Madison County Chamber of Commerce Partners with City of St. Charles to Re-Imagine the St. Charles Welcome Center

At the request of the City of St. Charles, the Madison County Chamber of Commerce has begun operation of the St. Charles Welcome Center, located in a former church at 202 E. Main Street, as a satellite to its Winterset location. The Welcome Center is St. Charles has been operated for many years by volunteers and the City felt it was necessary to find a way to staff the center. By partnering with the Chamber, the Welcome Center will be able to remain open during the tourism season (May to October), and the Madison County Chamber of Commerce will be able to reach an additional 5,000 visitors per year (the Winterset Welcome Center greets 12,000 visitors per year on average).

The Chamber of Commerce has hired a part-time staff member to operate the St. Charles Welcome Center, which will be open Memorial Weekend through October. The planned hours of operation are Thursday-Saturday 10am-2pm, and Sunday 12pm-3pm.

The City of St. Charles has notified vendors that have items in the Welcome Center to be retrieved. Once the building is empty, they are planning to open up the back portion of the building and the parking area for a weekly market. This would allow residents in the area to highlight and sell their products to the community. The City of St. Charles continues to welcome suggestions and ideas for future use of the Welcome Center building.

The Madison County Chamber of Commerce is excited about the opportunity to reach even more people visiting the county, provide them with information about area attractions and the Covered Bridges Scenic Byway, and to highlight its members who live in St. Charles by handing out their information to visitors and, in some cases, selling their handcrafted products.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to further our relationship with the community of St. Charles and have an opportunity to greet our visitors as soon as they enter the county. The Madison County Chamber of Commerce is excited about this partnership and to be able to support all of our members and tourists with this new adventure,” says Amara Huffine, Executive Director of the Chamber.

For more information about the Madison County Chamber of Commerce, visit madisoncounty.com, or email Teddi Yaeger at tourism@madisoncounty.com.

About the Madison County Chamber

The Madison County Chamber of Commerce works to promote Madison County as a great place to work, play, live, and do business. Our membership is comprised of a diverse group of individuals, businesses, and organizations dedicated to improving our community and business economy.