Every day
Interpretive Center
The starting point for your visit to Cahokia Mounds, the Interpretive Center has a very good introductory video to help make sense of the site. There are also displays of the finds and a recreated life-size portion of a village with houses and mannequins involved in daily activities. Volunteers are available to help explain what is known of the civilization which lived here 1,000 years ago.
Monks Mound
The largest prehistoric earthen-work in the New World provides nice views over the whole historic site. An easy 154 steps will take you to the top of the 100 ft 30 m mound, where you can see central St Louis including the impressive Gateway Arch about 7 mi 11 km away. Completely man-made, Monks Mound contains 22 million cubic feet 625,000 m3 of dirt. If it were made of ice cream, it would be large enough to give every person in the United States a half gallon.
Woodhenge
About one-half mi 1 km west of Monks Mound, you will see a large circle of 48 wooden posts, over 400 ft 125 m in diameter. It has been reconstructed in its original location and is a solar calendar, with posts aligning with the equinox and solstice sunrises.
Scheduled dates
Contemporary Indian Art Show
In early July, several dozen Indian artists gather at Cahokia to show their creative abilities in sculpture, pottery, jewelry, painting, and other arts. They talk about their work and offer it for sale. Prices range from a couple of dollars to several tens of thousands. With the Indian artist present, buyers know that they are purchasing genuine native American works. Indian market weekends in March and November feature fewer artists but additional chances to view and purchase Indian art.
North American Indian Photography Contest
Each fall, amateurs and professionals submit photographs on any subject dealing with American Indians. Winning entries are announced and cash prizes awarded in mid-October. Entries generally remain on display in the Interpretive Center for a couple of months.
Winter Lecture Series
Each winter, talks by noted archeologists describe current work being done in other parts of the country or the world.