Springfield Museums

(Springfield, Illinois - IL, USA)

For visitors with a keen interest in learning about the past and history of the Illinois state capital, Springfield obliges in the form of a number of well-thought out museums.

Standing side by side and connected by a skybridge over East Jefferson Street, the award-winning Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library are two must-see attractions in this endearing state capital.

Located within the Vinegar Hill neighborhood and on the northern side of downtown Springfield, the Illinois State Museum was established as long ago as 1877 and resides just down the road from the stately Illinois State Capitol Building. There are various themed collections on display, including natural history objects, paleontology exhibits and realistic dioramas displaying the life of Native American Indians. Also worthy of mentioning are both the Dana Thomas House and the Lincoln Herndon Law Office, which are relatively close to each other by foot and roughly 15 minutes apart.

Dana Thomas House (DTH)

Address: 301 East Lawrence Avenue, Springfield, Illinois (IL), 62703, USA
Tel: +1 217 782 6776
The Dana Thomas House stands on East Lawrence Street, on the northern side of downtown Springfield and just a couple of blocks to the west of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. This striking and extremely famous building was built between the years of 1902 and 1904, being designed by acclaimed American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867 to 1959) and known for its distinctive Prairie-style architecture. The 35-room house was commissioned by wealthy socialite Susan Lawrence Dana, and later sold to medical publisher Charles C. Thomas in the year 1944, hence its name - Dana-Thomas.

In 1981, the state purchased the house and later spent many years restoring its interior and opening it soon after for members of the public to enjoy, with a museum-type attraction celebrating the life and achievements of Lloyd himself. There are huge quantities of glass works on display, along with stylish custom-made furnishings, paintings and landscaped gardens.
Open hours: guided tours, Wednesday to Sunday - 09:00 to 16:00 (held every 20 minutes)
Admission: suggested donation, discounts available for children's suggested donation

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

Library
Address: 112 North 6th Street, Springfield, Illinois (IL), 62701, USA
Tel: +1 217 782 5764
Museum
Address: 212 North 6th Street, Springfield, Illinois (IL), 62701, USA
Tel: +1 217 558 8934
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum recreates periods from the president's childhood, as well as showing scenes from the White House and Ford's Theater, the site of his unexpected assassination in 1865. Many rare and fascinating related artifacts are on display, including handwritten documents such as the famous Gettysburg Address speech of 1863. The exhibits are displayed in an innovative way that is sure to capture your imagination, ensuring that visitor numbers remain high. In the research library are further important papers and books relating both to the life of Lincoln and the period of the American Civil War (1861 to 1865).
Open hours: library: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 17:00; museum, daily - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: library - free; museum - charge, discounts available for seniors and children, children five years old and under are free

Illinois State Museum (ISM)

Address: 502 South Spring Street, Springfield, Illinois (IL), 62706, USA
Tel: +1 217 782 7386
Visitors to the Illinois State Museum will be able to learn the stories of the pioneers who helped found Illinois, while Civil War militaria, Native American ceramics and weaved baskets, and interactive exhibits all add to the interest. Families will find that the Mary Ann MacLean Play Museum based onsite will amuse younger visitors, with its sit-on jeep, science puzzles, cave crawling, art stations and a chance to excavate a fossilized Mastodon skeleton.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 08:30 to 17:00, Sunday - 12:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Lincoln Herndon Law Office

Address: South 6th Street / East Adams Street, Springfield, Illinois (IL), 62701, USA
Tel: +1 217 785 7289
Listed as a State Historic Site, the Lincoln Herndon Law Office stands on the corner of East Adams Street and South 6th Street, where it is to be found just across from the Old State Capitol. This simple red-brick building is considerably older than its youthful appearance initially suggests and actually dates back roughly 200 years, to the early 1840s. The simple reason that this building is considered to be so important in terms of history is that it was here, in the year 1843, where lawyer and later US president Abraham Lincoln set up his law office with his partner and began his successful business. They regularly conducted meetings in the State Capitol and pled their cases in the Illinois Supreme Court, practicing law from the Tinsley Block building right up until 1852. Recently thoroughly restored and filled with artifacts relevant to the period, the building is now open for guided tours.
Open hours: May to August, daily - 09:00 to 17:00; September to April, Tuesday to Saturday - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: free, donations suggested