Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Overview
"My friends. No one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything." An emotional Abraham Lincoln opened his farewell remarks to the citizens of Springfield, Illinois with these words on February 11, 1861. Lincoln was leaving his friends and neighbors of twenty-four years, and the home that he and his family had lived in for seventeen years, to serve as president of a nation on the verge of Civil War. The Lincoln home, the centerpiece of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, has been restored to its 1860s appearance, revealing Lincoln as husband, father, politician, and President-elect. It stands in the midst of a four block historic neighborhood which the National Park Service is restoring so that the neighborhood, like the house, will appear much as Lincoln would have remembered it.
Activities
Historic Sites
Tour the Lincoln Home: The only access to the Lincoln Home is with a free ticket for a specific tour time. Free tickets and Site orientation are provided at the Visitor Center Information Desk.
Watch a Film: Lincoln Home offers visitors free films highlighting Abraham Lincoln and the home he lived in for 17 years. Abraham Lincoln: A Journey to Greatness, plays on the hour and half-hour. A virtual tour of the house plays on the quarter after the hour and the quarter before. Each film runs between 20-25 minutes.
Explore the Neighborhood: Several exhibits are located within the historic Lincoln-era neighborhood, including the "What a Pleasant Home Abe Lincoln Has," exhibit in the Dean House, which focuses on the Lincoln family's life in Springfield, and the "If These Walls Could Talk," exhibit in the Arnold House, which focuses on historic preservation. Stroll through the four-block historic area to see the houses of the Lincoln neighborhood, and the many wayside exhibits.
Take a Cell Phone Tour: Even after hours you can still tour the Lincoln neighborhood by dialing into the Lincoln's 1860 Neighborhood Cell Phone Audio Tour. Brochures for the tour are available at the Visitor Center, or the phone numbers to call are posted on signs throughout the neighborhood. To get started, just dial 217-213-3003, follow the prompts, and listen to the stories of those who called Abraham Lincoln a neighbor and friend.
You should plan on 1.5 to 2 hours for a comprehensive visit.
Directions
Driving
Interstate 55 provides north-south access to Springfield: Visitors heading south on I-55 should use exit 98B at Clear Lake Avenue. Proceed west toward downtown and turn left on Seventh St. The Visitor Center is located five blocks south on the left side of Seventh Street. The visitor parking lot is past the Visitor Center on the left.
Visitors traveling north on I-55 should use exit 92A at Sixth Street, which is Business I-55, and proceed about four miles north to downtown. Turn right on Capitol Avenue The Visitor Center is located on the left side of Seventh Street. Interstate 72 provides east-west access to Springfield: Visitors traveling west will exit onto Clear Lake Avenue, proceed west toward downtown and turn left on Seventh Street. The Visitor Center is located five blocks on the left side of Seventh Street. Visitors traveling east should use exit 97B at Sixth Street (Business I-55) and proceed north toward downtown. Turn right on Capitol Avenue and right again on Seventh Street.
Phone Numbers
Primary
(217) 492-4241Links
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