# Grafton Eagle Meet & Greet with World Bird Sanctuary > Event for families in the St. Louis area (MO / IL). Times are Central Time. - When: Sat, Jan 16 · 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM - Where: Grafton Visitor Center, 950 E Main St, Grafton, IL 62037 - Ages: All ages - Price: Free - Organizer: Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau (eagles presented by World Bird Sanctuary) - Official page: https://www.riversandroutes.com/ - Last checked: Tue, Oct 27 Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Nov 2, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-11-01), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/st-louis/activities/grafton-eagle-meet-and-greet-with-world-bird-sanctuary--listing-ecf219d6c6c7b19b3422831e ## About The Grafton Visitor Center at the eastern entrance to town hosts a free meet-and-greet with a live American bald eagle on a mid-January Saturday, at the height of eagle season where the Illinois and Mississippi rivers meet. World Bird Sanctuary handlers bring the eagle, explain how the birds hunt and why they winter here, and answer questions, and visitors can take a photo with the bird. Stop in between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; afterward families can walk downtown Grafton or drive the river road to look for wild eagles in the trees along the water. ## Similar picks in St. Louis - [Alton Eagle Meet & Greets with World Bird Sanctuary](https://grassyknees.com/st-louis/activities/alton-eagle-meet-and-greets-with-world-bird-sanctuary--listing-a33b9b671884a44dcbcea127) — Sun, Jan 10 (+1 more date) · 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM · Alton Visitor Center · All ages · Free · checked Oct 27. Each January, when bald eagles winter along the rivers near Alton, the Alton Visitor Center hosts free meet-and-greets with a live American bald eagle. Handlers from the World… - [World Bird Sanctuary](https://grassyknees.com/st-louis/activities/world-bird-sanctuary--listing-edaef9d21cc8e2291d90b0a9) — Open Daily 8am – 5pm; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. · World Bird Sanctuary, Valley Park · All ages · From $5 · checked Oct 14. Raptor rescue and education center on 305 acres of hardwood forest with aviaries housing birds from around the world along a walking trail. Guest experiences include guided… - [Eagle Ice Festival — Alton](https://grassyknees.com/st-louis/activities/eagle-ice-festival-alton--listing-a92a2b12b3aca63a37cdf9f5) — Sat, Jan 9 · 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM · Lincoln-Douglas Square, Alton · All ages · Free · checked Oct 27. The 18th Eagle Ice Festival celebrates the bald eagles that winter where the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri rivers meet. At Lincoln-Douglas Square in downtown Alton, families… - [Bald Eagle Days at Pere Marquette State Park](https://grassyknees.com/st-louis/activities/bald-eagle-days-at-pere-marquette-state-park--listing-e0ccb55d663cb9ad9f37eff6) — Wed, Jan 20 · 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM · Pere Marquette State Park Visitor Center, Grafton · checked Oct 27. Pere Marquette State Park's Bald Eagle Days pair a classroom-style program with a guided drive to see wild eagles wintering along the Illinois River. Starting at 8:30 a.m. at the… - [Preschool Science Series Learning Lab](https://grassyknees.com/st-louis/activities/preschool-science-series-learning-lab--listing-3ce92fb6c1cdffbad9131b1e) — Room open 9:30–11:30 AM on scheduled days (calendar shows Wed Oct 14 – Sat Oct 17… · Saint Louis Science Center · Free · checked Oct 14. Free drop-in Learning Lab for small scientists and their caregivers with hands-on experiments, playful STEM stations, open-ended materials and take-home ideas; each session has a… - [Gateway Arch National Park](https://grassyknees.com/st-louis/activities/gateway-arch-national-park--listing-7c7d4ca59560b622fad2d458) — Visitor Center/Museum 9:00am - 6:00pm daily (spring, fall, winter); grounds… · Gateway Arch National Park (Gateway Arch Visitor Center & Museum) · All ages · Free · checked Oct 14. National park on the riverfront with the free Museum at the Gateway Arch, ranger-led tours, the Tram Ride to the Top (630 feet, allow 45–60 minutes, not ADA accessible), a… ## More for families - [Things to do with kids in Grafton, IL](https://grassyknees.com/st-louis/towns/grafton-il) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/st-louis/towns/grafton-il.md) - [This weekend in St. Louis](https://grassyknees.com/st-louis/this-weekend) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/st-louis/this-weekend.md) - [Things to do with kids in St. Louis](https://grassyknees.com/st-louis) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/st-louis.md)