Welcome to Collinsville, Illinois
Collinsville is a city in southwestern Illinois that manages to contain, within a few square miles, both one of Route 66’s most beloved roadside oddities and one of the most significant archaeological sites in the Western Hemisphere. The combination of the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle — a 170-foot ketchup-bottle-shaped water tower that is pure American kitsch — and the Cahokia Mounds UNESCO World Heritage Site gives Collinsville an extraordinary range that no other stop on the Illinois Mother Road can match. Add to that a claim to being the Horseradish Capital of the World, and you have a city that is genuinely and wonderfully sui generis.
Where Is Collinsville, Illinois?
Collinsville is located partly in Madison County and partly in St. Clair County in southwestern Illinois, approximately nine miles east of downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Route 66 reached Collinsville on its later (post-1954) main alignment, joining Illinois Route 159 on the western end of the city. The drive from Collinsville into St. Louis via this alignment is one of the final segments of Illinois Route 66 before the highway crosses the Mississippi River into Missouri. [INTERNAL LINK NOTE: Link “St. Louis” to the St. Louis post once published]
The History of Collinsville
The area that is now Collinsville has been continuously inhabited for at least 12,000 years — a fact made tangible by the Cahokia Mounds just within the city’s boundaries. The modern city was founded by the Collins family from Litchfield, Connecticut, who arrived in 1817 and established mills, a distillery, and other commercial enterprises. The city was officially named Collinsville in 1825 and incorporated as a village in 1850.
Coal mining became central to Collinsville’s economy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By 1922, coal miners and their families comprised nearly a third of the city’s population. The Miners Theater, still standing in the historic Miners Institute building downtown, is a legacy of that era. As mining declined, Collinsville evolved into a residential suburb of St. Louis, and its Route 66 alignment brought a new commercial character to the city’s western edge.
Route 66 Through Collinsville
The later main alignment of Route 66 (1954-1977) passed through Collinsville along Illinois Route 159. The city’s most visible Route 66 landmark — the Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower — stands along Route 159 at Railroad Avenue, just over two miles south of the main Route 66 alignment but close enough to be an easy stop. A Route 66 Monument Shield has been installed in Uptown Collinsville as part of the “Six on 66” series of monuments across southwestern Illinois.
What to See and Do in Collinsville
World’s Largest Catsup Bottle
The Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower is one of the most photographed Route 66 landmarks in Illinois — a 170-foot-tall water tower built in 1949 in the shape of a giant ketchup bottle. Built to supply water to the Brooks Tomato Products catsup plant below, it was threatened with demolition when the plant closed and changed ownership. In 1995, community volunteers rallied to save it, and the Catsup Bottle Preservation Group restored the tower to its original appearance. In 2002 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today it is celebrated each July at the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle Festival — a multigenerational community event that is one of the most joyful celebrations along the Illinois Mother Road.
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
Cahokia Mounds is, by any measure, one of the most extraordinary sites in North America. This UNESCO World Heritage Site (designated 1982) preserves the archaeological remains of a massive pre-Columbian Native American city — a Mississippian civilization known today as Cahokia — that at its height around 1050-1200 AD may have had a population larger than contemporary London. The site contains more than 70 surviving earthen mounds out of an original 120, and its centerpiece, Monks Mound, is the largest prehistoric earthwork in the Americas north of Mexico. Climbing the 147 steps to the top of Monks Mound rewards visitors with a stunning panorama that includes the St. Louis skyline to the west. The world-class Interpretive Center offers exhibits, artifact displays, and regular special events including the Spring and Fall Equinox Sunrise Observances.
Historic Downtown Collinsville
Uptown Collinsville has a well-preserved historic commercial district with early 20th-century buildings, local shops, and restaurants. The self-guided historic district tour includes a 1908 Bull Durham Tobacco sign, the 150-year-old Blum House, and the old Miners Theater — a legacy of the city’s coal-mining era. Old Herald Brewery and Distillery, housed in a former newspaper building, offers craft beverages including a signature Horseradish Vodka that pays tribute to the city’s agricultural identity.
Climate and Weather in Collinsville
Collinsville has a warm, four-season climate with hot summers reaching the upper 80s to low 90s°F and mild winters. Its location close to the Mississippi River gives it a slightly more moderate climate than communities further north. Spring and fall are ideal for exploring the Cahokia Mounds and walking the historic district.
Tips for Visiting Collinsville, Illinois
- Allow two to three hours for Cahokia Mounds — the Interpretive Center, Monks Mound climb, and walking paths all reward time.
- Drive down Route 159 to see the Catsup Bottle Water Tower — it cannot be entered, but the roadside photo opportunity is outstanding.
- Visit in July for the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle Festival, one of Route 66’s most genuinely fun community events.
- Combine Collinsville with Edwardsville to the north for a complete look at the southwestern Illinois Route 66 corridor. [INTERNAL LINK NOTE: Link “Edwardsville” to the Edwardsville post once published]
- Staunton and Henry’s Ra’s Haven are about 30 miles north and make for an excellent addition to any southwestern Illinois Route 66 day.
Final Thoughts on Collinsville, Illinois
Collinsville is one of the great under-appreciated stops on the Illinois Mother Road. A 170-foot ketchup bottle and a thousand-year-old Native American city are extraordinary enough individually; the fact that they sit within a few miles of each other — and within easy reach of St. Louis — makes Collinsville a must-stop for any serious Route 66 traveler. The community’s pride in both its roadside kitsch and its ancient heritage is genuine, and the welcome is warm.
Nearby Route 66 Highlights
- Edwardsville, Illinois — West End Service Station Route 66 museum and Wildey Theatre [INTERNAL LINK NOTE: Link “Edwardsville” to the Edwardsville post once published]
- Madison, Illinois — Chain of Rocks Bridge and the western end of the Illinois Route 66 journey [INTERNAL LINK NOTE: Link “Madison” to the Madison post once published]
- St. Louis, Missouri — Gateway Arch, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, and the Missouri Route 66 journey begins [INTERNAL LINK NOTE: Link “St. Louis” to the St. Louis post once published]
- Staunton, Illinois — Henry’s Ra’s Haven, a beloved Route 66 stop
