Shady, tree-lined streets, wavy plank sidewalks and picture perfect 1860s era homes await visitors to the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois. If you arrive during a quiet time, you can almost image the footsteps you hear approaching might be Abe Lincoln himself.
Usually, a tour of an historic home is a dry experience full of random tidbits about the home’s owner and a plethora of period antiques pointed out for your viewing pleasure. The Lincoln home has that, but it also has a bit more. Actual horsehair furniture owned by the Lincoln family is in the formal parlor. Park Service guides add in some humor to the typical spiel (if you get the right one – go for a younger one if possible). There are also a lot of stories in the mix, instead of just dry facts. I could see Lincoln laying on the family parlor floor, playing with his boys when it was described so warmly – almost like a personal reminiscence. It seems that the tour guides at the Lincoln home have been well trained and if you get a really good one, the home will come alive for you.
Patience is required as you listen to some of the questions other visitors will ask though. “Where did the Lincoln’s go to the bathroom?” Some folks from our tour were literally fascinated by the outhouses. Apparently, where there great man did his very personal business was very important to them. Even better, when asked “Did Lincoln really have big ears?” our guide suggested, very seriously, that the questioner make sure to go view the photos of Lincoln in the Visitor’s Center. He never even cracked a smile, though we were having a rather hard time keeping the giggles at bay on that one.
The best part about the Lincoln home is the recreation of the neighborhood around it. Not only can you view the home, but a four-block area around it is restored to its’ 1860 appearance. It really lets you get the feeling that you are walking where Lincoln walked and seeing what he saw while he lived in Springfield. Lincoln started his law practice, met and married Mary Todd and became a father several times over while in Springfield. He even buried his son Eddie there after a long bout of illness in 1850. It was his most important home until he made it to the White House, and it is the place where many of his ideas and viewpoints on the world were shaped.
Being there and walking in his footsteps is a powerful way to learn about Lincoln the man before he became President Lincoln. If you have the time and inclination, picking up a Lincoln biography or book about his time in Springfield and reading it before your visit would offer a lot of insight to seeing his home. I didn’t think of it until I was there, and if I get the opportunity to visit again, I will definitely be reading up before I arrive.
Another interesting thing we discovered was the cell phone tour which seems to be popping up at the National Historic sites. If you look in the visitor center at the Lincoln home, or at the small signs in front of many of the buildings, you will find the information. Basically, you call a phone number and enter the number of the building you are standing in front of for a brief description of the historical significance. I’ll admit, the one we listened to was a bit dry, but the idea of it was cool and I could see how it would be helpful if you showed up when the tours and visitor center were not open.
Finally, I am not generally a fan of National Park movies since they are generally reminiscent of grade school filmstrips but the Lincoln Home has a new movie that was made in the past few years. It tells the Lincoln story in Springfield very well and I thought it was very interesting. I think kids – probably 7 or 8 and older – would like it too. Younger kids might enjoy it if they knew a little bit about Abe Lincoln beforehand so they identified with the people in the film. And if you want your kids to learn about Lincoln, the gift shop at the visitor’s center is a treasure trove of kids books and movies dealing with Lincoln and American history.
