Springfield’s museums and historic sites
AeroKnow Museum
A project in process since founder/director Job Conger began creating it in 1978, AeroKnow Museum moved from his home to Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in 2010. The collection focuses on Springfield and Illinois aviation history in its collection of more than 30,000 photos, a collection of magazines dating back to 1910 and an extensive array of built static display model aircraft and model airplane kits dating back to the 1930s. It also contains extensive files about aircraft, aviation people and events worldwide. If you are into aviation history, Conger hopes you will not only visit; volunteers are needed to establish regular open hours.
AeroKnow Museum, 900 Capital Airport Drive, Springfield. www.aeroknow.com.
Visitation by appointment only, by calling 217-544-6122.
Air Combat Museum
The Air Combat Museum showcases the role of military aviation with an array of aviation memorabilia, including the gun sight from a Messerschmitt 109 and historical aircraft, including a P-51 Mustang; a Vought F4U-5 Corsair; and a World War II vintage Ryan PT-22 Recruit.
Air Combat Museum, Capital Airport, 835 Capital Airport Dr., www.aircombatmuseum.org 217-522-2181.
Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Closed noon to 1 for lunch. Visitors are welcome anytime during regular hours.
Group tours are $20, by appointment only, and may be arranged by calling 217-698-3990.
Camp Butler National Cemetery
One of 14 sites designated national cemeteries by President Abraham Lincoln, Camp Butler was also used to train Union troops and served as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Civil War. Some 800 Confederate soldiers are buried here. So, too, are 39 German and 4 Italian military personnel and a Korean spy working for Germany, interred here after unsuccessful efforts to locate their kin after World War II. New to the site is an outside touch-screen kiosk that permits visitors to locate the graves of soldiers buried at Camp Butler and any national cemetery.
Camp Butler National Cemetery, 5063 Camp Butler Rd., 217-492-4070. www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/campbutler.asp. Office open 7:30 a.m-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri. The gate to the cemetery is open 24/7.
Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site
The Dana-Thomas House is currently closed for renovation, but is due to reopen in the summer of 2011.
In 1902, Susan Lawrence Dana, the socialite daughter of a Springfield industrialist, commissioned architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design a new residence around the existing family home. Trusting in Wright’s genius, Dana spared no expense, and Wright went all-out in what’s considered one of his first full expressions of the Prairie Style. When it was finished in 1904, the $60,000 project was the largest residence Wright had built – 35 rooms on three main levels,
encompassing 12,000 square feet of living space. Dana loved to
entertain, and her house was designed with that purpose in mind. The
grand entrance is theatrical; one enters the house as though walking
onto a stage. The three floors contain 16 varying levels.
In
the early 1980s, to preserve this architectural gem, the state of
Illinois acquired the residence from then-owner Thomas Publishing. The
Dana-Thomas House Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes the
house, hosts programs and special events. Now restored to its former
grandeur, the house is operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation
Agency.
The house
contains the largest collection of Wright furniture and art-glass
windows in the world. Its panoramic mural is the only intact painting of
its kind created by internationally renowned artist George Niedecken,
who painted many murals for Wright. The Sumac Gift Shop offers many
Wright-related items.
At
Dana’s request, Wright also designed a library for the Lawrence School
in honor of her father, the late Rheuna Lawrence. Not too long after
Wright designed the space – one of only nine interiors Wright designed
for a building that wasn’t his – the school converted the library into a
classroom. However, Wright’s original construction records were
discovered in his Taliesin West studio, in Scottsdale, Ariz., and the
library was restored in the 1980s. It is now part of the Lawrence
Education Center, 101 E. Laurel St., 525- 3233. It is open to the public
between 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Friday.
Traditional
events at the Dana-Thomas House include special decorations during
Halloween week in October and the decoration of the home in early
Christmas finery during the holidays.
Dana-Thomas House, 301 E. Lawrence Ave., 217-782-6776, www.dana-thomas.org. CLOSED during renovation. Reopening is planned for summer 2011. Visit the website for status and hours.
Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War Museum
The Daughters of Union
Veterans of the Civil War was founded in 1885. In 1969, the organization
built and moved into its current facility at 503 S. Walnut St. The
museum preserves countless artifacts of Civil War history. Several flags
on display were carried into battle. Other items include an impressive
array of rifles, medals, photos, currency, drums, uniforms and letters
from soldiers at the front. The organization also has a complete set of
War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate
Armies. Other volumes relating to the war may be used for research
on-site. A museum gift shop offers a variety of books about the Civil
War. Next to the organization’s museum and office at the corner of
Walnut and Governor is its 2,800-square-foot “American foursquare”
house, built in 1898, converted into a research library, a children’s
room and special exhibit space, as well as quarters for organization
trustees visiting Springfield. A new memorial brick garden in the back
yard was completed in 2010.
Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War Museum, 503 S. Walnut St., 217-544- 0616. http://www.duvcw.org.
Open 9:30 a.m.noon and 1-4 p.m. Tue.-Sat. May 1-Oct. 31 (winter hours:
9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tue.-Sat.). Admission is free,
but donations are accepted.
Edwards Place
Edwards Place is the oldest
house in Springfield that remains standing on its original foundation.
The mansion, built in 1833, was purchased 10 years later by Benjamin S.
and Helen Dodge Edwards. For many years, the mansion was at the center
of Springfield’s social and political life. A rally for Stephen A.
Douglas was held here. In 1913, Edwards Place was deeded to the
Springfield Art Association. Several major collections of art are
maintained in the house. More modern artwork is on view at the SAA
Gallery adjoining the house. The association also offers a variety of
art and art-appreciation classes. The Association’s Michael Victor II
Art Library loans items to the public. Established in 1964 by Devera and
Benjamin Victor in memory of their son, Michael, the library has grown
to 4,000 volumes on art and related topics. In addition to books, the
library contains videos and DVDs on art-related topics. It has books
geared toward children, as well as many resources for those learning to
create art themselves.
Edwards Place, 700 N.
Fourth St., 217-523- 2631, springfieldart.org. Open for tours at 11
a.m.-2 p.m., on the hour, Tue.-Sat. (groups of more than 10 must call
ahead for scheduling). The gallery and library are open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Mon.-Fri. and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. Admission to the gallery is free; a $3
donation is suggested for tours of Edwards Place.
Elijah Iles House
The Elijah Iles House was
built in the 1830s and many believe it 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. Having been moved from two earlier
locations, the house found its current home at the corner of Seventh and
Cook in 2004. The house is thought to have been built by Elijah Iles in
1832. An elevator, accessible from special parking behind the house,
provides access to visitors with limited mobility. The Farrell and Ann
Gay Museum of Springfield History is located in the house’s lower level.
Exhibits have included topics such as Springfield’s early beginnings
and the history of the Illinois Watch Company.
Elijah
Iles House, 628 S. Seventh St. Open 12 p.m.-4 p.m. Wed. & Sat. Apr -
Nov or by appointment. Donations accepted. 217-492-5929 http://www.iles-house.blogspot.com
Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Museum
When John Wilkes Booth
assassinated Abraham Lincoln, he leaped to the stage, caught his heel on
the flag that hung from Lincoln’s box seat, and sprained his ankle on
landing. That flag, bearing the tear inflicted by Booth’s heel, is now
on display at this unique museum, which is within walking distance of
the Lincoln Home, and across the street from the Elijah Iles House. The
collection includes tintype photos by Matthew Brady, rare drawings of
the infamous Andersonville and Liby prison camps and a complete list of
Union soldiers held there during the war. Owned by the National Woman’s
Relief Corps, an auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic, the museum
also maintains many volumes of Civil War history that may be examined
on-site.
Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Museum, 629 S. Seventh St., 217- 522-4373.
Illinois Fire Museum
Once the home of the Illinois State Fair grounds’ own fire station,
this site has been transformed into a museum by the state fire marshal.
Continuing this year are the ever-popular exhibits about fire safety for
the kids and the humongous collection of firefighter-squad patches from
all over the world. The museum has a display of photos of famous and
infamous Illinois fires. The museum is slated to acquire more examples
of antique firefighting equipment, in addition to the 1938 Diamond T
firetruck that has been displayed there for decades. On exhibit in the
Patch Room is a horse-drawn Hanneman Hand Pumper first used in Quincy in
1857 and today on loan from the San Jose, Ill., fire department. When
the state fair isn’t on, parking is plentiful.
Illinois Fire Museum, Building 7, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Central at Main, 217-785-7487, http://www.sfm.illinois.gov/public/firemuseum.aspx.
Open
by appointment only, Mon.-Fri. No appointment is needed during the
Illinois State Fair. Call 217-785-7487. Admission is free.
Illinois State Military Museum
The museum’s permanent
exhibit, “Patriots of the Heartland,” chronicles the actions of the
military in Illinois from its early militias to current military
operations throughout the world.
Located on the grounds of
Camp Lincoln, headquarters of the Illinois National Guard, the Illinois
State Military Museum is dedicated to the state’s military heritage,
from pre-statehood days to today. While you’re there, take a close look
at the target board used by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 to testfire the new
Spencer rifle. Added in late 2007 is a realistic WWII scene depicting
Illinois’ 132nd Infantry in combat on Guadalcanal in 1942. Also
displayed is the artificial leg worn by Mexican Gen. Antonio Lopez de
Santa Ana of Alamo infamy. Displayed outside are restored Vietnam
War-era AH- 1 Cobra and UH-1 “Huey” helicopters and an M60A-3 tank.
Illinois State Military Museum, Camp Lincoln, 1301 N. MacArthur Blvd., 217- 761-3910, www.il.ngb.army.mil/museum. Open 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Tue.-Sat. Admission is free. Donations are welcome.
National Museum of Surveying
It’s no coincidence that
when the one-of-a-kind National Museum of Surveying was opened Sept. 24,
2010, organizers located it just more than one block from The Abraham
Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Its purpose is twofold: to let
visitors know how land surveyors played an important role in the
development of America; and to encourage young people to become
surveyors to meet the nationwide shortage. Staffed by the assistant
director and a team of volunteers, the Museum includes a theater, three
galleries, and a gift and bookstore. Visitors watch an 8-minute video
and then are shown the galleries which tell a fascinating story dating
back to ancient Egypt. Glass cases contain and explain artifacts dating
back to Washington and Jefferson, who also were surveyors before they
became presidents of the United States, and include more recent history
as well. You won’t believe the plumb bob display. The Museum’s “marquee
attraction” is the “Science on a Sphere” exhibit, a 68-inch globe that
shows projected details of earth’s weather, air travel, and details of
our oceans and solar system. Developed by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, it is one of only 45 in the U.S. Children
too young for the tour enjoy supervised play and learning in a room
dedicated to kids. Special children’s activities take place throughout
weekends.
Groups of 15 or more may schedule evening tours after regular closing.
National Museum of Surveying, Inc. 521 E.
Washington
St. 217-523-3130 open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Admission: Adults 16-61 – $5;
Families – $10; Seniors 62 and older – $4; Active military (ID required)
– $4; Kids 5-15 – $3; Students with school group - $2; Kids under
5-free. www.nationalsurveyingmuseum.org.
The Pearson Museum
Located in the Southern
Illinois University School of Medicine, this teaching museum covers
various aspects of healing, including pharmaceutical, surgical, dental
and alternative medicine. Treatments through the centuries come to life
in permanent and changing exhibits. Named for long-practicing
Springfield physician Emmett Pearson, the museum features a dental
exhibit, a complete homeopathic dispensary and an entire 1900 drugstore
from Canton, Ill., with its many apothecary jars and vials. School
groups and practicing physicians often visit the museum to hear
lectures.
Pearson Museum, 801 N.
Rutledge St., 217- 545-4261. Open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tue. Tours by
appointment. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. www.siumed.edu/medhum/pearson.
Shea’s Gas Station Museum
When Bill Shea returned
home from World War II, he started working at his neighborhood Texaco
filling station. When the owner died, Shea bought the station and
operated it nine years until purchasing the Marathon station 850 feet
north, where he continued to sell gasoline until 1982. The Gas Station
Museum is the result of Shea’s not throwing much away during those 60
years. Located on a part of City Route 66, the collection consists of
thousands of oil cans, fuel pumps, a 1952 Airstream travel trailer and a
restored 1984 Ward school bus, a museum in its own right. In 2000 Shea
moved another station office from Middletown, Ill., and restored it to
its 1920s splendor. Perhaps in anticipation of a visit from Clark Kent,
the station has acquired two old-time wooden telephone booths. Shea’s
museum is a popular site on the national Route 66 tour.
Shea’s Gas Station
Museum, 2075 Peoria Rd., 217-522-0475. Open Tuesday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4
p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. - noon. Admission: $2 donation.
Vachel Lindsay Home State Historic Site
“Prairie troubadour” Vachel
Lindsay captured the attention of audiences around the world during
early 1900s. He was born on Nov. 10, 1879, and died on Dec. 5, 1931, and
both events took place in the Lindsay family home, located at 603 S.
Fifth St., across the street from the Illinois Executive Mansion.
Lindsay’s father, Thomas, was a physician; his mother, Catherine, was an
artist and social reformer. Lindsay was supposed to follow in his
father’s footsteps, and after high school he attended Hiram College in
Ohio to study medicine, but he eventually dropped out to attend art
schools in Chicago and New York City.
In the early 20th
century, Lindsay set out on a series of tramps across America. At the
conclusion of one of these trips, his poem “General William Booth Enters
into Heaven,” a eulogy to the founder of the Salvation Army, was
published in Chicago’s Poetry magazine. The poem brought him national
attention, and subsequent works garnered international acclaim. Some of
his best-known poems include “The Congo” and “Abraham Lincoln Walks at
Midnight.”
Lindsay’s
family home, now a state historic site, has been restored to depict life
in 1917, when Lindsay’s parents still played an active role in
community life. Examples of Lindsay’s poetry and art, not a part of the
house at that time, have been added to showcase the poet.
Vachel
Lindsay Home State Historic Site, 603 S. Fifth St., 217-524-0901. Open
Tues. - Sat. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are
accepted.
