Our map will help you find nearby destinations, sites based on your interest, or both! Just choose the types of sites you wish to see and the area you wish to explore. Click on a site to learn more.
Legend
- 8th Judicial Circuit
- Courthouse
- Friends of Lincoln
- Good for Kids
- Guided/Self-Guided Tours
- Historic House
- Historic Site
- Lincoln-Douglas Debate
- Museum
- Passport Site
- Recreational
- Route 66
- Top Destination
- Underground Railroad
- Visitor Information
- Wayside Exhibit
Sites
McLean County Museum of History
200 N. Main Street Bloomington, Illinois 61701
From Kickapoo Indians to early European settlers, from the small town where Lincoln practiced law to today's thriving community, the stories of this uniquely Midwestern community are told at the McLean County Museum of History. The museum traces its roots back to 1892, the year the McLean County Historical Society was founded. Housed inside the old McLean County Courthouse on the Downtown Bloomington square where an up-and-coming Abraham Lincoln practiced law, the museum features permanent and national, awardwinning rotating exhibits that explore the history of Central Illinois.
Metamora Courthouse State Historic Site
113 E Partridge St. Metamora, Illinois 61548
Built in 1845, this building served as the center of county government until the county seat was moved to Eureka in 1896. It is one of the two surviving courthouses on the historic 8th Judicial Circuit traveled by Abraham Lincoln.
The first floor of the two-story brick structure contains a central hall flanked by two exhibit rooms, one displaying artifacts of early local history, the other with exhibits describing the 1850s court system and Lincoln's life on the Eighth Judicial Circuit. On the second floor, the former courtroom and two small chambers are furnished to represent the era during which Lincoln practiced law.
Visitors may take guided tours of the building or view the rooms and exhibits on their own. A ten-minute video history of the building, which includes images and interpretation of the second floor, is available for viewing. The building’s first floor is accessible to persons with disabilities; the second floor is not.
Mount Pulaski Courthouse
113 S. Washington St. Mt. Pulaski, Illinois 62548
Mount Pulaski Courthouse was built in 1848 and served as the Logan County seat of government until 1855. Attorney Abraham Lincoln regularly argued cases in the second-floor courtroom, helping to establish his reputation as both an accomplished practitioner of the law and a gifted speaker. After the county seat was moved to Lincoln in 1855, the former courthouse was used as a city hall, school, and post office. In 1935 the state purchased the building and began efforts to “restore” it to an 1850s appearance.
Museum of the Grand Prairie
950 North Lombard Mahomet, Illinois 61853
Situated in beautiful Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve, the Museum of the Grand Prairie collects, preserves, and interprets the natural and cultural history of Champaign County and East Central Illinois. The museum offers four permanent exhibits: The Grand Prairie Story, Blacksmithing on the Prairie, Champaign County’s Lincoln and an all hands-on Discovering Home. An additional outdoor exhibit, Vanishing Acts: Trees Under Threat, can be found in the inviting Botanical Garden just to the south of the museum. And just as the seasons change in the surrounding natural setting, each year the museum has special exhibits, so be sure to check their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube for updates.
In Champaign County’s Lincoln the visitor enters the county as Lincoln did, in a virtual buggy ride. One can visit the photographer’s studio where Lincoln had his likeness made or the Goose Pond Church where he spoke! Visitors can even chat up B.F. Harris, Lincoln’s Mahomet friend. This exhibit is an immersive and informative experience! Join us!
New Philadelphia National Historic Site
Broad Street Barry, Illinois 62312
New Philadelphia, founded in 1836, is believed to be the first town in the United States legally registered and platted by an African American. Frank McWorter, a slave in Kentucky, bought his own freedom and that of immediate family with surplus funds earned from mining niter and processing saltpeter. He subsequently moved to Illinois and purchased the acreage that would become New Philadephia, selling lots to both African Americans and European Americans. With proceeds from those sales and other sources, McWorter eventually bought the freedom of a dozen more family members.
Just over a century after Free Frank founded the town of New Philadelphia, an act passed by the Senate and House, and signed by President Joe Biden, established the New Philadelphia National Historic Site as a unit of the National Park Service.
The rural community flourished at first, situated near major crossroads at the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. But New Philadelphia fell into decline when the railroad bypassed it in 1869. Dissolved under an official order of 1885, over time the abandoned town reverted to open fields.
Today you can visit the townsite of New Philadelphia. The site includes interpretation and an augmented reality app that allows visitors to explore New Philadelphia as it looked in the 1830's and 1840s.
Old State Capitol State Historic Site
1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza Springfield, Illinois 62701
“A house divided against itself cannot stand...” These immortal words were spoken by Abraham Lincoln in the historic Old State Capitol Hall of Representatives in the turbulent days preceding the Civil War. He tried several hundred cases in the Supreme Court, borrowed books from the state library, and read and swapped stories with other lawyers and politicians in the law library. On May 3 & 4, 1865, Mr. Lincoln’s body lay in state in Representatives Hall as a crowd estimated at 75,000 filed past to pay their last respects.
Postville Courthouse State Historic Site
914 5th St. Lincoln, Illinois 62656
Postville Courthouse is a reproduction of Logan County’s first seat of government. Constructed in 1840, the original building until 1848 was one of the courts in which Abraham Lincoln argued cases while traveling the historic Eighth Judicial Circuit. Long after being converted to residential use, the original courthouse was purchased by Henry Ford and in 1929 moved to his Dearborn, Michigan, Greenfield Village museum. This replica was constructed in 1953 on the original site as part of the city of Lincoln’s centennial celebration.
Vandalia State House State Historic Site
315 W. Gallatin St. Vandalia, Illinois 62471
The Vandalia State House, the fourth Illinois statehouse, served as the capitol from 1836 until 1839 and is the oldest surviving capitol building in the state. The Vandalia State House is significant for its association with Abraham Lincoln, who served in the House of Representatives. In 1974 the State House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
112 N. 6th St. Springfield, Illinois 62701
The Presidential Library contains an overwhelming treasury of carefully preserved Lincoln documents and artifacts, including more than 12 million items from the Illinois State Historical Library.
Whether learning more about the life and times of President Lincoln or following your own family's genealogical ties to Illinois, the Presidential Library is an amazing resource of information for families, historians and scholars.
Alton Museum of History & Art
2809 College Avenue Alton, IL 62002
Winged monsters, explorers, riverboats and a gentle giant. The Alton Museum of History & Art shows the crossroads of American history right here in Alton. The museum is located in the historic Loomis Hall across from the Wadlow statue. Loomis Hall is the oldest building in the state of Illinois continuously utilized for education. One of the most popular rooms, the Wadlow Room, pays tribute to Alton's Gentle Giant" and the World's Tallest Man. The Pioneer Room explores the history of Alton from the Lewis & Clark Expedition to the Civil War with exhibits on Elijah Lovejoy, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates and the "Alton Route" on the Underground Railroad. Allow 45 to 60 minutes to explore this museum.
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