SitesFind a site within the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area
EventsThe Heritage Area has a lot of events for you to discover
NewsKeep up on the most recent news from Looking for Lincoln
Current News
Spirit of Lincoln Stocking Stuffers
Saturday, December 19, 2020
Still looking for a perfect stocking stuffer for that Lincoln or history buff?
Kathryn Harris, SJR First Citizen 2020
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Congratulations to Kathryn Harris for being selected First Citizen 2020 by the State Journal Register. We can't think of anyone more deserving of this honor, plus she's a great friend of Looking for Lincoln.
Spirit of Lincoln performs at the Hoogland
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
Springfield Theatre Centre announces the premiere of their recently filmed theatrical production, The Spirit of Lincoln, written by Ken Bradbury and Roger Wainwright, taking place November 13-15, 2020.
Upcoming Events
A Conversation with Frederick Douglass
Wednesday, January 27, 2021 7:00 PM
Join us for a conversation with Frederick Douglass regarding advocating for the creation of the US Colored Troops to fight in the Civil War for the abolishment of slavery. The presentation will include excerpts for speeches by Frederick Douglass and President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Douglass was portrayed by Bob Davis.
This program will conclude with a question and answer session from the audience.
This program is funded by Illinois Humanities. It will livestream on Looking for Lincoln's Facebook page and YouTube Channel.
Songs of the Underground Railroad
Wednesday, March 24, 2021 7:00 PM
Looking for Lincoln Conversations welcomes internationally known performer, lecturer and cultural ambassador, Reggie Harris as he performs the music of the Underground Railroad and discusses the impact of that historic route to freedom! A descendent of a black enslaved women and her white master in Lincoln’s time, Reggie has spent his life engaged in bridging the same racial divide that caused the civil war. The show will be hosted by musician and folklorist Chris Vallillo.
This program is funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council Agency and will livestream on Looking for Lincoln's Facebook page and YouTube Channel.
Lincoln's Last Train Ride
Wednesday, April 21, 2021 7:00 PM
Join Looking for Lincoln Conversations on the 156th Anniversary of the Lincoln Funeral Train. Host Chris Vallillo will have a conversation with Bill Thomas, Ron Keller and Justin Blandford to discuss Abraham Lincoln’s Funeral Train through the eyes of the three communities where Lincoln lived and worked Atlanta, Lincoln, and Springfield, Illinois.
Bill Thomas currently serves as the Chairman of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership and lives in Atlanta, Illinois. Ron Keller is the Associate Professor of History and Political Science at Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois and Justin Blandford is the Superintendent of the State Historic Sites in Springfield Illinois. This program is funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council Agency and will livestream on Looking for Lincoln's Facebook page and YouTube Channel.
Regional Highlight
Abraham Lincoln started his political career in 1834 as an Illinois state legislator in Vandalia, Illinois. The community of Vandalia was the Illinois State Capitol from 1820-1839. Lincoln would spend eight years in the state legislature and eventually vote to move the state capitol to Springfield, Illinois.