One of these sites is the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. This is the location of the home of President Lincoln and his family, and includes the entire four-block area surrounding it. Abraham Lincoln purchased this home in 1844 and continued to build upon it until late 1859. All but one of President Lincoln’s four children was born after the purchase of this home. The home has been restored to appear as it did in 1860 and the 4 blocks surrounding it are also currently being restored to appear as it President Lincoln would have remembered it when he lived there.
President Lincoln was instrumental in moving the Illinois state capital to Springfield, Illinois from New Salem, Illinois. Among other sites dedicated to President Lincoln you can visit the Lincoln Depot Historic Site. This is the site of President Lincoln’s farewell address as he left the state of Illinois to serve as President of The United States. You can also visit The First Presbyterian Church that the Lincoln family attended from 1852-1861. The church features the pew used by the Lincoln family while they attended there. The Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site is also located in Springfield, Illinois. Within the monument are contained the bodies of President Lincoln, his wife Mary and 3 of his 4 sons. The other son is buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Not all of the visitor attractions in Springfield, Illinois are dedicated to President Lincoln and his family. There are at least five other locations of interest that you may visit in Springfield, Illinois that are also free to the public. They include the Illinois State Capital Building, the Thomas Reese Memorial Carillon, and the Vachel Lindsay Home. You may also choose to visit the Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This memorial pays tribute to the 2972 Illinois residents who served during the Vietnam War and died or are still missing. The David Strawn Art Gallery is one of many art galleries in Springfield, Illinois and displays the works of local and national artists, with displays that rotate monthly. One other attraction that is free to the public is the Washington Park Botanical Gardens. They are open year round and offer a dome conservatory, a beautiful rock garden (or rockery), a formal rose garden, an iris garden and a twenty-acre floral display. There are also floral displays featuring various floral scents designed for the enjoyment of blind visitors.
This is only a small portion of what you can see in Springfield, Illinois. The Illinois State Museum is also located in this lovely city. If you like architecture, you may also find Frank Lloyd Wright’s Dana Thomas worth visiting. The admission is only $3 and you can tour the first residential home designed by the world famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. This home was built in 1904 and is still in its original condition. For those who are not familiar with the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, it is important to know that when designing any home he not only designed the structure, but everything within it. This makes all of his buildings very unique. This particular home still contains the original light fixtures as well as furniture and décor as designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself.
With all of these things to see you may choose to stay in the city for more than a day. You will have no problem finding a hotel. Springfield, Illinois has thirty hotels to choose from. Nightly rates in these hotel range from $45 per night to around $120 per night. I do recommend researching the hotels in the area before deciding which one you would like to stay in. There are several sites online to help you find the one that is right for you.