Lincoln’s Tomb is located in Oak Ridge Cemetery and is the second most visited cemetery in the nation - Photo by Ericka Sturgeon
Located a few blocks west from the Lincoln home, the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices are where Abraham Lincoln and William Herndon practiced law - Photo by R.L. Nave
stacles Lincoln overcame in his effort to serve his country. The theater is also available for rent to organizations that want to use it for activities.
A climate-controlled Treasures Gallery displays priceless artifacts from Lincoln’s life. These displays change throughout the year, so what you see in April may have been replaced by something else by September.
The “SBC Ghosts of the Library” theater presentation shares stories about other lives in Lincoln’s era. “Ask Mr. Lincoln” is a touch-and-learn display that allows visitors to make selections from a variety of questions about the man and his family and hear the answers spoken as the appropriate images appear on screen.
The Illinois Gallery hosts a changing variety of presentations about Illinois history and art.
On the south side of Jefferson Street from the museum is the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. Admission is free, but all visitors must sign in. First-time visitors should take the guided tour, which is the best way to become acquainted with what the library offers to serious students and historians. Those assets include the Steve Neal Reading Room, featuring thousands of books about world history and historical figures. The Newspaper Microfilm Area offers access to more than 5,000 newspaper titles from every Illinois county, many from the 19th century. The audiovisual department preserves photographs, broadsides, posters, oral history and more. Unpublished resources are accessible through the Manuscript Reading Room. Copies of all resources are available by special arrangement.
Visit the newly restored visitor center at Union Station on the northwest corner of Sixth at Jefferson. Relax and watch the world go by in scenic Union Park. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, 212 N. Sixth St., 217-558-8844, www.alplm.org. Museum hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily (ticket sales end at 4 p.m.). Library hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Research hours: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday. Admission to the library and gift shop is free. Museum admission is $10 for visitors ages 16-61; $7 for seniors 62 and older, active duty military personnel, and students with a school or college ID; $4 for children 5-15; free for children under age 5. Admission is discounted for prearranged group and school tours. Union Station is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily and the park, from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
The best place to start your tour of the Lincoln Home site is at the visitor center, 426 S. Seventh St. That’s where you get free admission tickets to the residence, which is located just a short walk away at Eighth and Jackson streets.
The center includes a theater, a gift shop and a Lincoln-themed bookstore. A video tour of the Lincoln home plays throughout the day in the theater. It’s worth a look before or after visiting the home. Also, while waiting for your tour, or after, be sure to visit the “What a Pleasant Home Lincoln Has” exhibit at the Dean House and “If These Walls Could Talk: Saving an Old House” exhibit at the Arnold House. Both houses are across the street from Lincoln residence and are self-guided; no tickets required.
The site is open year-round — for special events, check out the calendar in the back of this Visitor Guide. The area is cared for by the National Park Service and includes not only the house Lincoln and his family lived in for 15 years (1844-1861) but also the restored 19th-century neighborhood surrounding it. The neighborhood takes up four blocks. The sidewalks and streets have been remodeled to resemble post-1860s Springfield, complete with gaslights and a wooden walkway. Lincoln’s home is the most recognizable of all the sites. Best of all, it’s open, free of charge, to the public.
The tour of Lincoln’s home isn’t long, but it varies, depending on your
