ALTO PASS, Ill. (WJPF) – Bald Knob Cross has been awarded a grant to launch the Top of the Cross Experience.

Bald Knob Cross has been awarded a $200,000 matching tourism grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Construction will soon begin on an interior lift that will carry visitors to the top of the Cross. 

The Top of the Cross Experience will feature a single-car tram inside the 111-foot monument. The lift will be wheelchair accessible and allow visitors to exit to an enclosed observation deck to enjoy the panoramic views. 

This project fulfills a long-standing request from visitors and honors the founders’ original vision.

The total construction cost is just over $500,000.