Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum seems to be tailor-made for visitors looking for an enjoyable 3 or 4 hour immersion in history.  The exhibits are organized around a large foyer--a perfect meeting place for families and groups who get separated.  This room has its own attraction--life-sized figures of the entire Lincoln family--in the center.  Helpful docents stand nearby, ready to snap pictures of visitors posing with the Lincolns.


Branching out from the entrance, exhibits include a replica of the White House, which has its own entryway and features gowns worn by Mrs. Lincoln and her friends and rivals in Civil-War era Washington D.C.  Figures of Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, and even John Wilkes Booth linger outside.

Live performance venues offered a unique experience, at least for me.  None of the other museums I've visited had anything quite like the shows offered here.  "Ghosts of the Library"  was a one-man show exploring the value of museums and collections for modern audiences.  The presentation was quite well done, bringing in some drama and suspense while covering the theory behind museums providing sources of study for historians as well as emotional connections to the past for its visitors.  The second presentation used a well-known portrait of Lincoln as its starting point for exploring the many approaches to seeing and knowing who Lincoln was and what he did.

Other exhibits positioned around the entry room bring visitors through different periods of Lincoln's life--his childhood, his years as a practicing lawyer, even his time managing a store.  The museum also does a good job of bringing to life the controversy and bitter partisanship surrounding Lincoln.  Editorials, cartoons, and readings from his critics remind us that, in his own time, Lincoln was viewed quite differently than he is today.

A children's activity room, "Mrs. Lincoln's attic," invites younger visitors to try on period clothing and play with old-fashioned games and toys.  My 10 and 12 year olds were a bit older than the target audience, but did appreciate looking at the types of activities featured there.  And then, perhaps the most unintentionally amusing feature of the museum was tucked in a corner.  The ubiquitous "Souvenir Penny" machines, present in many attractions, carried more than a bit of irony here, as visitors were invited to erase the picture of Lincoln already on their penny and stamp a new one on!

All in all, a very well-packaged museum experience, humanizing the man honored in his tomb nearby.

From the museum website:

212 N. Sixth Street, Springfield, IL 62701
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM DAILY

The Museum's admission fee is:

Adult	$12.00
Senior (62 and up)	$9.00
Children (5 - 15)	$6.00
Military (ID required)	$7.00
Students (ID required)	$9.00
Child (under 5)	No Charge
Members	No Charge

Purchase advance Museum Admission
tickets on-line or call (217) 558-8934 for telephone ticket sales.