. They even had card and board games that you could borrow. We had the pool and hot tub to ourselves both nights. We also enjoyed the winery although there isn't a huge selection of wines. They had beer for the hubby. We really loved the hiking. more

Stay in one of the old stone cottages on a snowy, wintery night. Go play cards or read a book by the fire in the lodge. A one of a kind piece of American history. You don't have to go the Grand Canyon to experience this. It is right in your backyard.\r \r PS the pool is heated in winter. more

The wife and youngest son decided to come here for lunch on Sunday and enjoy a nice drive along the River Road.\r Our waitress was very helpful (honest to a fault!) and all of us enjoyed the food. My wife's pot roast was incredible - tender without being stringy and very flavorful! We topped off our day with coffee and blackberry pie which we took to the Great Room in the lodge. A nice getaway without an excessive drive. more

We have been to Pere Marquette many times...for relaxing weekends, family reunions, and a first last night...a paranormal investigation! It is such a beautiful place. This was the first time we had visited in the winter. The grounds were so pretty in the snow, and the roaring fire in the great room was nice. The staff is wonderful there, very friendly. Good food in the restaurant, but a short drive to Grafton if you want to go out. The rooms are comfy, nothing fancy, but nice. Watching the sunset from the great room or the patio is a treat. more

I used to come here with my grandparents when I was kid, this past weekend some friends and I decided to take in some leaves and gorge ourselves on a massive brunch buffet...this place came to mind and it was EXACTLY the same as it was in the 80's. If you are a comfort in consistency person, Pere Marquette is right up your ally. \r \r First the Buffet, because the fat kid in me must talk about the food first. This buffet is about 20 bucks per person (yea, not cheap) but it seriously has everything you could want. 6 breakfast dishes, 6 lunch dishes, 6 dinner dishes, a carving station, a waffle station, a banana's foster station, breads and danishes, salad, fresh fruit, a cheese section (lets be honest, the cheese section sold me) and even a fresh fish section. I was in love. There is also the option to get a family style all you can eat chicken and catfish dinner for 14 bucks a person, but that simply was not fat enough for me on this glorious Sunday. The brunch is only served from October through mid-November. I have no idea why this is, but oddly enough, that's what they do here. \r \r After gorging ourselves on brunch and feeling a bit stung by the bill, we grabbed our to go cups of tea (that's right, they gave me a to go cup, upping it one more star in my head) and we piled into my friend's car to start taking in the foliage. There are a ton of different stopping points along the big loop drive, and you can see for miles from the top. It's simply gorgeous. There were families and couples having picnics, and a bizarre ladybug infestation that we sadly brought back with us in the car to Soulard, but you should see some of these pictures I got. Beautiful leaves of so many colors and the Mississippi and Illinois River merging in the background. It was amazing. \r \r What was not amazing? Lover's Leap. If you go check it out, it looks more like Lover's Log Roll. \r \r They also have hiking trails and you can rent horses to take out on the trail. The lodge is incredibly nice and makes for a great family weekend get away or even for a nice couples get away. And it's CHEAP. Always a plus. \r \r I could keep writing, but the long and short of it is this is a great little day trip or overnight trip. Singles, couples, families....it's going to be great for any and all.\r \r Also, it's pretty hilarious to watch the parents taking extremely posed pictures of their child. I mean, they drag them up here to this beautiful place and make them pose unnaturally with their knee popped and fist under their chin in front of a tree...take that in your backyard and cut your kid a little slack. The whole thing is proposterous, but good comic relief for the rest of us. more

we had alot of fun, has some personal experiences. We would absolutly do this again, i recommend anyone to do this at least once. the lodge was gorgous and cozy, rooms were very comfortable and clean. everyone made you feel welcome. looking forward to staying there again more

Stayed in a cabin here at the lodge and had a great time. The cabin was clean and good sized. The bed's were comfortable and clean. We stayed during the week so the price was great to. The lodge itself was nice and had a great rustic feel to it. The staff was friendly and helpful. The park is filled with wildlife, we even got to get close to a couple of deer that were eating in a grass area by the cabins. Birds of all kinds were everywhere. The hiking trails were nice and not overgrown with vegetation.The lodge had a very nice pool area that was clean and also had a nice big hot tub and sona. The restaurant in the lodge wasn't bad, a bit pricy but the food was good. If you are looking for a nice rustic getaway this is a great place! more

We've been coming here every year since I was a kid, and now we've got a new generation of kids in the family. Kids love staying in the lodge, the giant chess board in the lobby is a big hit, and there's a hot tub by the pool (indoor) so the adults can relax while the kids splash around. Great bike/walking path along the river. The nearby town of Grafton is charming, lots of antiques. more