On your left, look for the long red-brick depot with a low overhang and a row of tall arched windows facing the tracks.
This is the old Rock Island Depot and Freight House, built in 1899 right alongside the Illinois River… back when being close to the water and the rails was basically the whole business plan. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad set this place up as the end of a major branch line, funneling people and freight into Peoria like it was the center of the map. When it opened around 1900, crowds turned out in force… you can almost hear the boot steps on the platform, the hiss of steam, the shouted hellos over luggage and crates.
Then time did what time does. In 1939, the station even lost its clock tower-because apparently punctuality had become optional. The last train out was the Peoria Rocket in 1978, the same year the building earned National Register status. After that, it reinvented itself as River Station-today, it’s home to spots like Martinis On Water Street and The Blue Duck Barbecue Tavern, with the Riverfront Museum right next door.
When you’re set, Area codes 309 and 861 is a 9-minute walk heading southwest.
