Any trip to Springfield, Illinois, should include a visit to one of the several sites dedicated to Abraham Lincoln. Before becoming the 16th president, Lincoln started his career as an attorney in Illinois’ capital city and his tomb is located in the town. Springfield also offers other attractions for the whole family.
The Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum contains the world’s largest collection of documents and artifacts from President Lincoln and his family. The library includes the Emancipation Proclamation signed by the president, a copy of the Gettysburg Address written by Lincoln--one of five in existence--and a stovepipe hat. The facility also serves as a historical repository for the state of Illinois and is available for researchers. The museum includes more personal artifacts and a plaster head of Lincoln by artist Gutzon Borglum, who designed Mount Rushmore. As of January 2011, adult admission was $12, while seniors, children and military were eligible for discounts.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie style is on display at the Dana-Thomas House. Designed in 1902 for a local socialite, the house is now owned by the Illinois State Historic Preservation Agency and is open for tours. Among the 35 rooms occupying 12,000 square feet of living space are original art glass and furniture designed by Wright. Plan for over an hour for a tour and visit to the gift shop. Suggested donations are $5 for adults, $3 for children or $13 for a family as of January 2011.
More than 300 animals representing more than 90 species call the Henson Robinson Zoo home. In addition to exhibits featuring animals from Australia, Africa, Asia and the Americas, the zoo offers a number of education programs. Young children might enjoy the crafts and games in the Zoo Tot program, while teens could opt for the Junior ZooKeeper program, which gives them a chance to see what it’s really like to be a zookeeper. 2011 admission costs were $4.50 for adults, $2.75 for children ages three to 12, and children two and under were free.
Get your kicks in Springfield, which claims three sites on the historic Route 66 tour: Shea’s Gas Station Museum, which features more than 50 years of gas station memorabilia; the Cozy Dog Drive In, a diner which claims to have invented the famous “hot dog on a stick” in 1946; and the Route 66 Drive In theater, which opens at dusk each evening from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
