Piasa Bird Mural

The Piasa (PYE-a-saw) Bird is a large painted mural on the limestone bluffs of the Great River Road north of Alton's town centre, depicting the mythical monster of Illini oral tradition — a winged, dragon-like creature said to have preyed on the tribe's warriors until their chief Ouatoga fasted for a month and received divine guidance on how to slay it.

The current painting is a 20th-century recreation of a pre-contact pictograph described by Marquette and Joliet. Whatever its historical accuracy, the mural is visually striking on the bluff face, easily seen from the road and from the river. It serves as the mascot for Alton High School. A small parking area allows you to stop and photograph it; best light is in the morning.

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A story
The original Piasa pictograph was a large rock painting on the limestone bluffs that French explorer Jacques Marquette described seeing in 1673 — a "monster" with the face of a man, the body of a serpent, and a long tail. The painting was destroyed by quarrying in the 19th century. The current mural is a 20th-century recreation based on Marquette's description and archaeological fragments, painted directly on the bluff face beside the Great River Road.