Fort de Chartres State Historic Site
Prairie du Rocher, Illinois, USA
1350 State Rte 155, Prairie du Rocher, IL 62277, USA
MUSEUM
VISITOR INFORMATION
NO TICKET REQUIRED
Accessible restrooms and two parking lots are available. There is no admission charge, though donations may be accepted.
Opening days and visitor-center hours vary seasonally and around special events. General site admission is free; check the Illinois Department of Natural Resources page before traveling.
The June Rendezvous and other published seasonal living-history events may concentrate visits. A measured overall annual busiest month is unconfirmed.
May or September-October for grounds and interpretation in generally milder weather. Choose the published June Rendezvous for living history, accepting possible event demand; check staffed buildings and current ground conditions.
HISTORIC SITES NEARBY
Nearby Historic Sites
miles
Landmark
WHO WAS HERE
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PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE
About Fort de Chartres State Historic Site (Colonial French Period)
This reconstructed stone fort served as the administrative capital of French Illinois Country during the French and Indian War and remained under French control until its formal transfer to Britain in 1765, two years after the war's end.
Illinois DNR preserves Fort de Chartres with a restored original powder magazine and reconstructed stone buildings and defenses. The museum building dates to 1928 and guardhouse to 1936; wall reconstruction followed original foundations in 1989. Marked foundations interpret lost structures, so the standing complex is not wholly colonial fabric.
History happened here at Fort de Chartres State Historic Site (Colonial French Period)
Fort de Chartres State Historic Site (Colonial French Period), 1753: This reconstructed stone fort served as the administrative capital of French Illinois Country during the French and Indian War and remained under French control until its formal transfer to Britain in 1765, two years after the war's end.
PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE
PEOPLE AT REST HERE
EXTERNAL LINKS
Illinois DNR, Fort de Chartres State Historic Site: https://dnrhistoric.illinois.gov/experience/sites/southwest/fort-de-chartres.html
National Park Service, Fort de Chartres: https://home.nps.gov/places/fort-de-chartres.htm
Illinois DNR, state historic sites guide: https://dnr.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/dnr/publications/documents/00000916.pdf
Illinois State Museum, fort history: https://www.museum.state.il.us/RiverWeb/landings/Ambot/Archives/transactions/1903/Fort_20de_20Chartres.html
Chicago History Museum, preservation of the fort: https://www.chicagohistory.org/remembering-fort-de-chartres/