The site is actually the largest Pre-Colombian city north of Mexico and formerly had a population of around 15,000, the main aspect of the park are the 69 man made mounds, the largest of which is the Monks Mound (pictured) which is around 100ft tall. This is the most impressive part of the site and from the top you get a good over view of most of the site, and you can see central St. Louis. The rest of the site is spread around and basically consists of a lot of grass mounds that vary in size and a ‘woodhenge’ calendar, if I am being honest it was not hugely impressive to see but it was very interesting none the less.

The interpretive centre has some interesting exhibits and a recreation of the houses that would have stood in the city, also there was an extremely good video which gives a great introduction, and talks about how and why the civilisation evolved in this area, it made me think of the things I read about evolution of civilisation in Mesopotamia at the University of Chicago the day before. The reasons for the development of a city here were similar as were the structures which were a little like basic Ziggurats. The interpretive centre is closed on Mon-Tue but the park is open all the time.

This site is just outside St. Louis and I managed to see it on a long day trip down from Chicago. If you are here it is worth going in to St Louis and the road takes you over the Mississippi on or next to the Eads Bridge which is on the US’s prospective list. Also there is the Eero Saarinen’s Gateway Arch, well worth a visit and the Anheuser-Busch Budweiser Brewery, which is nice, shame about the beer though!