Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower

Good view. Cheap tickets. Wish the tour guide let us spend some more time on the top of the tower.

I’m wondering why people disappointed with the experience ended up giving three stars. There’s nothing much to see from this lookout point. The ticket being inexpensive doesn’t make up for that.

And on a clear day…
On that clear day…
You can see forever…
And ever… And ever…
And ever more!
When you get to the top level of the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower and burst in to song singing, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, I can tell you, you will not be the first. All those tower guides have heard it before, it’s not that original. However, I do think my rendition was note worthy.
I’ve been twice, I had to do a re-​visit because on the first it was an overcast day.
It was amazing how far I could see when a few clouds were removed from blocking my view. Each time, our tour guide was knowledgeable about the history of the area and Lewis and Clark. Our first guide on the cloudy day was witty and put his own spin on the presentation of information. The second guide sounded like a rehearsed tour guide, but you still get the info you need.
It’s a great outing for a family or a couple who just wants an adventure up the River Road.

Made the trip over to visit this after wanting to go for a while and was kind of disappointed. It’s $ 4 a person, which is cheap enough, but the tour guide wasn’t very interesting. The top floor is 150 ft, but it’s not exactly high enough/​too far away to get a very good view of STL. I wouldn’t say it’s worth a trip out there, but if you happen to be driving past, a stop might be worth it.
Pros: something different, inexpensive tour
Cons: not a great view of STL, nothing too impressive

Yes, I called this the Griswald portion of our trip, but I really enjoyed this stop. Small town America at it’s best. Definitely best to come on a clear day and support the Confluence Tower and learn some history. We hope to return again on our way to St. Louis, this time either to do some bird watching nearby or to hit the town of Alton and do a ghost tour and enjoy some the local sights.
I love small towns…

These Confulence towers were raised by the city of Hartford Illinois. I had never heard of the town, much less the towers. We had planned on visitng the Childrens Museum in Edwardsville, then the Mississippi/​Missouri confluence site. It turns out there are three ways to see the confluence of these rivers: The Confluence State Park in West Alton, MO where you can walk out to the point; the Columbia Conservation area, where you can supposedly view the rivers from the south., then these confluence towers on the Illinois side.

This is about 3 miles north of 270 on Rte 3. The towers themselves were pretty impressive, and they give a nice view of the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi, as well as a view of downtown, Clayton and Alton on a clear day. The cost is $ 4 for adults, $ 2 for children. There is an elevator that stops at three points on the tower.
The trip up the towers is presented as a guided tour, where you learn a little bit about the area and the view. The tour guide was knowledgeable, not to mention cute and perky. I noticed the next group was led by a 60ish man who was neither cute nor perky.
There is also a small interpretive center.
This was a nice little excursion for us, especially when coupled with a visit to the Lewis and Clark site that’s about a half mile south or a visit to Alton, Grafton or Edwardsville (which are all worth visiting, by the way).

I made it a point to visit this particularly since I did not know about it on my first visit to the St. Louis area!
It is best to go on a clear day for the best view of Alton, St. Louis and the confluence!
It was great to visit this area being that I’ve also been to Astoria, OR near where the journey of Lewis and Clark ended. I enjoy history and visiting places I’ve only read about!
The Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower gets five stars from me!

I was not impressed, but I went on a foggy day and it was difficult to see anything. The price is reasonable so it is worth the try, especially on a sunny day. There are three platforms to get a vantage point from 50 ft, 100ft, and 150ft. Yes there is an elevator and thank God! However for the athletic types stairs are available!

Wanna get away? Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower is just a short 40 minute drive from St. Louis. Funded by a Grant, Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower offers a 15 story panoramic view of about 35 miles in all directions. Great experience for only $ 4.00.

So in honor of a state holiday and the fact that we had the day off of work, a friend and I decided to drive up the Great River Road. As we were driving north from the City, all we saw at first was gritty industrial scenery. Imagine our surprise, then, when we came across this stunning scenic outlook tower kind of thing in the middle of nowhere. We pulled over to see what was up.
Well, unbeknownst to me (and a lot of other people, apparently) the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower opened last May! For $ 4 (or $ 2 for kids), you can ride the elevator up to three observation platforms. They are located at different heights to give you multiple views of the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, which is conveniently located directly in front of the Tower. A tour guide accompanies you and points out local points of interest, including downtown St Louis to the south and the Alton bridge to the north.
There is a also a small visitors center where you purchase admission tickets and can check out maps and informational videos. Although the Arch is the symbolic gateway to the west, there is a lot of history located here, too. Next time you drive up the Great River Road, check this place out!