Photo: Wikimedia Commons — see author and license on the file page.

Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site

Archaeology
In Columbia, Illinois
7.0 mi from Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

The Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site lies in Columbia, IL, about 7 miles off the old road, on rural land in Monroe and St. Clair counties. It marks a Middle Mississippian village that was likely a satellite of the great city at Cahokia. For Route 66 travellers interested in the ancient past, it adds a quieter chapter to a Cahokia visit across the river from St. Louis.

What is Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site?

The site holds several pyramid-shaped burial mounds. Digs have also turned up the remains of houses and of garden beds, which makes it one of only a handful of Mississippian villages where garden beds have been found.

European settlers have known about the site since they began farming the area in the late 1700s. Much of it has been used as farmland since then, yet it survives in good condition.

History of Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site

The village belonged to the Mississippian culture and was probably tied closely to Cahokia. The site joined the National Register in 1973.

Visiting Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site: tips

This is a rural archaeological site, not a developed park, so expect open land rather than exhibits, and respect any farm fields and private property. A brief stop is enough. The ghost town of Broadway is about 3.8 miles away, and Sugarloaf Mound, another Mississippian site, is about 5.6 miles off.

Practical info

Address: 1161 Oklahoma Hill Rd, Columbia, IL 62236

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Where to eat near Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site

All diners →

Diner & restaurant
Ted Drewes
St. Louis, MO · 7.8 mi from Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site
A family-run St. Louis frozen custard stand from 1929, known for concretes served upside down.
Diner & restaurant
Crown Candy Kitchen
St. Louis, MO · 11.0 mi from Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site
An old-fashioned soda fountain and candy shop in Old North St. Louis, known for handmade malts.

On the map

Full map

Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site with the 6 closest stops and places to eat (fork and knife). Tap a marker for details.

Tap a dot to see that stop here.

Stops near Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site

All of Illinois

Broadway

Broadway, Missouri · 3.2 mi from Route 66

A vanished Missouri hamlet whose grand name was a local joke about a plain country road.

Ghost town

3.8 mi from Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site

Sugarloaf Mound

St. Louis, Missouri · 2.2 mi from Route 66

The last Native American mound left in St. Louis, the city's oldest human-made structure.

ArchaeologyPhoto credit

5.6 mi from Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site

Coral Court Motel

Marlborough, Missouri · 0.5 mi from Route 66

A lost Route 66 landmark: the streamlined Coral Court Motel, demolished in 1995 despite a fight to save it.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

7.7 mi from Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site

Seiwa-en

St. Louis, Missouri · 0.7 mi from Route 66

A 14-acre Japanese strolling garden with a lake, islands and bridges inside the botanical garden.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

8.2 mi from Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site

Missouri Botanical Garden

St. Louis, Missouri · 0.9 mi from Route 66

Shaw's Garden, founded in 1859, pairs gardens for strolling with a world-class plant research center.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

8.4 mi from Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site

Eugene Field House

St. Louis, Missouri · 0.6 mi from Route 66

An 1845 house tied to both the Dred Scott case and a much-loved children's poet.

MuseumPhoto credit

8.9 mi from Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site

Own or run Lunsford-Pulcher Archeological Site? Send us a photo or a correction.

See it on the map