Alton Travel Guide

Welcome to Alton, IL, Illinois

This WorldWeb.com travel and tourism guide for Alton, featuring hotels and other accommodations, tours, attractions, events, shopping and more, will help you plan a successful visit to Alton, Illinois, U.S.A.

Alton sits at a historically important point of the American midwest, near the confluence of the Illinois, Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Most of the city is located on bluffs overlooking these famous waters. Alton was a significant battlepoint in the 19th-century abolitionist and Underground Railroad movements, and was the site of a prison camp for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. Recent history in Alton has been somewhat calmer and the city is now a center for riverboat gambling and antique shopping. Many historical buildings dating back to the early 19th century still remain in Alton. The city is also famous for being the birthplace of Robert Pershing Wadlow, who at 8 feet 11 inches tall, is the tallest man in recorded history. The surrounding area offers a lot of open area for recreation, including biking, golfing and birdwatching.