Matthiessen State Park is an Illinois state park located a few miles south of the more famous Starved Rock State Park. The main entrances to both parks are located on Illinois State Route 178. The park is near Oglesby, in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. It is named for Frederick William Matthiessen, who had originally owned the 176 acres of property tha…
Matthiessen State Park is an Illinois state park located a few miles south of the more famous Starved Rock State Park. The main entrances to both parks are located on Illinois State Route 178. The park is near Oglesby, in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. It is named for Frederick William Matthiessen, who had originally owned the 176 acres of property that is at the core of the current park. Two mansions, several cottages, a garage, and a private fire station were built here by Matthiessen for his family. It was an estate that hosted a private park known as "Deer Park". The park was donated to Illinois by Matthiessen's heirs, following his death in 1918, and was renamed in his honor in 1943. Since then, land was added, growing the park to 1,938 acres. The last building of the former estate was destroyed in 1981, although some of the concrete stairs leading into the canyon are of the original construction.
Location: Deer Park, LaSalle County, Illinois, United States
Established: 1943
Nearest city: Oglesby, Illinois
Area: 1,700 acres (6.9 km²)
Governing body: Illinois Department of Natural Resources
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