Pere Marquette Lodge & Conference Center

I reserved and paid for three rooms back in March of 2015 for the nights of January 29 and 30. I thought I was getting them all together in a cabin. They told me only one was in a cabin and would have to switch to the lodge the second night. I asked if we could get the rooms in the lodge together or at least on the same floor. They said that they could not do it because they were all booked up and I made the reservations on line. I asked if they could exchange rooms and they said they couldn’t. I do not understand. Other hotels do it. …

My wife and I went there for an anniversary dinner., and it was the perfect spot to enjoy the evening. The ambiance is fantastic and the food was as well. I ordered the Settlers Pot Roast and it was AWESOME! The meat was tender and melted in your mouth. My wife got the lasagna and She said that it was very good as well. Our appetizer of stuffed mushrooms started us off and boy were they good. My Caesar salad was a bit bland but I am not holding it against them. We had a young server that was very attentive and funny so he helped to make the whole evening an enjoyable experience.

I struggled with whether to rate Pere Marquette with 3 or 4 stars. In the end, I chose 3 stars because the accommodations just didn’t fit with what I would consider a 4 star experience. That said, if simple, rustic accommodations are your thing, I would recommend this place. I personally prefer more modern accommodations.
I stayed in one of the cabins. The cabin was clean but I did see an occasional bug which is to be expected in a State Park setting. The cabin had one large room that contained a queen bed, twin bunk beds, a small table with only two chairs, a love seat, TV and one arm chair. The bathroom is small with a shower and toilet and the sink is outside of the bathroom for greater ease getting ready with multiple people. I could control the air conditioning. The bed was comfortable. The wifi was spotty and the love seat had some visible stains on it which grossed me out.
The staff here are very friendly and helpful. The views and scenery are beautiful. Overall the setting is peaceful and the stone work completed by the Civilian Conservation Corp who created this place is stunning.
The food was fine. Not awful but not anything spectacular either. We had lunch, breakfast and catered appetizers. The appetizers were our favorite.
Overall a pleasant experience. If you enjoy nature and unplugging from the world, this is a great place to visit.

I am just a pawn in the game of Unilocal,as suggested by the Giant Chess Set, upon my arrival for the first of two days at Pere Marquette Lodge and Conference Center. PML&CC is an hour’s drive from many points in metro area. The River Road is actually a scenic drive, once you get beyond Alton. And, when you get there, the ground are lovely, and the Lodge itself looks like something built out of old logs by the Civilian Conservation Corps, circa 1930s, which it actually was. What a grand and glorious cathedral for a rural wedding. Or family reunion. Or weekend retreat. I was there to help facilitate all three. A lonely traveler down the rainy river road. A humble servant of the people. Just a pawn in the game of Unilocal

Easter Buffet is great!!! You must try it with your family! Good selection of food. It is kind of costly, though.

Literally the best lodge on Earth! Pere Marquette Lodge & Conference Center has beautiful, clean, and peaceful lodge and cabin rooms that will make you feel at home. I would highly suggest staying in one of their comfortable cabins with the bunk beds or their nice lodge rooms. On top of that, the restaurant within the lodge serves fresh and delicious meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Be sure to try their famous fried chicken!

Sadly the restaurant at the lodge has decreased in the food quality. We stopped in for dinner on our wedding anniversary. It was more of a nostalgic dinner because we were married at Pere Marquette and had our first dinner as a couple here.
The service was excellent but unfortunately the food lacked the quality we were used at this restaurant. I had the fried Walleye with a baked potato and Caesar salad. My wife had French Onion soup with a side of raviolis. The fish had excessive oil saturated into the breading making is soggy rather than crispy. The salad and potato were good though. The French Onion soup’s cheese topping was not quite melted completely and resembled a mozzarella hockey puck floating atop the cup!
The lodge itself was still decorated in holiday fashion and has never disappointed in providing a festive atmosphere. Still a wonderful retreat into the wilderness but in need of better food.

The main attraction of Pere Marquette is the beautiful setting. The area around the lodge is great for hiking, especially in the autumn. The main room of the lodge is rustic and beautiful. The oversized chess set is a classic. Games abound, as the table in our room had a board built in and there was a set of checkers in the room.
Our experience with dining was mixed. I would suggest that diners stick to basic items that can’t be messed up too badly, i.e., grilled salmon, steak, etc. One night we had pecan encrusted scallops as an appetizer, which were cold.
The rooms are clean and functional. Ours had two double beds, TV, chair with ottoman, desk with two chairs, and a bathroom with a single sink.

This was our first stop on our day trip to Grafton. We needed an adventure and an escape from the city lights. There’s no hustle and bustle in Grafton, so our day was very slow and relaxing.
There is no doubting that this lodge is a true classic. I’ve been stopping by here since I was a wee lad and I swear things haven’t changed that much. The life size chess board game is still in the Grand Hall. I’ve never played with those life size pieces and still wonder to this day, how heavy they are.
As we arrived, a bus of tourist was loading up for departure and we had to maneuver around the crowd. When we made our way back to the restaurant, they offered us the same breakfast buffet special that they had just offered the departing seniors. It appears they normally do not have this buffet during the week. A breakfast buffet for $ 7.95, seemed like a good deal. Being seasoned foodies, we should have known, you get what you pay for.
It was typical cheap buffet food including; scrambled eggs, bacon, link sausage, biscuits, gray and french toast strips. It filled our stomach and the need of food, but next time we’ll order from the menu in hopes of better fare.
The atmosphere and the beauty of nature is what makes this place stand out from other area hotel and cottage rentals. A night away from the big city or just a quick visit on a day trip, PML is worth a visit.

The lodge is just beautiful, especially on a nice fall day. The restaurant had a good breakfast buffet and extraordinary fried chicken for dinner.
My only complaint (and the reason for 4 stars instead of 5) is that the lodge is showing its age. The hallway of our room had a distinct – and strong – musty odor. However, our room was beautiful.

My husband and I visited this place for 1 night and we will absolutely be coming back with our kids.
The room was very clean. We stayed in the old wing which had some ware but since the place was built before WWII I wouldn’t have expected it to be perfect. The view from our room was beautiful and we found the staff very pleasant and helpful. The bed was also comfortable and much to our surprise it came with a fold out couch! Not that we needed it this trip but it was good to know should we bring pur kids back.
You can also choose to stay in a duplex style cabin which I thought was super cute! Perfect if you’re planning to stay longer than a couple days with kids.
Forthos traveling by motorcycle (we were this time) the roads surrounding the park are a great ride! Very twisty and fun :).
The only real complaint I have is the restaurant. The waiter and the ambiance were nice… the food I could have done without. My husband got a pork chop and he said it was delicious. I wish I could say the same for my chicken Caesar salad. The dressing was basically water which made the salad bland. I even asked for more dressing and sure enough it came out watered down. Gross. If you’re looking for good food, drive on in to Grifton and eat at any number of the places of there! Amazing people and food.
Also, for those paranormal lovers. the lodge is haunted. They do an investigation every couple months. My husband and I already reserved a room for Halloween :).
We are also going to take our kids there next summer. Its about 45min six flags also.

Our family reunion of 53 people was here for 3 nights and we all enjoyed it so much that we’ve made reservations here for the next one. The building is immense and well built in the 1930’s, with lots of space to spread out both inside and outside. We especially love to sit outside on the huge porch and watch the views downhill to the Illinois River. Rooms were $ 89 on Thurs. & $ 139 on S&S but those are «group» prices.
Our interactions with the cleaning staff and the front desk staff and the restaurant staff were all positive: very friendly & helpful people.
We were in rooms 112, 113, 114. Room 112 had sliding doors to a small balcony over the pool area (as did rooms 110 &108, and I think 106 & 104). Room 114 had a «river view» but it really was a view of the pool pump-​house & noise. With our AC going it wasn’t really an issue. We liked this location in the newer wing because it was near the parking lot and on the first floor — no stairs.
The rooms were very nice & clean & comfortable, no issues. We had AT&T cell phone service most all of the time while here, but some others in our family who had Sprint (none) or Verizon (some) had no service. We only had a slight problem one time where we had to move near a window for cell service.
We only ate here for the Sunday breakfast and reviews were mixed. About ½ of the family liked it, my husband & I could not find anything healthy enough or that sounded tasty so we didn’t eat, a few others picked & chose from the buffet. Bring your own food if you’re eating healthy or gluten free or vegetarian.
We rented one of the 3 picnic shelters down by the river for only $ 25 for the day. It was a nice shelter but full of nesting mud swallows & nests, so make sure that maintenance is scheduled to hose down the shelter for you or bring a big broom & table cloths! We saw lots of barges going by, and an eagle flying over, a deer, and humming birds.

I used to work here and loved the lodge. I was a cocktail waitress/​bartender and enjoyed it immensely. The staff is so friendly and it is a beautiful lodge to work in. The customers for the most part are happy and relaxed. They enjoy the scenery. The large lobby is open with a fireplace, lots of comfortable seating, and a gigantic chess board. There are 2 bars, a gift shop, banquet rooms, and the main dining room. The lodge itself has rooms to stay in and an indoor pool. There are also cabins. It really is a beautiful place to visit whether for a day or for longer.

The Pere Marquette State Park lodge was build in the 1930’s by the CCC — Civilian Conservation Corps, which I believe are also the people that put all that stone in the River Des Peres. Anyway, there was significant work done to it in the late 80’s, with a new south wing added.
The place oozes old school charm like few establishments in St. Louis. I’ve been there now four or five times, most recently we stopped in while returning from an event in Dow, IL, a few miles east of Grafton.
We just got a couple of glasses of wine and sat out on the patio, but it happened to be an absolutely perfect day, which made the surrounding grounds seem that much more beautiful. Some day we will hopefully return for an overnight stay. Just sitting there watching the Illinois river go by, you forget how close you are to the big city.
If you enjoy old architecture or the thought of strolling through a magnificient old lodge, make the drive up to Pere Marquette for lunch or just drinks on the patio. Add in a stop in Grafotn (Aeries winery, maybe) and you have a great and very easy day trip.

I grew up coming to the Lodge for brunches at holidays so I was very excited to introduce my husband to this wonderful establishment.
Its funny how this place hasn’t changed over the years, right down to the entrance and the life size chess game you can play in the lobby.
The warm lodge is very inviting and the staff is superior. Once seated, we were assisted right away and we decided to eat family style with their homemade chicken pieces, vegetable of the day, mashed potatoes and gravy and bread. Boy did we leave full!
We moseyed a bit more around the area, and picked up information about upcoming events and certainly do plan on visiting again for a brunch of some sort. Its awesome to see gems like this keep its originality!

We have been to Pere Marquette many times… for relaxing weekends, family reunions, and a first last night… a paranormal investigation! It is such a beautiful place. This was the first time we had visited in the winter. The grounds were so pretty in the snow, and the roaring fire in the great room was nice. The staff is wonderful there, very friendly. Good food in the restaurant, but a short drive to Grafton if you want to go out. The rooms are comfy, nothing fancy, but nice. Watching the sunset from the great room or the patio is a treat.

The wife and youngest son decided to come here for lunch on Sunday and enjoy a nice drive along the River Road.
Our waitress was very helpful (honest to a fault!) and all of us enjoyed the food. My wife’s pot roast was incredible — tender without being stringy and very flavorful! We topped off our day with coffee and blackberry pie which we took to the Great Room in the lodge. A nice getaway without an excessive drive.

Lousy service. Went to Pere Marquette Lodge for lunch with my family on Labor day. At just 1pm in the afternoon they were already out of mushroom burgers which was a big problem for the vegetarian in our party because they had no other vegetarian entrees. The place was only maybe ¹⁄₃ full but service was incredibly slow; it took ~40min just to get bread. The waiter seemed was definitely uncomfortable and seemed to be avoiding us. When I did manage to flag him down he made the excuse that the kitchen was still baking our bread.
Whether or not it was true, our experience was terrible. When service is that slow, the only two things I want to hear are «We’re very sorry» and maybe «Can I interest you in a round of drinks on the house?». The waitstaff should be trying to make us comfortable, not covering their own a##.

We went to Pere Marquette for a wedding yesterday. This is a great venue for such an event. It is about an hour from Florissant so it is close for anyone from St. Louis or east side, but it is far enough way to feel like a retreat and for it to make sense to spend the night.
We debated whether to spend the night up until the afternoon of the event. We decided that we we would, ultimately, have much more fun if we didn’t have to worry about the drive home after the reception. We were right. The extra time allowed us to stay later and then have breakfast with everyone from the wedding the next morning without feeling rushed.
The couple got married in front of the large fireplace in lobby and then we moved to a large room down the hall for the reception. The room was spacious for a wedding of about 100 people.
I was really impressed by the wait staff at the reception, the waitresses at the restaurant, and the front desk staff. All were incredibly friendly and worked to ensure that the couple and all of the guests were happy.
My only complaint was the lady working in the winery. I stopped by a few minutes before the ceremony to get a glass of wine. She was having a heated discussion about some wine order. She never bothered to take a moment to acknowledge me or make any gesture she would be with me in a moment. Instead she just turned her back to me when I walked in. After listening to this conversation for a few minutes, I left.
It was a great trip overall and I would definitely come back when I need another weekend getaway.

I used to come here with my grandparents when I was kid, this past weekend some friends and I decided to take in some leaves and gorge ourselves on a massive brunch buffet… this place came to mind and it was EXACTLY the same as it was in the 80’s. If you are a comfort in consistency person, Pere Marquette is right up your ally.
First the Buffet, because the fat kid in me must talk about the food first. This buffet is about 20 bucks per person (yea, not cheap) but it seriously has everything you could want. 6 breakfast dishes, 6 lunch dishes, 6 dinner dishes, a carving station, a waffle station, a banana’s foster station, breads and danishes, salad, fresh fruit, a cheese section (lets be honest, the cheese section sold me) and even a fresh fish section. I was in love. There is also the option to get a family style all you can eat chicken and catfish dinner for 14 bucks a person, but that simply was not fat enough for me on this glorious Sunday. The brunch is only served from October through mid-​November. I have no idea why this is, but oddly enough, that’s what they do here.
After gorging ourselves on brunch and feeling a bit stung by the bill, we grabbed our to go cups of tea (that’s right, they gave me a to go cup, upping it one more star in my head) and we piled into my friend’s car to start taking in the foliage. There are a ton of different stopping points along the big loop drive, and you can see for miles from the top. It’s simply gorgeous. There were families and couples having picnics, and a bizarre ladybug infestation that we sadly brought back with us in the car to Soulard, but you should see some of these pictures I got. Beautiful leaves of so many colors and the Mississippi and Illinois River merging in the background. It was amazing.
What was not amazing? Lover’s Leap. If you go check it out, it looks more like Lover’s Log Roll.
They also have hiking trails and you can rent horses to take out on the trail. The lodge is incredibly nice and makes for a great family weekend get away or even for a nice couples get away. And it’s CHEAP. Always a plus.
I could keep writing, but the long and short of it is this is a great little day trip or overnight trip. Singles, couples, families… it’s going to be great for any and all.
Also, it’s pretty hilarious to watch the parents taking extremely posed pictures of their child. I mean, they drag them up here to this beautiful place and make them pose unnaturally with their knee popped and fist under their chin in front of a tree… take that in your backyard and cut your kid a little slack. The whole thing is proposterous, but good comic relief for the rest of us.