Matthiessen State Park poised for 2nd best year with nearly 545,000 visitors

Matthiessen State Park won’t set an attendance record this year – it could be close, however – but 2023 will be remembered as one of the 10 best years Matthiessen and Starved Rock have ever had.

Matthiessen has passed a half million yearly visitors for only the third time in its history. Shaw Media projects a final total of 517,939 – thanks to record crowds in May and September – second only to the record 544,715 visitors who stormed the park in 2017.

Starved Rock had a comparatively quiet year – no monthly records toppled – but its projected 2.2 million visitors would make 2023 its 10th busiest year in its history.

“We were still very busy this year, but Starved Rock has been a little bit less than it has been the past few years,” said Alvin Harper, complex superintendent for Starved Rock and Matthiessen state parks.

Matthiessen

Matthiessen is simply soaring in popularity. Attendance was above average in nine of the first 11 months and both the May and September totals were record-breaking. Harper cited a couple of explanations.

First, social media have helped reel in visitors for seasonal occurrences such as the appearance of waterfalls and the blooming of sunflowers. Once the photos go viral, the Matthiessen parking lot quickly fills.

Second, a growing number of tourists visit the parks in tandem. Visitors typically come to Starved Rock in the morning, before the parking lot fills to capacity, break for lunch and then spend the afternoon in Matthiessen.

Once upon a time, Starved Rock outdrew Matthiessen by a 10-to-1 ratio. That figure is now 4-to-1 and closing.

“Yes, people are finding beautiful Matthiessen State Park,” said Bob Navarro, president and CEO of Heritage Corridor Destinations. “We market the area and region and lead with Starved Rock State Park. Then we hope our communities will fill in the marketing with additional opportunities for visitors to dine, shop, explore and stay.”

Starved Rock

Only Starved Rock State Park can draw more than 2 million visitors and have a “down” year – but that’s what happened in 2023.

Though the projected year-end total (2,272,256 visitors) ensures this will be a top-10 year, the tally will be 10% lower than last year.

Starved Rock attendance isn’t so much in decline as it has retreated from two events that shattered the attendance marks.

The first was the centennial of the U.S. national parks in 2016, which revived interest not only in the federally-controlled lands but in state run parks, as well. Starved Rock and Matthiessen both enjoyed a spillover boost from the surge on national parks.

The second was the novel coronavirus pandemic, which ushered in families seeking an outdoor refuge from infection controls.

While the yearly totals have pulled back since the centennial and from COVID-19, visitor interest in both parks remains strong.

“Overnight guests have made remarkable use of their time in the area, visiting not only Starved Rock, but also the other local tourism hot spots – including Matthiessen,” said Abby Farrell, general manager of Starved Rock Lodge.

Starved Rock did miss a few benchmarks this year. January missed 100,000 visitors for the first time in more than a decade. No summer month drew more than 300,000 visitors. Attendance was below average in eight of the 11 months through Dec. 1.

Navarro isn’t panicking. Maintaining the record-shattering attendance records during the pandemic simply wasn’t sustainable. Families have too many diverse travel options beyond Starved Rock.

“Overall, people are traveling again,” Navarro said. “During the pandemic, many visited the Starved Rock State Park area for their day trips and family road trips, now people are booking further away from home. While they are still road tripping, we’re seeing increased numbers in the sky and on the rail.

“I’m confident those that visited during the COVID years will be back,” he said, “we’re truly a destination for all seasons.”