Springfield Tourist Attractions and Sightseeing

(Springfield, Illinois - IL, USA)

Culture, nature, entertainment and more obvious attractions are all available to tourists spending time in Springfield, together with historic buildings a plenty and a number of quality museums.

The expansive Lake Springfield lies on the southeastern outskirts of the city and offers a lengthy list of possible recreational attractions and activities, drawing more than 600,000 visitors on an annual basis. The shoreline is close to 60 miles / 97 km in length, which provides a good indication of the overall size of this giant 1,700-hectare / 4,200-acre municipally owned man-made reservoir.

When the sun is shining, Knight's Action Park soon fills up, with its fun activities, water slides and 'fairground meets theme park' character. For after-dinner entertainment, both the Springfield Municipal Opera and the Sangamon Auditorium stand out, as does the classic Route 66 Drive-In.

Lake Springfield

Address: Long Bay Drive, Springfield, Illinois (IL), USA
Tel: +1 217 786 4032
This lake was formed in the early years of the 1930s, when the Spaulding Dam was built across Sugar Creek (a side tributary linking the Sangamon River). Along the lake's shore are a series of public parks, boat hire possibilities and beachfront areas. Keen anglers come here to fish for giant catfish (blue and flathead), bass (largemouth, smallmouth, white and striped), trout and walleye, along with many other types of fish.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Knight's Action Park

Address: 1700 Recreation Drive, Springfield, Illinois (IL), 62711, USA
Tel: +1 217 546 8881
There is plenty to do here for all of the family, with no less than two miniature golf courses, a driving range, batting cages where you can practice your baseball swing, and a water park with a Caribbean theme. You can expect to find enormous twisting water slides, a wave pool and a 'Wild River', as well as 'Seal Bay', which is suitable for young children and features smaller water slides. Pedalo boats, bumper boats, go-karts, children's fairground-type rides and arcade games all provide additional attractions. And after spending a day here, you can head next-door to experience a real drive-in movie.
Open hours: Knight's Action Park, April, daily - 09:00 to 21:00; early May, daily - 09:00 to 22:00; mid-May to August, daily - 09:00 to 23:00; late-August, Saturday and Sunday - 09:00 to 23:00, Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 22:00; September, daily - 09:00 to 21:00
Caribbean Water Adventure: mid-May to early August, daily - 10:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge, height restrictions apply to rides, season passes available

Muni / Springfield Municipal Opera

Address: 815 East Lake Drive, Springfield, Illinois (IL), 62712, USA
Tel: +1 217 793 6864
This community theater is run on a not-for-profit basis and consists of a large outdoor amphitheater, constructed in a former wheat field in 1950 and later rebuilt in the mid-1960s, following serious fire damage. Each year, four productions are staged here, to seated audiences of 800 or just over. The quiet park-like setting is perfect for family picnicking before the start of the show. In recent years, some of the biggest and most successful productions have included classic musicals such as Annie, Beauty and the Beast, Dreamgirls, Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls, Hairspray, High School Musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Oliver, Peter Pan, and the Wizard of Oz. Of note, it is possible to reserve seats in advance.
Open hours: hours vary according to performance
Admission: charge

Sangamon Auditorium

Address: 1 University Plaza, Springfield, Illinois (IL), 62703, USA
Tel: +1 217 206 6160
Residing on the University of Illinois campus, on the southeastern side of Springfield, the Sangamon Auditorium is a sizeable performing arts entertainment venue that hosts all kinds of shows throughout the year. These include national tours of dance acts, concerts, children's shows and touring Broadway productions, which in the past have included Les Miserables, Memphis and Cats, amongst others. The auditorium opened in the spring of 1981 and hosts in excess of 120 shows annually, being able to seat audiences of around 2,000 people. Called home by both the Springfield Ballet Company and the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, this attraction is manned by a large team of volunteers and hosts many public events.
Open hours: hours vary according to performance
Admission: charge, discounts available for children

Route 66 Drive-In

Address: 1700 Recreation Drive, Springfield, Illinois (IL), 62707, USA
Tel: +1 217 546 8881
For those tourists looking to experience a real American Drive-In movie, the Route 66 Drive-In on Recreation Drive really is a must and offers an air of nostalgia. It is to be found right next to Knight's Action Park. Perfect for families and considerably cheaper than a modern multiplex cinema, Route 66 has two huge screens showing the latest movies. It is well worth arriving early to secure yourself a good space and avoid the queues of cars, which seem to reliably back up roughly ten minutes before the film is due to start. Arriving in plenty of time also means that you can visit the concessions stand, where pizzas, hot dogs, nachos, popcorn and drinks are all available for purchase at sensible prices. There is even a playground for children, although this closes when the double feature begins.
Open hours: hours vary according to movie, films usually start around 21:00 and 23:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for children, children under three years old are free