Passport Stamp Program

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln left the only home he ever owned to serve as the 16th President of the United States.  The Lincoln Home is completely restored to its 1860 appearance and reveals much about Lincoln as a husband, father, neighbor and politician.  Tours of this national treasure are conducted by National Park Service Rangers.

Free tickets are required for house tours and may be obtained at the Lincoln Home Visitors Center – which also houses a scaled model of 1860 Springfield.

A variety of historic exhibits are located throughout the four-block neighborhood surrounding the Lincoln Home and can be viewed on a self-guided basis.

Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, part of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, preserves the 19th-century home of Thomas Lincoln and Sarah Bush Lincoln, father and step-mother of our 16th president. Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer living in Springfield by the time his parents moved here, but his burgeoning law practice often brought him to Charleston and the farm, especially during the 1840s. Abraham Lincoln also owned a portion of the farm which he deeded back to his father and step-mother for their use during their lifetime.

Today Lincoln Log Cabin is an 86-acre historic site that is owned and operated by the State of Illinois, managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Sites. The site includes an accurate reproduction of the Lincolns’ two-room cabin that was reconstructed on the original cabin site in 1935-1936 as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) project. The National Park Service oversaw the creation of Lincoln Log Cabin State Park with CCC labor. The CCC camp, Camp Shiloh, was located within the park’s boundaries and its enrollees were WWI veterans. Today the ten acres in the northwest corner of the park where Camp Shiloh was located is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A working, living history farm has been developed around the cabin, and a second historic farmstead, that of Stephen and Nancy Sargent, has been moved to the site to help broaden visitors’ understanding both of life in the 19th century and Lincoln’s legal practice in the community. The site also includes the Moore Home, where Lincoln bid farewell to his family in 1861 before leaving to assume the Presidency, and the gravesites of Thomas and Sarah Lincoln at the Thomas Lincoln Cemetery.

Within the walls of this stunning granite monument is the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, his wife, Mary and three of their four sons. (Lincoln’s oldest son, Robert, is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.)

Designed by famed sculptor, Larkin Mead, and completed in 1874, this beautiful landmark is nestled in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

At the entrance to the Tomb itself, there is a bronze bust of Mr. Lincoln where visitors from around the world have stopped to rub the nose of the statue for good luck. 

The Macomb Area Conventions and Vistitors Bureau welcomes you to our historic and vibrant city, sometimes known as 'Forgottonia.' As a tourist destination, Forgottonia, IL is hard to beat with it's vibrant mix of unique shopping, arts & entertainment, casual & fine dining, events & attractions and sports & leisure, coupled with fertile fields, historic landmarks, Amish country and rustic small-town charm. All this is set against a backdrop of rural splendor and panoramic pastoral beauty.

If you're considering a family trip, planning an event, or just looking for a perfect weekend getaway, we're the place to Relax, Explore & Enjoy. That's what makes Forgottonia unforgettable.

What is "Forgottonia?"

Variously described as a new U.S. state or an independent republic, Forgottonia is the name given to a 16 county region in West Central Illinois in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  The Republic of Forgottonia eventually became a fictional political secession movement in the early 1970s conceived by McDonough County residents because of a lack of support for transportation and infrastructure projects in the area.  

According to a 2010 article in the McDonough County Voice, “The idea is that we would secede from the Union, immediately declare war, surrender, then apply for foreign aid.” 

Forgottonia never did secede, but the movement succeeded. It drew national attention to the region’s transportation and infrastructure plight. Amtrak brought trains back to the area in 1972 and highways have seen some improvement since Forgottonia put itself on the map.

The Prairie Years and Victorian Era in Central Illinois come to life in exhibits at the Macon County History Museum. Their exhibits tell the story of Abraham Lincoln’s connection to Decatur and Macon County with displays of one of the only two matching chairs that Lincoln owned and used in his Springfield, IL law office.  Also included in the exhibits are a plaster cast of Lincoln’s head and hands, campaign items and items from his nomination for the presidency in Decatur.

The Prairie Village on the museum grounds is home to such historic buildings as the reconstructed courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced in the 1830's, an 1850’s log house, an 1860’s one-room school, a smithy and a print shop.

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.

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.

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!

The Old Lincoln Courtroom & Museum in Beardstown is one of the most exceptional sights on the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Trail.

The Beardstown Historical Museum, housed in the Courthouse, has some very fine collections, including historically and culturally significant objects and artifacts relating to the community, the central Illinois region, and our Native American Heritage.

Do you know that the courtroom in Beardstown where Lincoln defended Duff Armstrong in the famous Almanac Trial is the only courtroom where Lincoln practiced that is still used as a courtroom to this day?

“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.