Located in Southern Illinois, Fairview Heights is a short drive from St. Louis, Missouri and is in the heart of the Metro-East. The area now known as Fairview Heights was founded in 1827 on 80 acres of donated land with the first post office established that same year. Initially developed as a productive farmland, Fairview Heights became one of the major coal mining areas of United States between 1850 and 1940. The city officially incorporated in October of 1969. For shopping enthusiasts in Fairview Heights, the St. Clair mall is anchored by four big department stores (Macy's, Dillard's, JC Penney, Sears) as well as many other common clothing shops. There are also quite a few lakes and reservoirs in the area, like the Jubaka Lake, the Lawrence Lake, the Swan Lake and the Weslake. Ninety-acre Moody Park (Longacre Park) has a "Recreation Station," a 16,000-square-foot playground, two baseball diamonds, a walking and jogging trail, volleyball court and picnic pavilions.
Pleasant Ridge Park also has good hiking with adventurous obstacles and outdoor treasure hunting games as well as full-sized soccer fields, softball fields, a sand volleyball court and a full-size pavilion with seating for approximately 100 people. To see a variety of historic sites, you can venture to nearby Belleville to the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, a Catholic historic site which has a prayer grotto with candles and the best Christmas lights and attraction on this side of the Mississippi. Another historic site located in Collinsville, The Cahokia Mounds is the site of a 700 A.D. Indian habitation. One can also visit nearby museums like the Eugene Field House and Toy Museum, the Saint Louis Science Center, the Carondelet Historic Center and the Museum of Westward Expansion. Institutes providing higher education in Fairview Heights include the Southwestern Illinois College, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Saint Louis University-Main Campus and the Saint Louis Community College-Forest Park. When you stay at one of our Choice Hotels in Fairview Heights, IL, we guarantee you’ll feel at home with great amenities and kind hospitality. Book a room online now!