The Value of Visitor Centers on Your Journey

Traveling on Interstate 55 to Memphis, Tennessee, my wife and I noticed a welcome center in Blytheville, Arkansas. We stopped to stretch our legs and explore its offerings. The center featured a natural stone and post-and-beam structure. Inside, slate floors and exposed beams led us through display cases highlighting Arkansas’s natural beauty and a variety of brochures and booklets.

Initially, Arkansas seemed just a stop on our way to Tennessee, but a brochure about the ‘Historic Dyess Colony: Where Johnny Cash’s Story Began’ caught my attention. Being a Johnny Cash fan, the prospect intrigued me. With encouragement from a friendly attendant, I proposed a detour to Dyess.

We journeyed through northeast Arkansas to find Cash’s boyhood home. There, the former mayor and current museum manager shared insights about Cash’s early life and his first recordings with Sun Records in Memphis. We also discovered the significant role of the New Deal community in shaping his life and music. The detour was both enjoyable and informative.

This experience came to mind with the news of Illinois’ eight interstate visitor centers closing in September. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity stated that travel planning has evolved with technology. The implication is that brochures and knowledgeable staff are now outdated.

The internet offers plentiful traveler information. Sites like Tripadvisor provide extensive details on accommodations and attractions in places like Chicago. However, such resources often overlook the unique experiences along the journey.

Consider the drive on I-57 through southern Illinois. Chester, the birthplace of Popeye the Sailor Man and home to Fort Kaskaskia, is a 50-minute detour. On I-55 between Springfield and Bloomington, the American Giants Museum in Atlanta tells the story of the iconic Muffler Man statues. Along I-72, the Monticello Railway Museum offers rides on a restored 1907 steam locomotive. Exiting I-80 to Joliet at Exit 97, visitors can see the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial in Marseilles, honoring fallen military members with over 8,000 engraved names.

Visitor spending in Illinois reached $50.2 billion in 2025, according to Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Despite this, the small $1.6 million budget for visitor centers has been cut. These centers are welcoming gateways for the 115 million visitors to the state. Closing them could mean losing these welcoming entrances.

Frank Hosek, a freelance travel writer based near Chicago and a retired HR director, reflects on the importance of preserving these centers.