Upcoming Attractions
The Peoria Area is constantly growing! There are a lot of projects in the works and below you will learn more about some of the big upcoming attractions this area will be able to brag about! Click on the links below to find out more.
Caterpillar Experience Visitors Center
Bass Pro Shops IT'S HERE!!!
Hotel Pere Marquette and Marriott Courtyard/PCC Walkway Project
Peoria International Airport Upgrade/New Terminal and NEW Peoria Area Visitors Center! IT'S HERE!!!
The Peoria Riverfront Museum
A seven-acre riverfront block of Peoria's downtown will become one of the most important cultural and economic developments in our region's history! The Riverfront Museum will be 86,000 sq. ft. and is estimated to draw 360,000 visitors each year.
This eco-friendly, one-of-a-kind destination will combine the Caterpillar Experience, the Peoria Riverfront Museum, the PowerDome Planetarium and a giant digital screen theatre offering education, arts, entertainment and recreation for people of all ages. Set to open in Fall of 2012!
The Peoria Riverfront Museum is an expansion of the current Lakeview Museum and Planetarium. The relocation and expansion is an innovative collaboration that will encompass the Peoria Regional Museum Society, Peoria Historical Society, African American Hall of Fame, Heartland Foundation, Peoria County, the City of Peoria, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and Lakeview Museum of Arts & Sciences all under one roof. The IHSA Peak Performance Centerwill be a hands-on exhibit highlighting the talents and achievements of thousands of Illinois high school students from the past and the present. A tribute to the African Americans from our region who have paved the way for progress and have had a positive impact on our society will be showc
ased on the Wall of Fame.
The state-of-the-art Zeiss PowerDome Digital Planetarium will offer full-dome shows featuring thousands of heavenly bodies and programs that investigate the cosmos. Walk along a virtual time-line from the Ice Age to today, along the every changing Illinois River Valley. The Illinois Folk Art Gallery will display fantastic representations of a truly American form. Experience a state-of-the-art Giant Digital Screen Theater that will make you feel like you are really there, in the action. The Discovery Worlds, a play-and-learn gallery, is designed for children not yet reading. "Play in Peoria's Streets" is a fun exhibit allowing the whole family to enjoy a walk through the past. This flexible, changing gallery will allow you to interact with the region's colorful history and evolution, from Lincoln to vaudeville and more!
Both projects will be LEED certified designs!
Visit BuildTheBlock.org for more information on this upcoming attraction!
The Caterpillar Experience Visitors Center
The Caterpillar Experience will consist of a 50,000 sq. ft. facility that will house a variety of interactive exhibits, located next door to the Peoria Riverfront Museum. As a Caterpillar Experience guest, you'll get an insider's perspective on Cat's employees, customers, products and progress. A visitor will be able to explore the past by taking a journey back in time via historic photos, vintage equipment, a 24-foot tall 797 truck, and videos to explore the company's heritage an the progression of its world-famous product line. A visitor will also be able to explore the present, getting a sense of Cat's global impact with hands-on activities for all ages. Preview the future at Caterpillar 
with a sneak peek at the company's latest technological marvels, like clean-burning diesel engines and more. The Caterpillar Experience will welcome area residents as well as the more than 25,000 visitors the company brings to our region each and every year.
Visit BuildTheBlock.org for more information on this upcoming attraction!
Bass Pro Shops
The Bass Pro Shops, is HERE!! And, is expected to become one of the area's biggest tourist attractions. Out in California, Manteca's Convention and Visitors Bureau President has stated that "Bass Pro Shop's numbers are comparable to a small amusement park."
Not only will the store offer outdoor enthusiasts shopping space equivalent to the size of 3½ football fields, it will have an aquarium-themed 12-lane professional bowling facility. "It's going to look like you're bowling under the ocean," said Bass Pro Shops spokeswoman Katie Mitchell. There will also be a full service restaurant entitled Uncle Buck's Fish Bowl & Grill and a laser arcade for both children and adults featuring elements of an old mine. The store will be part retail and part museum, as it will be entirely decorated to feel that you are in the Prairie State before development. There will be exhibits and learning opportunities featuring our natural animals and the Illinois River.
Bass Pro Shops is committed to conservation and being a participant in the community that it serves. Although it's known primarily as the premier sports equipment and outdoor recreation goods retailer, Bass Pro Shops is also known for their conservation initiatives. The company's philanthropic efforts are primarily directed toward not-for-profit organizations that support the conservation of fish and wildlife, especially those which place a strong emphasis on youth development in these areas.
Bass Pro Shops Director of Conservation, Martin MacDonald, joined East Peoria city officials and community leaders on November 4th at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Bass Pro Shops store in East Peoria. During the ceremony, MacDonald presented Doug Oberhelman, Caterpillar CEO and Chairman of the Board of Friends of Wildlife Prairie State Park, with a ceremonial check for $10,000, representing the organization's support to partner in conservation efforts with the Park.
"This is a great partnership that will support and enhance our mission of conservation, education, and recreation in Illinois," said Jeff Rosecrans, Executive Director. "We need to protect and preserve natural resources in our state for future generations."
Wildlife Prairie State Park is a 2,000 acre zoological park that is home to animals indigenous to Illinois including: wolves, bison, waterfowl, black bears, elk, cougars, otters and more. Visitors enjoy spectacular natural surroundings, unique lodging & meeting space, fishing and a Pioneer Farmstead. With the help of Bass Pro Shops, this unique attraction will be better equipped to serve the Peoria Area for years to come. Top
Hotel Pere Marquette Upgrade and The
Marriott Courtyard/PCC Walkway Project
Marriott, one of the world's top hotel companies, has agreed to extensively renovate the landmark Hotel Pere Marquette in downtown Peoria and build next door to it a new, 10-story Marriott Courtyard. The overall $92.8 million project will attract new and larger conventions and sporting events to the area, while enhancing value to the Peoria Civic Center and increasing local tourism business. Since opening in 1927, the Pere Marquette has been the venue for many prestigious cultural and social gatherings, and hosted several presidents, celebrities, dignitaries and statesmen. In 1981, the hotel 
underwent massive renovation and restoration. As a result, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel's character and charm will not be compromised during construction - the building's historic integrity will be maintained, according to developer EM Properties, Ltd. Renovations include replacing all mechanical systems and plumbing and overhauling each room and public area of the building. The refurbished 284 rooms at the Pere Marquette will nicely compliment the 117 rooms at the attached Marriott Courtyard.
Other enhancements of the project include a connected skywalk between the hotels, Peoria Civic Center and a new parking deck.
General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport: $64 million Upgrade
Flying into the Peoria Area? You won't believe our beautiful new airport terminal. The grand opening of the state-of-the-art upgrade to Peoria's airport - General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport was January 2011. The $64 million upgrade increased the square footage of the facility to approximately 125,000 square feet. The Peoria International Airport has 12 gates, 9 boarding jet bridges, 3 ground gates, and service to over 1 million passengers. The new terminal has vastly streamlined and modernized baggage handling making it much easier for checking or claiming baggage. Also, travelers entering and exiting the terminal will be able to enjoy a Peoria Area Visitors Center! The visitors center offers area maps, brochures, friendly volunteers to help with any questions (only during select hours) and much more!
Gene Olson, PIA Director of Airports, has said, "Not only will there be improved functionality in the new terminal, the structure itself will be an esthetically pleasing facility that our community will be proud of."
Emiquon Preserve
Restoring the Illinois River -- The Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Preserve is located in Fulton County, Illinois near the meeting point of the Spoon River with the Illinois River, about one hour south of Peoria. It is the largest floodplain restoration project in the United States outside of the Florida Everglades. Approximately 7,100 acres in size, the Emiquon Preserve is one of the Nature Conservancy's projects to restore the floodplain (wetlands, lakes, forested and natural areas) of the Illinois River to its former ecological significance.
The preserve is currently undergoing construction focused not only on the ecological future of the space, but also on making the space more visitor friendly. Facilities (keeping the minimization of visitor impact in mind) are being developed for the preserve using its unique opportunity to engage the public in a rich ecological environment and to invite their participation in the understanding of rivers, floodplains, and the cultures that have used them for thousands of years. Through creative and innovative design, the Visitor Use Plan addresses issues of engagement, accessibility, visibility, and recognizability for all visitor types. Projects currently underway include parking facilities, driving and walking pathways, boardwalks and bridges, interpretive observatories, and all-season canoe/kayak access. The updates are expected to be open to the public in Spring 2011.
For more information or if you have any questions, please call the PACVB today at 800-747-0302 or email us here.
Print Page
