Sugar Creek Covered Bridge

Just off old Route 66 is the perfect picnic spot for a serene respite from your busy day hunting out plaster dinosaurs and giant muffler men (or is that just us … hello .. is this thing on .. ?)

This historic covered bridge crosses Sugar Creek, just outside of Chatham Illinois. It is so picturesque I thought either Laura Ingles from "Little House on the Prairie", or Gordy and Chris from "Stand by Me” might come strolling out of there at any minute.

The bridge is 110 feet long and 30 feet wide, and was built by Thomas Black in the late 1800’s. It was acquired by The State of Illinois in 1963 and restored in 1965. It was still open to traffic until 1984, when the area became a little park and picnic area. The bridge is still open to foot traffic though, and how could you resist walking through - the interior construction is complicated and intricate in a rustic way, and for someone who cannot put an IKEA bookcase together, extremely impressive.

The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. There are only a hand full of covered bridges remaining in America. They are a lovely slice of history, well worth taking a little detour for.

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Midwest USA No. 29 -last visited October 2023