Things to Do in Grafton, IL: The Ferry Now Runs Through Eagle Season
Revised November 6, 2026
Is the Grafton-Illinois ferry running?
Yes. The city-owned Grafton Ferry now runs seven days a week, 365 days a year: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. A car costs $10 one way or $19 round trip. The tourism bureau lists the service as weather permitting, so check before a trip in hard cold or high water.
Keep reading ↓Halfway across the Mississippi, you’re allowed to get out of the car. Stand at the rail. The Grafton Lighthouse grows on the Illinois bank, the bluffs behind it, and five to 10 minutes after you left St. Charles County, the ramp drops at the foot of Market Street.
For years, that crossing had a hard stop. The ferry carried passengers Fridays through Sundays from mid-April through mid-November, and then it quit. Here’s what nobody put next to that schedule: the Illinois Department of Natural Resources says the main eagle season at Pere Marquette State Park starts in December and ends in March. The boat tied up just before the eagles arrived.
That gap is gone. The City of Grafton bought the ferry with help from a $1.458 million IDOT grant, and it now runs seven days a week, 365 days a year. So the Grafton most people know, reached the long way through Alton, is only half the town. The other half is a cold morning with eagles over the river and the bluff trails nearly empty. If you’re working through the small towns outside St. Louis, this is the one where the boat changes the calendar.
Is the Grafton-Illinois ferry running?
Yes. The city-owned Grafton Ferry now runs seven days a week, 365 days a year: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. A car costs $10 one way or $19 round trip. The tourism bureau lists the service as weather permitting, so check before a trip in hard cold or high water.
The Calhoun Ferry Company still runs the boat, now on the city’s behalf. The Illinois landing sits near the Grafton Lighthouse and the public boat ramp off Market Street. The Missouri landing is on Grafton Ferry Road, just off Highway 94. By the tourism bureau’s count, the ferry cuts more than 30 minutes off the drive from Missouri, and the boat takes buses and vans as well as cars.
How much is the ferry in Grafton, Illinois?
A passenger car or small truck is $10 one way or $19 round trip. A motorcycle is $7 one way or $13 round trip, a bicycle is $6 one way, and a foot passenger pays $5. A 10-trip commuter pass costs $70. The boat takes cash, checks and credit cards. Those are the fares the tourism bureau posts, and fares do change, so glance at the page before you count on the exact number.
Do the math once. Two people, one car, both ways: $19, and more than an hour back in your day across the round trip. That is the difference between coffee in town before a hike and pulling into the park after the light has gone flat. For every stop on the road up, we mapped the full Alton-to-Grafton drive, stop by stop.
When are the eagles at Pere Marquette?
December through March is the main season, by the park’s own account, and January and February are the peak. IDNR says the park has hosted tours of the river bluffs and woods for many years so visitors can get an up-close look at wintering bald eagles “in the hundreds” along the Mississippi and the lower Illinois. Tours can be scheduled through the Visitor Center at (618) 786-3323. The park also names Stump Lake, down in the river bottoms, and McAdams Peak and the overlooks along its scenic road as its best bird-watching spots.
One trap. From November 1 through March 31, the Visitor Center keeps winter hours, Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and it’s closed Sundays. Plan the eagle morning for a day the doors are open, and bring binoculars.
Here’s how the new schedule plays out on an eagle morning. The first ferry leaves at 5 a.m. most days and at 8 a.m. on Sundays, so you can be on the Illinois side before the Visitor Center opens at 8. Ride with the window down for the last minute of the crossing and listen. Then drive west along the river, park at an overlook and give your eyes time. If you want a starting point, the park says Visitor Center staff will help with recommendations.
Hiking the bluffs at Pere Marquette
About 12 miles of marked trails run through the park, which IDNR describes as lush forest, towering bluffs and plenty of wildlife, with routes for beginners and experienced hikers alike. Trail maps are at the Visitor Center, and staff there will recommend a route if you ask. Want someone to lead? Call the same number, (618) 786-3323, about a guided hike.
Then walk into the lodge. The Civilian Conservation Corps built it in the 1930s, and the stone fireplace in the lobby soars to a roof height of 50 feet. It’s said to weigh 700 tons. Stand next to it with cold hands and you’ll get why people make the drive.
Prefer four legs? Pere Marquette Riding Stables runs trail rides every day except Tuesday from May through October, weather permitting. Call 618-786-2156 before you go.
Walk Grafton’s history in an hour
Start on the wharf. It was first built of earthwork and wood and later in local stone, and it’s where the ferry lands today, next to the Grafton Lighthouse and a turtle sculpture nicknamed Snapper. The lighthouse stands for something specific: Grafton’s survival after the flood of 1993.
Look up at the bluffs and you’re looking at the town’s first paycheck. At one time Grafton had five working limestone quarries, and that stone went into the Eads Bridge in St. Louis, the Jersey County Court House and buildings still standing in town, including the Masonic Lodge and Grafton’s first bank. The old bank’s vault door can still be seen at the Grafton Visitor Center.
Then the boats. The 1928 Grafton Boat Works and two other yards built barges, steam towboats, ferries, lifeboats and the Freiman Skiff, which was known across the country. The tourism bureau’s history also says Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Dickens all traveled here, and that Jesse James and his gang purportedly gambled in its streets. Purportedly. It’s that kind of town.
Finish at The Grove Memorial Park, between North Market and Sycamore streets, set up after the 1993 flood. Two hollows climb from it: Distillery Hollow, home to Aerie’s Winery, and Jersey Hollow, which climbs toward the county seat.
Two boats, two rivers, one free: see every crossing in our guide to ferries near St. Louis.
What are some fun things for adults to do in Grafton, Illinois this weekend?
Go up first. Aerie’s Resort sits on a bluff over the meeting of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, above downtown, and it runs the Grafton SkyTour, the Grafton Zipline and what it calls the first alpine coaster in Illinois. It also has a restaurant and lodging, so the view can come with dinner.
Then come down to the water. The Loading Dock Bar and Restaurant fills the 1928 Grafton Boat Works building, where crews once built barges, steam towboats and ferries. A short walk away, the Ruebel Hotel, built in 1884 overlooking the river, is still a popular place to stay the night. For dinner ideas beyond those two, the gold box below points to our full list.
Grafton has always been a drinking town, for the record. During the steamboat era it had 26 saloons, and the tourism bureau’s own history says that at one of them, The Bloody Bucket, you could perhaps lose an ear. The ferry home is the calmer finish. Its last Monday-through-Thursday crossing is at 9 p.m.
What can you do in Grafton for free?
More than the fare table suggests. Start with the second boat: the Brussels Ferry, one mile west of town, costs nothing and runs around the clock. Ride it over the Illinois River and straight back, and you get the bluffs from the water without paying the toll on the big river.
Walk the wharf, the lighthouse and Snapper the turtle, then follow the Mississippi past the boat ramp. Pick up a trail map at the Pere Marquette Visitor Center and climb toward McAdams Peak, which the park lists among its best overlooks. In eagle season, the overlooks along the park’s scenic road are where binoculars earn their keep.
Fishing can be free too, for four days in June. During IDNR’s Free Fishing Days, anyone can fish anywhere in Illinois without buying a license, salmon stamp or inland trout stamp, and the state points families to ifishillinois.org for where to go.
Crossing over for dinner? Pick the table first with the where to eat in Grafton guide on St Louis Near Me Directory, then time the drive home around the ferry’s last boat.
If you run a Grafton winery, shop or riverfront bar that stays open through eagle season, the people reading this just learned they can reach you every day of the year. Put your business in front of them and get more customers from the folks already planning the trip.
What to do near Grafton, IL?
Ride the other ferry. IDOT runs the Brussels Ferry one mile west of Grafton, across the Illinois River to Calhoun County, free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Over and straight back is a free look at the bluffs from the water.
Or go wide. The Mississippi River State Fish and Wildlife Area, with its office on Route 100 in Grafton at (618) 376-3303, spreads 15 wildlife management areas and 13 public access areas across more than 24,000 acres along 75 miles of two rivers. Downriver, there’s plenty to do in Alton, and free eagle watching at Clifton Terrace in Godfrey. On the Missouri side of the boat, line up things to do in St. Charles County or these free things to do in St. Peters.
The state’s own description of that wildlife area is worth reading before you go: bluffs that tower over the river valley, thousands of acres managed for wetland habitat and public access areas scattered along both rivers. Call the office first and ask which access point fits what you want to do.
Closer to the city, two more river stops earn the detour: where the Missouri and Mississippi rivers meet, and the steps, trail and boats of the St. Louis riverfront. For more outings, see our day trips within two hours of St. Louis.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Grafton Ferry go to?
It crosses the Mississippi between Grafton and St. Charles County, Missouri. The Illinois landing is near the Grafton Lighthouse and the public boat ramp off Market Street, and the Missouri landing is on Grafton Ferry Road, just off Highway 94. The ride takes five to 10 minutes.
What is the schedule for the Brussels Ferry in Grafton, Illinois?
IDOT owns and runs the Brussels Ferry, one of its two free Illinois River ferries, and they operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It sits one mile west of Grafton and links Illinois Route 100 to Calhoun County across the Illinois River.
Where can I fish in Illinois without a fishing license?
Anywhere in the state during Illinois Free Fishing Days, a four-day stretch in June when anyone can fish without buying a fishing license, salmon stamp or inland trout stamp. The rest of the year, check the rules with IDNR at 217-782-6302.
What river runs by Grafton, Illinois?
The Mississippi and the Illinois. Grafton sits where the Illinois River meets the Mississippi, which is why Aerie’s bluff looks down on a confluence and why the town has two ferries.
What is the history of Grafton, Illinois?
Brothers James and Paris Mason founded Grafton in 1832, making it the oldest permanent settlement in Jersey County. Limestone from its bluffs went into the Eads Bridge in St. Louis. The lighthouse on the wharf marks the town’s survival after the flood of 1993.
What county is Grafton, IL in?
Jersey County. The tourism bureau’s history calls Grafton the oldest permanent settlement in the county, founded by the Mason brothers in 1832, and its limestone helped build the Jersey County Court House.
Is Grafton worth visiting?
Yes, and more so now that the ferry runs every day. In winter, the park says eagles gather in the hundreds, and the boat from Missouri now runs every day.
Written by a dedicated team of St. Louis locals who live, work, and play right here in the St. Louis metro. Founder Lane Forman and team are committed to building the region’s most trusted directory by verifying listings and connecting local businesses with loyal customers across Missouri and Illinois.