Grand View Drive

Grand View Drive is a narrow, two-lane residential parkway that curves along the crest of a wooded bluff in Peoria Heights, just north of the city of Peoria. It runs roughly two and a half miles from end to end, following the shoulder of the ridge rather than cutting straight across it, so the road bends and dips the way the land does. The bluff stands more than a hundred feet above the Illinois River, which means the drive is essentially a balcony hung over the whole river valley.

The driving experience is gentle and unhurried by design. This is a shared parkway, not a highway, with a low speed limit and plenty of walkers, joggers, and cyclists out enjoying the same views. Old hardwood trees arch across the pavement in a leafy canopy, so much of the drive feels like passing through a green tunnel that opens now and then onto bright river vistas. There are a handful of overlooks and small pull-off parks where you can leave the car and take in the valley on foot.

What makes Grand View Drive special is the pairing of two very different views along one short road. Look one way and you see the grand old homes of Peoria's early prosperity, brick and stone houses set back behind mature lawns. Look the other way and the land simply drops out from under you to reveal the wide, slow river below. Come in autumn and the whole bluff turns gold and red, which many locals will tell you is the finest time to make the drive.

Grand View Drive sits on the bluff in Peoria Heights, at the northern edge of the Peoria metro area in central Illinois. Coming from Chicago or the north, take Interstate 39 and then Interstate 74 down toward Peoria, exit into the Peoria Heights area, and work your way east toward the river bluff. The village of Peoria Heights is small and well signed, and the drive runs along its eastern edge overlooking the water.

Coming from St. Louis or the south, follow Interstate 55 to Interstate 74 north into the Peoria area, then head north through the city toward Peoria Heights. From Bloomington and the east, Interstate 74 brings you straight into Peoria, and you turn north from there. Once you reach Peoria Heights, follow the local streets toward Prospect Road, which runs near the top of the bluff, and Grand View Drive branches off along the ridge.

The simplest approach for a first visit is to aim for Tower Park in Peoria Heights, near the north end of the drive. It is easy to find, it has parking and an observation tower, and from there you can drive the full length of the parkway south along the bluff at an easy pace.

Grand View Drive was laid out in 1903 as part of the young Peoria Pleasure Driveway and Park District, one of the first park districts of its kind in Illinois. The bluff had long been prized for its river views, and the new park district set out to preserve the crest of the ridge as a public parkway rather than let it be carved into ordinary building lots. The road was designed to move slowly and gracefully along the natural line of the bluff, an idea rooted in the landscape movement of the day.

The design work fell to Oscar Dubuis, a landscape engineer who had trained under Frederick Law Olmsted, the man behind Central Park in New York and the father of American landscape architecture. That pedigree shows in the road's easy curves and in the way it frames the river view instead of fighting the terrain. Along the parkway, wealthy Peoria families built a row of large and handsome homes through the early twentieth century, giving the drive its lasting character as a place of grand houses on one side and open valley on the other.

The road's fame was sealed in 1910, when President Theodore Roosevelt, out of office but still one of the most famous men in the country, visited Peoria and was taken for a ride along the bluff. As the story has been passed down for more than a century, Roosevelt looked out over the Illinois River valley and called Grand View Drive the most beautiful drive in the world. Whether he said those exact words or something close to them, the quote stuck, and it has drawn curious travelers up onto the bluff ever since.

Unlike many scenic roads in this country, Grand View Drive never became a designated national or state scenic byway. It did not need to. It has remained what it was built to be, a beloved local historic parkway maintained by the park district and the village of Peoria Heights, listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its early landscape design and its place in the city's history. More than a century after Roosevelt rode it, it is still doing exactly the job it was created for.

• Grand View Drive is famous for a single sentence. In 1910, President Theodore Roosevelt is said to have called it 'the world's most beautiful drive' after riding along the bluff, and the phrase has followed the road ever since.
• The parkway was designed by Oscar Dubuis, a landscape engineer who trained under Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of New York's Central Park and the father of American landscape architecture.
• It was laid out in 1903 by the Peoria Pleasure Driveway and Park District, one of the earliest park districts in Illinois, specifically to preserve the top of the river bluff as public parkland.
• The bluff stands more than one hundred feet above the Illinois River, so the drive works essentially as a long balcony hung over the river valley.
• The road is only about two and a half miles long, yet it is one of the most celebrated stretches of pavement in central Illinois.
• Grand View Drive is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognized for its early twentieth century landscape design and its role in Peoria's history.
• It is a shared parkway rather than a highway, with a low speed limit and constant foot and bicycle traffic, so it doubles as a beloved local place to walk and run.
• Near the north end stands the Peoria Heights water tower in Tower Park, rebuilt with an observation deck that lifts visitors even higher above the bluff for a wider view of the river and the surrounding country.

No. Grand View Drive is not an official national or state scenic byway. It is a historic local parkway, laid out in 1903 by the Peoria Pleasure Driveway and Park District and maintained ever since by the park district and the village of Peoria Heights. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its early landscape design, and it remains one of the most celebrated drives in central Illinois.

Grand View Drive runs about two and a half miles along the top of the bluff in Peoria Heights. Driven straight through it takes only about fifteen minutes, but most people give it twenty to thirty minutes so they can go slowly, stop at the overlooks, and take in the river valley. It is a short drive that rewards an unhurried pace.

The highlights are the overlooks at the southern end where the river valley first opens up, the row of grand historic homes along the middle of the drive, and Tower Park near the north end, where the Peoria Heights water tower carries an observation deck for a wider view. The whole point is the layered scenery, so pull off at the small parks and viewpoints as you go.

No. Grand View Drive is a public parkway, and driving it is completely free. There is no toll, entrance fee, or required pass. The observation tower in Tower Park is a public attraction as well, so a visit to the bluff costs nothing but the time you give it.

Autumn is the standout season, when the old hardwood trees along the bluff turn gold and red and the river views are at their finest. Spring and summer bring a lush green canopy, while a clear morning or the soft light of late afternoon shows the valley off best. The drive is lovely in any season, so much of it comes down to when the light and the leaves suit you.

Yes. Grand View Drive is a paved public parkway that stays open throughout the year. There is no seasonal closure. Winter storms can bring occasional snow or ice to the bluff, so it is wise to check current road and weather conditions before setting out in the colder months, but the road itself is available in every season.

No. Grand View Drive is a fully paved, two-lane parkway, and any passenger car handles it with ease. Four-wheel drive and high clearance are not needed at any point. The only thing to keep in mind is that the road is narrow and shared with walkers and cyclists, so a slow, careful pace matters more than the kind of vehicle you drive.

Grand View Drive is a narrow residential parkway with a low speed limit, around twenty-five miles per hour, and it is shared with joggers, walkers, and cyclists who come for the same views. Drive slowly and courteously, watch for people on foot along the shoulders, and remember that the homes along the drive are private property. This is a place to relax and take your time, not to hurry through.

There are no services directly on Grand View Drive itself, since it runs through a quiet residential neighborhood on the bluff. Fill up and plan any stops before you start. The village of Peoria Heights, at the north end of the drive, has shops, restaurants, and other conveniences a short distance away, making it an easy place to eat or rest before or after your trip along the parkway.

In 1910, former President Theodore Roosevelt visited Peoria and was taken for a ride along the bluff. As the story has been told ever since, he looked out over the Illinois River valley from Grand View Drive and called it the most beautiful drive in the world. The combination of grand old homes on one side and a sweeping river view on the other, all beneath a canopy of old trees, is what has made travelers agree with him for more than a century.