version of the Lincoln Home.

Part one of “The Journey” begins with a visit to the circa-1820s replica of Lincoln’s boyhood cabin. Lincoln’s life story is depicted with the use of fullsize replicas of a slave auction; life in New Salem; the future president’s interest in Ann Rutledge and his courtship of Mary Todd; Lincoln’s law office, with sons Willie and Tad playing on the furniture; the 1860 presidential campaign debate at Galesburg; and Lincoln’s farewell to Springfield. Professional actors read Lincoln’s words. One highlight: a simulated television director’s studio where news stories and commercials for Lincoln’s 1860 presidential campaign are continuously played on video monitors as though the election were being held in modern times.

Part two of “The Journey” begins in a replica of the White House’s Blue Room, where Mary Todd Lincoln appears to extend her arms in welcome. Most of this part of the tour is focused on the Civil War. In the Whispering Gallery, visitors hear the whispering voices of Lincoln’s detractors and see editorial cartoons depicting Abe in ways that make modern editorial images seem tame. In a reproduction of what is now known as the Lincoln Bedroom, a gravely ill Willie is shown with his parents at his side as a White House ball goes on just outside the open door. Also included are replicas of the White House kitchen in the basement and the Cabinet Room, where Lincoln discussed his thoughts about his forthcoming Emancipation Proclamation with a divided cabinet. In one room visitors see the president standing at his desk before signing the proclamation as a barrage of words and projected images depict the world that surrounded him when he put pen to paper. The journey concludes with a reproduction of Lincoln’s coffin as it lay in state on the second floor of the first Springfield state Capitol.

In the 250-seat Union Theater, a 17minute layered-projection show, “Lincoln’s Eyes,” depicts the president as each side of the divided nation saw him. The seats tremble when cannons are “fired” into the audience, and other special effects add dimension to the story. Although the show presents the entire picture, the message is intended to inspire viewers by revealing the ob-