Lincoln's home in downtown Springfield has proved irresistible to visitors since it first opened to the public in 1887. Constructed in 1839 and beautifully restored to its 1860 appearance, the 12-room, Greek Revival house was Abraham and Mary Lincoln's home for 17 years. Today, the Lincoln's home draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Admission to tour the house is free, but tickets are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Each tour is limited to no more than 17. Pick up a ticket inside the Lincoln Home Visitor Center to sign up for the 20-25 minute tour inside the house.

The ranger-led tour focuses mainly on the Lincoln family in the seventeen years they resided in the house on the corner of Eighth and Jackson Streets. Lincoln's rise as a successful lawyer and politician, along with his 1860 presidential campaign are also explored. Follow in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln as you explore the historic neighborhood surrounding his home of seventeen years. Restored to its 1860 appearance, the four-block area contains twelve historic structures dating back to Lincoln's time.

As you stroll through the neighborhood, learn about Mr. Lincoln's neighbors and daily life in 1860s Springfield. The Dean House and the Arnold House are open to the public and contain exhibits on the Lincoln Home and the restoration and preservation of the neighborhood.

www.nps.gov/liho/index.htm

Address: 426 South Seventh St., Springfield, IL	Contact: (217) 492-4242, ext. 221
Hours: Open Daily, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm

The Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices are within the only remaining building in which Abraham Lincoln maintained a law office. The site consists of the surviving portion of a three-story brick commercial block constructed in 1840-41. Exterior details reflect the then-popular Greek Revival architectural style. Though designed as a commercial structure, portions of the building were rented for offices and other purposes. Lincoln practiced law in the building from 1843 to about 1852. During his 1847-1849 tenure as a United States Congressman, partner William H. Herndon (1818-1891) maintained the practice. In 1978 the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a part of the Central Springfield Historic District.

The “restored” building’s first floor visitor center consists of an exhibit gallery and audiovisual theater, along with a room interpreted as an 1840s post office facility. On the second floor are rooms representing those used by the federal court, and on the third floor a "common room" and three lawyers’ offices. Two of the offices were used by Lincoln and his partners, prominent local attorneys Herndon and Stephen T. Logan (1800-1880). The recreated offices are notable for the plainness and disorder that were remembered by Lincoln associates.

Lincoln-Herndon Law Office Part 2

After viewing an orientation video, visitors receive a twenty-minute guided tour of the historic rooms. On Wednesdays during the summer months, a costumed interpreter portrays Lincoln’s law clerk. Exhibits in the visitor center provide information on Lincoln’s legal career and life on the Eighth Judicial Circuit. The building is fully accessible to persons with disabilities. The Tinsley Dry Goods Store gift shop is contiguous to the Lincoln-Herndon building.

www.oldstatecapitol.org/office.htm

Address: Corner of 6th & Adams St., Springfield, IL	Contact: (217) 785-7289
Hours: May - Labor Day in September, Mon - Sun : 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Post Labor Day in September - April, Tues - Sat : 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Lincoln-Herndon Law Office Part 1

The Old State Capitol is a reconstruction of Illinois’ fifth statehouse, the first to be located in Springfield. The building served as the seat of state government and a center of Illinois political life from 1839 to 1876. During the dramatic years leading to the Civil War, the building had an important role in the political struggle between Stephen A. Douglas (1813-1861) and Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). Lincoln visited the building frequently as both a lawyer and a politician, serving in the building during his last term in the Illinois House of Representatives and delivering the famous 1858 “House Divided” speech in Representatives Hall, and using the governor’s rooms as a headquarters during the 1860 presidential campaign. The building was the scene of the assassinated President’s final laying-in-state on May 3-4, 1865.

The Greek Revival-style building was completely reconstructed in the 1960s. The first floor is composed of a central hall flanked by rooms interpreting government offices, two libraries, and the supreme courtroom. A complex of first-floor rooms also provides an audiovisual theatre and staff offices. Recreated second floor spaces include a magnificent rotunda, legislative chambers, and smaller offices and meeting rooms. The building is located in the center of a large landscaped yard surrounded by a replica of the original 1850s ornamental iron fence. In 1961 the building was designated a National Historic Landmark and in 1966 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Old State Capitol Part 2

Visitors to the Old State Capitol may take a 30-minute interpreter-conducted tour or view the rooms on their own. Also available are a 15-minute orientation video on the building’s history. The building is fully accessible to persons with disabilities.

www.oldstatecapitol.org

Address: Old State Capitol Plaza Near 6th & Adams Sts, Springfield, IL	Contact: (217) 785-7960
Hours: May 15-Labor Day in September, Mo-Su 9-5 pm Post Labor Day in September-May 14, Tu-Sa 9-5 pm Old State Capitol Part 1

Dedicated in 1874, Lincoln Tomb is the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, his wife Mary, and three of their four sons, Edward, William, and Thomas. The eldest son, Robert T. Lincoln, is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Also on the site is the public receiving vault, constructed ca. 1860, the scene of funeral services for Abraham Lincoln on May 4, 1865. In 1960 the Tomb was designated a National Historic Landmark and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

Interior rooms of the Tomb are finished in a highly polished marble trimmed with bronze. The south entrance opens into a rotunda, where two corridors lead into the burial chamber. The rotunda and corridors contain reduced-scale reproductions of important Lincoln statues as well as plaques with excerpts from Lincoln’s Springfield farewell speech, the Gettysburg Address, and his Second Inaugural Address. Lincoln’s remains rest in a concrete vault ten feet below the marble floor of the burial chamber. A massive granite cenotaph marking the gravesite is flanked by the Presidential flag and flags of the states in which the Lincoln family resided. Crypts in the chamber’s south wall hold the remains of Lincoln’s wife and three of their sons.

The Oak Ridge Cemetery public receiving vault, the scene of President Lincoln’s funeral, is located at the base of a hill north of the Tomb. For tour groups of fifteen or more please acquire a reservation by calling the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-545-7300

Address: Oak Ridge Cemetery 1441 Monument Ave., Springfield, IL	Contact: (217) 782-2717
Hours: May - Labor Day in September, Mon - Sun : 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Post Labor Day in September - November, Tues - Sat : 9:00 am - 5:00 pm December - February, Tues - Sat : 9:00 am - 4:00 pm March - April, Tues - Sat : 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Springfield's Oak Ridge Cemetery is the second most visited cemetery in the United States, surpassed only by Arlington National Cemetery. This is for one reason: it contains the tomb of our most revered president, Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln's Tomb serves as the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, his wife and all but one of his children, Robert, who is buried at Arlington. Yet Oak Ridge contains several other historical figures, including five governors of Illinois. Its hilly terrain makes it an exceptionally beautiful cemetery.

The Cemetery also has exceptional memorials for the Korean War, World War II and the Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

www.springfield.il.us/Public%20Works/OakRidgeCemetery.htm

Address: 1441 Monument Ave., Springfield, IL	Contact: (217) 789-2340
Hours: Daily: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum

Occupying an entire city block in downtown Springfield, Illinois, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum is the largest Presidential Museum. With over 50,000 square feet devoted to state-of-the-art full-immersion exhibits, special effects theaters and displays of original artifacts, it is also the first major experience museum of its kind.

Instead of the traditional museum design of static exhibits with flat images and dead objects in glass boxes, this Museum employs 21st century technology to bring 19th century history to life. Bringing education, storytelling, and advanced entertainment technology together in a truly innovative way, the museum invites, guides, and envelops visitors in the life and times of Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library

Visitors and scholars have access to a great and extensive collection of materials relating to Abraham Lincoln and his era through a variety of venues. Included as well is an Education Department.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is the, 98,000-square-foot building is the new home of the Illinois State Historical Library and its world-renown Henry Horner Lincoln Collection. It houses 12 million books, documents and artifacts, 47,000 of which are artifacts from the Lincoln Collection, the world's largest. This collection includes, among other artifacts, an original copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th amendment outlawing slavery, the Gettysburg Address, and Lincoln’s presidential briefcase, all of which had been stored in a vault for more than 100 years. These, as well as other items are on rotating display at the museum.

Library and Museum Part 2

Address: 212 N. Sixth Street, Springfield, IL 62701	Contact: (800) 610-2094 (217) 782-5764
Hours: Museum: Mon - Sun : 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Library: Mon - Fri : 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Admission: There is an admissions fee for the library.

Library and Museum Part 1

Visit the Illinois State Museum on the south side of the State Capitol complex. Permanent and changing exhibits tell the story of Illinois’ land, life, people, and art. A completely new natural history hall, Changes: Dynamic Illinois Environments reveals the exciting changes in Illinois environments over the last 500 million years. Interactive elements, thrilling audio and video effects, life-sized dioramas and thousands of authentic fossils and specimens illustrate the processes that shaped and continue to transform Illinois’ diverse environments. Children can see, hear, and touch in A Place for Discovery. The Museum Store offers a unique shopping experience with a wide selection of high-quality crafts made by juried Illinois artisans, as well as educational toys, scientific games, books, and gifts.

Learn more about Lincoln’s Illinois by spending a few hours in this wonderful museum!

www.museum.state.il.us/

Address: 502 S. Spring St., Springfield, IL	Contact: (217) 782-7386
Hours: Mon - Sat : 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Sun : 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm Closed: New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.

Nestled a short jaunt between the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the Abraham Lincoln National Home Site, the Lincoln Library is the largest public library in Sangamon County. Maintaining a main branch in addition to a Southeast and a West Branch, this Library system offers not only fully up-to-date resources for research but is also home to the Sangamon County Historical Society and the Sangamon Valley Collection. This collection provides in-depth resources for the study of Springfield, Sangamon County and the eleven adjacent counties. The collection was established in 1970. Examples of items to be found here are: photographs, city and county directories, high school yearbooks, city and county documents, long-range planning reports and surveys, histories, and maps.

The Sangamon Valley Collection provides in-depth resources for the study of Springfield, Illinois, Sangamon County and the eleven adjacent counties. The collection, established in 1970, contains materials from the past and present.

http://www.lincolnlibrary.info/

Address: 326 S. Seventh St., Springfield, IL	Contact: (217) 753-4900
Hours: Mon - Wed : 10:00 am - 8:00 pm Thurs - Fri : 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Sat : 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Illinois Visitor Center

Delivering information to visitors that reflects not only Springfield area historic sites and attractions but Illinois tourism as a whole. The Illinois Visitor Center at Union Station is strategically located across from the ALPLM. Additional services available on-site include booking of hotel accommodations and special event packages that are scheduled across Illinois.

Union Square Park

The 86,000 square-foot Union Square Park is located directly across the street from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and has been the location of many free events and performances, including the 33rd Illinois Vol. Regiment Band and the 10th Illinois Vol. Cavalry Regiment Band (both Civil War re-enactment groups); Mary Lincoln’s Strawberry Party (a summertime family event); July 4th celebration, New Century Orchestra, Springfield International Folk Dancers, and many more musical performances throughout the year.

Look for even more events and performances at Union Square Park in the future.

www.presidentlincoln.org

Address: Visitors Center: 500 E. Madison, Springfield, IL Union Square Park: 212 N. 6th St., Springfield, IL	Contact: (217) 557-4588
Hours: Daily: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Union Square Park is open from 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

“No one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feelings of sadness at this parting.” Bittersweet words spoken by President-elect Abraham Lincoln as he departed his beloved Springfield for an uncertain future in Washington, D.C. Today, the Great Western Depot still stands welcoming visitors who want to learn more about the man who left Springfield behind to guide the nation through Civil War. The depot, owned and operated by The State Journal-Register, is located two blocks from Lincoln Home National Historic Site, and staffed daily by National Park Service rangers between May and August. The Depot contains restored waiting rooms (one for ladies and one for the luggage and tobacco-spitting men), exhibits of people and places dear to Lincoln, and a state-of-the-art video presentation recreating the 12-day journey to his inauguration. Make the Great Western Depot a stop on your journey through historic Springfield.

The Great Western Depot is owned and operated by the State-Journal Register and staffed by the National Park Service.

www.nps.gov/liho/great-western-depot.htm

Address: 10th and Monroe, Springfield, IL	Contact: (217) 544-8695 (217) 788-1356
Hours: Daily Apr - Aug : 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

This site is the birthplace and long-time home of poet (Nicholas) Vachel Lindsay. Lindsay was internationally known in the early-twentieth century for his unique poetry, the artwork he created to illustrate the poetry, and animated performances of his work. Two of his best-known volumes are The Congo (1914) and Collected Poems (1938).

The Vachel Lindsay Home, located just south of the Illinois Executive Mansion, is a two-story frame structure erected prior to the Civil War. The house was originally owned and occupied in the middle 1850's by Clark M. Smith, a leading Springfield merchant. Smith is believed to have moved into this dwelling soon after his marriage to Anna Maria Todd, younger sister of Mary Todd, wife of Abraham Lincoln. It is not only contemporary with the period, but is believed to have had Lincoln as a guest on more than one occasion.

Lindsay’s father purchased the house in 1878 and in 1893 constructed a rear addition to the original L-shaped building. The first floor contains an entry hall, two parlors, library, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, and pantry. The second floor comprises a central hall, sewing room, five bedrooms, bathroom, and trunk room. In 1971 the home was designated a National Historic Landmark and in 1972 was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Address: 603 S. 5th St., Springfield, IL	Contact: (217) 524-0901
Hours: Tues - Sat : 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

A nature center with five miles of wooded trails lead you on a journey through the Illinois landscape. Depending on the season you visit, you could discover springtime dogwoods in full bloom, colorful wildflowers of summer, burnished autumn leaves, or snow-covered maple trees bursting with sap. Located on the shores of Lake Springfield and designed by landscape architect, Jens Jensen.

The Garden represents the landscape Abraham Lincoln would have known growing up and living in the Midwest, containing plants native to the three states he lived in -- Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois.

Designed by internationally-known landscape architect Jens Jensen, this 100-acre site features six miles of trails, footbridges, a pond, eight stone council rings, and dozens of wooden benches inscribed with Lincoln quotes.

The woodland and prairie garden beckons to thousands of visitors year round -- families, birdwatchers, photographers, artists, nature enthusiasts, and school children -- to learn about nature and enjoy the wildflowers, trees and wildlife.

www.lmgnc.org/

Address: 2301 E. Lake Dr., Springfield, IL	Contact: (217) 529-1111
Hours: Gardens: Sunrise - Sunset Nature Center: Tue - Sat : 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Sun : 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

The Elijah Iles House was built about 1837 and is Springfield’s oldest house. There is evidence that it was designed by the same architect who designed the Old State Capitol. It is one of Illinois’ earliest residences in the Greek Revival style of architecture. Two of Springfield’s most famous citizens, Abraham Lincoln and poet Nicholas Vachel Lindsay, are known to have visited the house. Lincoln spent time in the house as a guest of Robert Irwin and he enjoyed many a card game in the front parlor. Because of the house’s impressive architecture and rich history, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

The house first stood on the southeast corner of Sixth and Cook streets facing west. Its back yard sloped down to a nearby creek, the Town Branch. The slope allowed for a walk-out lower level that contained a kitchen, dining room, servant quarters and storage space. In 1910, the upper wood frame portion of the house was cut in half and moved from that first site to 1825 South Fifth Street. The lower brick level was left behind and probably destroyed with the construction of the First Christian Church on the site.

www.springfield.il.us/Commissions/Histtours/ElijahIlesHouse.asp

Address: 628 South 7th St., Springfield, IL	Contact: (217) 492-5929
Hours: Call for hours.

On April 10, 1821, the Sangamon County Commissioners entered into a contract with John Kelley for $42.50 to build the first Sangamon County Courthouse. The specifics were that the logs were to be 20 feet long, the house one story high, plank floor, a good cabin roof, a door and a window cut out; the work to be completed by May 1st, of 1822. The first proceeding was held there on June 4th and Kelley was paid $42.50 and $5.00 for "extras."

In 1830, the county ordered that a second, brick courthouse be built near the middle of the square and it was completed in 1831 at a cost of $6,841.00. It was a two-story square, brick building, with a hip roof, and cupalo on top, similar to the court houses of the area from that period. In 1831, the old court house and the lot were sold to John B. Moffett for $626.00.

Before long, in 1845, when a lot on the southeast corner of Sixth and Washington streets was purchased for roughly $6000 by the county and another brick courthouse, with stone portico and trimmings, was built, by order of county officials. This immense and picturesque structure of Doric architecture occupied the half block on the east side of the square. The building cost $9,680 and was used by the county from 1845 to January, 1876, when the State moved its offices to the present State capitol and vacated the public square, which had been returned to the county in 1869, nearly seven years before. The county then moved into the present building, and the court house was demolished and the lots were sold off in 1877.

From 1876 until 1966, the Old State Capitol was the Sangamon County Courthouse. During this time the building was extensively altered. In 1839, a two-floor building had been large enough to hold the entire governmental structure of Illinois; but n 1898-99 Sangamon County jacked up the historic structure 11 feet, added a third floor underneath it, and tore out and rebuilt the interior to hold circuit court rooms and office space, in order to accommodate the growth of the area.