Ever wondered how the most beloved President in American history came to be? Why is he so fascinating? Find out in Springfield, Illinois, a hotbed of Lincoln history where you can connect with the man behind the legend. Here are 3 places you need to see!
1. Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Lincoln Home NHS is easy to find in downtown Springfield, Illinois. Tucked in a quiet historic enclave, the Lincoln Home invites you to step into the 19th century story of an uncommon, private, family man on his way to political greatness. The home is also a tribute to the family that stood by him during his darkest moments and greatest triumphs. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Taking a Tour
You can take the 25-minute guided tour of the home every day except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Days. The tour is free, but you must have tickets. A select number of tickets are released each morning and are first-come-first-serve. Tickets cannot be reserved by phone or online. Regardless of the order you choose to see Springfield’s Lincoln sites, you should come to the Lincoln Home visitor center to secure your tickets first.
Only 15 people are allowed per tour group which is a real blessing. The hallways and stairwells in this home are tight! I got to know people I didn’t even want to know. There is very little room to move around, because all of the rooms are stanchioned to prevent you from touching the furnishings.
I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t take pictures while standing inside the rooms. I wanted to feel what it was like to be “in” the room and not just an outsider looking in. The tour was still great, though. Our guide pointed out interesting features throughout the home and every room had a story- even the outhouse.
Between the wallpaper, carpet, and bedding, Lincoln’s master bedroom is a frenzy of color and pattern. My first inclination when I saw it was to have an anxiety attack, but the longer I looked at the room, the more it grew on me. Eclectic? Yes. Gaudy? Maybe. When our tour guide asked how many of us would like to have a bedroom decorated like this, my hand shot up. I got a quizzical, slightly suspicious look from the guide and a few other visitors. Apparently, mine was not the popular opinion!
My Favorites
Abraham Lincoln’s desk in the master bedroom was my absolute favorite thing in the home. Can you imagine the tall, lanky, soon-to-be President sitting at this tiny desk to pen the big ideas that changed a nation? I imagined what it actually looked like when Lincoln was here- surrounded by books and papers and piles of writing in a mess only he could understand as organized. Can’t you see it?
My second favorite part of the home was the iron cookstove in the kitchen. Supposedly, it was Mary Lincoln’s pride and joy. The Lincoln kitchen was all about function, and the cookstove was the centerpiece. In a time when most folks didn’t have the luxury of a cookstove, I can understand why it was cherished. The story goes that Mary loved it so much, she wanted take it with her to the White House. I can relate. My stove is definitely one of my favorite items in my own home. It’s been moved to three residences!
Street Views
Make sure you take time to walk around the neighborhood before you leave. Some of the other historic homes may also be open for tours. While you’re outside, notice the details on the Lincoln’s home. I loved the green iron railings on the second-floor balcony, the artisanship of the corbels under the eaves, and the classy color scheme of the exterior.
Across the street, the miniature replica log cabin wagon is a charming reminder of the 1860 political rally that took place in front of Lincoln’s home. A full-size log cabin was pulled by horses right here before a crowd of 80,000 people when Lincoln was elected President of the United States. What a sight that must have been!
I earned another Junior Ranger badge! Read the end of my post “Junior Rangers Never Grow Old” to find out why Junior Ranger programs are so important. Lincoln’s quote below tells me he would have understood.
“It is not merely for today, but for all time to come that we should perpetuate for our children’s children this great and free government, which we have enjoyed all our lives.”- Abraham Lincoln
2. Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
The most important thing you need to know about the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is DON’T MISS IT! It ties for my 2nd favorite museum ever visited, and I’ve seen the Louvre and the Smithsonian. The Lincoln Museum is pretty darn good!
My husband also rated the Lincoln Museum as fantastic and said he would gladly tour it again. That’s high praise from a guy whose usual museum “tours” consist of people-watching and looking at the exhibits he can see from a bench. Not this time. He looked at everything! (And photo-bombed a few times.)
You could easily spend a full day here, but I would plan for no less than 2-3 hours at the buck naked minimum. You will miss SO MUCH if you try to see it in less time. The museum is open from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Days. The Presidential Library closes at 4:30 PM.
*I was very disappointed the Presidential Library was closed by the time we got finished touring the museum. I’m okay with having a reason to go back, though! I’ll update this post when I do.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $6 for kids between ages 5-15. For what you’ll experience, this is an excellent value! Kids under 4 years of age are free and there are senior and military discounts, too. Go to the museum’s website for more information and to purchase tickets.
Gone are the days when museums display artifacts with placards for visitors to read as the exclusive method of interpretation. The Lincoln Museum uses surround sound, holograms, lifelike models (sometimes eerily lifelike), and artistic displays to make for a lively, engaging visitor experience. That’s why I’ve rated Lincoln Museum as one of the top 3 places you need to see in Springfield.
The exhibits are organized by Lincoln’s stages of life. You work your way clockwise through Lincoln’s boyhood and end with his death. My favorite scene in the museum is the one above with young Lincoln holding a book and daydreaming. I came back to it several times. So well done!
I especially liked the exhibit featuring Mary Todd Lincoln’s dresses. There was a significant amount of information about Mary’s story that I found interesting. She deserves a museum all her own. (Probably has one somewhere.)
There were also exhibits about the Civil War in general, and not to be macabre, but this photo of a skeletal soldier hit me hard emotionally.
A movie with amazing special effects is shown throughout the day in the Union theater. Really worth seeing if you have time, but you absolutely must not leave the museum until you see AT&T’s “Ghosts of the Library”. I promise you’ll be blown away by the 9 minute “Holavision” presentation. Technology literally brings history to life! The man who came on stage and spoke looked so real that some people in the audience actually responded when he asked a question! I’ve never seen anything like it. Astounding!
3. Lincoln Tomb
Lincoln’s final resting place is in the Oak Ridge Cemetery not too far from the Lincoln Home or the museum, so don’t pass up a chance to see it. The tour of the tomb is free and is available 9:00 AM-5:00 PM every day except Martin Luther King Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
You can see the tomb in less than an hour depending upon the length of the line to enter. We went less than 30 minutes before closing and still got inside. The guided tour moves quickly through the very cramped interior of the monument.
It wasn’t until I edited the picture that I realized Gutzon Borglum was the sculptor of this bust of Lincoln. Borglum was Mount Rushmore’s sculptor, too.
*I found out there are special programs offered throughout the year here. The Lincoln Tomb flag ceremony is held every Tuesday evening from June-August. (Check the website for specific dates and times.) I would love to have seen such pomp and circumstance at this special place.Yet another reason to return to Springfield!
Where Would Lincoln Eat?
Cozy Dog Drive-In (Springfield, IL
I have to believe the President who came from such humble beginnings would have loved a good corn dog. If he’d only lived until 1950 when Ed Waldmire, Jr. began serving his famed “cozy dogs” on a stick! Lincoln surely would have been a frequent patron of Cozy Dog Drive-In.
Family-owned Cozy Dog has long been a favorite stop of travelers on Historic Route 66. It’s nothing fancy, but it doesn’t need to be when it has the best corn dogs in the world! The batter on these all-beef dogs is fluffy with the perfect crunch and a little sweetness. I want one right now!
Like most Route 66 establishments I’ve seen so far, Cozy Dog has all manner of memorabilia and various souvenirs for sale. I told myself I did not need a corn dog Christmas ornament, but this vintage packaging caught my eye. The owners had recently cleaned a storage area and found a bunch of 1970’s corn dog wrappers. Instead of tossing them in the trash, they decided to sell them for 50 cents. Definitely one of the most unique souvenirs I’ve ever purchased.
Okay, so that’s the best way I could tie Cozy Dog to Abraham Lincoln. Humble beginnings.
Nesty’s Burger Joint (Taylorville, IL)
After touring the museum and the tomb, we were getting hungry and wanted to try an Illinois signature sandwich- the Horseshoe. We were headed toward Taylorville, and Nesty’s was reputed to serve a good one. Decision made. (I’m only including this blurb about Nesty’s because it gets me to the last crumb on our Lincoln trail.)
I’m not sure why the Horseshoe is a “thing”. We just didn’t get the hype. All I know, is if you’re one of those people who don’t like different foods to touch on your plate, stay away from this one!
A Horseshoe is an open-faced burger (or meat of choice) covered in cheese sauce with French fries on top. I’m glad we knew in advance, because you sure can’t tell just by looking at your plate. I don’t know how a person can tell one Horseshoe from another. There could be anything under there! Sorry, Illinois- not a fan.
Last Stop for Lincoln!
“Last Stop” (Taylorville, IL)
If you’ve found Nesty’s, you’re basically at “Last Stop”, a bronze statue of Lincoln located on the northwest corner of the town’s courthouse in the middle of the town square. We had no intention of finding this statue. We were just walking off our Horseshoe before we got back in the car, but I am so glad we needed that walk. Serendipity!
I wasn’t sure what this statue was depicting at first, because it couldn’t possibly be Abraham Lincoln with a pig, could it? Yes, it is.
Christian County’s first courthouse did not have a foundation, so animals could get right under the courthouse floor! The statue commemorates the day Lincoln was in the Christian County courthouse to argue a case. Pigs were running under the floor and creating such a ruckus that Lincoln couldn’t be heard. He called for a “writ of quietus”- an order for the judge to silence the pigs. Surely, Lincoln had a strong sense of humor to ask for such an order.
Since I work in a courthouse, I really found this hilarious. There is only one judge I know that would seriously entertain such a motion, and I immediately sent him a picture. This is my favorite Lincoln statue yet! If you have time, you should add this to the list of places you need to see!
I still can’t believe we did all of this in one day! Hopefully, you’ll have a chance to experience Springfield’s Lincoln, too. Please tell me all about it when you do!
Have you been to any “can’t miss” Lincoln sites?
Let me know in the comments. I’m ready for more!
From My Bookshelf
Oh, these are so good!
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