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.

Laura, A Creole Plantation, New Orleans

The Laura Plantation an hour drive outside of New Orleans provides a somewhat different plantation tour experience from those offered in cotton-growing areas of the Old South.  The plantation grew sugar, not cotton, but more importantly, it emphasizes the Creole culture of Louisiana.  The history of slavery in formerly French-controlled territory follows a slightly different path, and this attraction makes of point of covering some aspects of history that others might gloss over (I recall one plantation tour pointing out the "servant's quarters" when they drove past the slave cabins, for example).  As our guide explained, the French plantations differed in style from the American/English ones; as you can see from the photo, French design was more colorful and more utilitarian.  No ballrooms or grand libraries here--in fact, the rooms designated as working spaces were relatively simple, even sparse.  The tour of the house begins in the basement, where the simple, functional design of the house is explained.

According to the very engaged and informative tour guide, the plantation was re-named after the daughter of its last owners, who left in disgust after hearing of mistreatment of slaves.  The re-naming was apparently an attempt to entice her back.  Family stories recounted on the tour are from her book, Memories of  The Old Plantation Home, sold at the gift shop and the plantation's site.

Signs on the ground discuss the deterioration in treatment of the slaves after the Louisiana Purchase--apparently, France and the Catholic Church provided at least some protection in marital status to slaves, but this was abandoned after the territory changed hands.  The French influence remains; signs are given in French and English, and tours are offered for French speakers.

The plantation also bills itself as the home of the American tales of  B'rer Rabbit (or Compair Lapin), adapted from West-African stories retold and passed on by the plantation's slaves.  The tour features displays on the telling of the stories in the slave cabins.

  

The grounds themselves are beautiful in an almost tropical way.  We visited in Spring, so the weather was pleasant, and we enjoyed a quiet walk around the buildings. A final bonus--several cats kept on the premise, including one who seemed to see himself as a goodwill ambassador for tourists!

I would most definitely recommend Laura Plantation for anyone visiting the area.  Even if you've been on several plantation tours and believe you've done the whole "plantation thing," this one will offer a different perspective.  Make the trip from New Orleans, dress comfortably, and be prepared for a fascinating look at regional history, beautiful scenery, and a unique experience.

Update:  Visiting again in 2012, I noticed that the gift shop offered a wide selection of books on the history of the era, including versions of the Brer Rabbit story, and, of course, Memories of the Old Plantation Home, by Laura (Locoul Gore) herself.  I was surprised that they didn't carry any copies of Cane River, Lalita Tademy's  retelling of her family story of several generations of slave women working on a Louisiana River Planatation.  The gift shop does have wonderful sauces and spices (try the Red Pepper Jelly--really!), a few t-shirts, and home decorations.

From the website:

2247 Highway 18
Vacherie, LA 70090

The Plantation Store Ticket Office opens at 9:30 AM.

First tour of the day begins at 10:00 AM.
Final tour of the day begins at 4:00 PM.

Individual Admission Rate:

• Adult: $18.00
• Student (6-17): $5.00
• Child (0-5): FREE
• AAA Adult: $16.00
• National Trust Adult: $16.00
• Military: $16.00
• We Save Adult: $16.00

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Museum

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Museum is worth a side trip to Abilene, Kansas for a 2-3 hour visit.  The area wears its small-town Americana label with pride, and the museum setting is perfect for the experience.  Visitors enter the reception/gift shop area at first; while you're waiting for the introductory film, check out the "I Like Ike" memorabilia (yes, you can get a button just like the one your grandparents wore) along with WWII and 1950's nostalgic souvenirs and apparel.  Since this is Kansas, you can even get some Wizard of Oz trinkets and tees.

The film is worth watching, if only to escape from today's heavily-partisan atmosphere to a vision of a time when everyone seemed to look up to and respect the president--in fact, the film points out that both parties were interested in drafting Eisenhower to run for the presidency, and his eventual choice of the Republican party was not an immediately obvious one.  Hard to imagine that scenario today.  Even if the film shows the 50s through a rose-colored lens, it's enjoyable, not too long, and a good review of Eisenhower's life and the mid-20th century United States.

Eisenhower's childhood home

You'll walk the grounds around Eisenhower's boyhood home to get to the museum from the reception area.  The house itself is picture-perfect; you'll be able to get a brief tour of the main rooms.

The entry room of the museum features wall-sized murals of Eisenhower's career.  Inside, displays range from childhood and college mementos to wartime artifacts.  Several exhibits describe and illustrate the liberation of death camps and the aftermath, including logistical issues in caring for newly released prisoners.  Others showcase wartime strategies.  A copy of Eisenhower's alternative letter---penned in preparation for the possible failure of D-Day--provides a sobering reminder of the stakes involved in the operation.

On a lighter note, an exhibit room devoted to Mamie shows off some of her gorgeous dresses and home decor, and dolls featuring gowns of the first ladies.  A television monitor plays clips of fairly late appearances.  An interview with Barbara Walters, for example, features Mamie responding to questions about her husband's alleged infidelities with a confident dismissal.

The section on his presidency covers notable events such as the Cold War and Central High School's integration in Little Rock; there is also an exhibit discussing the heart attack he had in office--something I'd never heard about before.  An exhibit on the era itself features artifacts and iconic images from the 50s.

Addendum:  If you're on Facebook, you can follow the Eisenhower Museum.  They are currently (February 2011) renovating several of the exhibits, and have posted a photo album chronicling the renovation process.

(Note--links are to a website maintained by the Kansas Sampler Foundation:  the official museum site seems to be under construction or repair).

From the website:

Address: 200 SE 4th Street, Abilene, KS 67410 

Phone: 785.263.6700

Admission charge and hours:
$8 adults, $6 senior citizens, $1 8-15 years. All buildings at the Center are open daily from 9 a.m. until 4:45 p.m. but are closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. From Memorial Day until mid-August the Visitors Center is open from 8 a.m. until 5:45 p.m.