Explore the Lincoln Home National Historic Site
I’ve often explored sites associated with the life and times of Abraham Lincoln, America’s 16th president. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, is absolutely amazing. But don’t miss the opportunity to explore the home of Abraham Lincoln during his adult life – and I’m not talking about the White House. 😉
The Lincoln Home National Historic Site is a few blocks south of the presidential library. There’s a visitor center, mixed in with a few historic homes from the 1800s. But where do you start your visit and what’s available for tours?
Here’s a rundown of how you can plan a visit to the historic home and learn more about the life of Abraham Lincoln.
Directions, Parking and Tickets to the Abraham Lincoln Home
The Lincoln Home National Historic Site is located a few blocks south from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. After learning about the life, family and presidency of Abraham Lincoln, make the short drive south to explore his home and neighborhood.
The roads within the four-block neighborhood are blocked off to road traffic, but you can find parking on the perimeter roads. We found free street parking on the south end, but later learned that you can park in the lot near the visitor center. However, the cost to park there is $2.
The parking lot can be accessed off of 7th Street between Jackson Street and Edwards Street. From there, the visitor center is roughly 50 yards north across a little plaza area.
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The good news is that there is no fee to visit and explore the Abraham Lincoln home or even the visitor center. You can wander through the visitor center to learn more about Abraham Lincoln, and even grab a few souvenirs to take home with you. But if you want to tour the Lincoln home, you’ll need to get tickets from the information desk at the visitor center.
Depending on when your guided tour of the Lincoln home begins, plan a time to watch the film in the visitor center. Journey to Greatness talks about the life of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois – before he became the 16th president of the United States of America. The 25-minute film begins on the top and bottom of the hour and runs from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Guided Tour of Abraham Lincoln’s Home
Tickets are required to tour the adult home of Abraham Lincoln. You’ll need to grab those in person at the visitor center. Tickets are not available online and are only available on a first come, first serve basis. Each tour is limited to 15 guests, so you’ll want to find the tour time that works best for your group, be it large or small.
While tickets are required, there’s no cost for the tickets. Tour times begin at 9 a.m. with the last tour starting at 4:30 p.m. During the summer months, the hours may be extended to accommodate larger crowds. Each of the guided tours last roughly 20-25 minutes.
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Check with the visitor center so you know where your tour begins. During our trip, we met just outside of the visitor center and walked the one block over to the home with our guide. After a brief rundown on the house Abraham Lincoln called home from1844 to 1861, the guide will take you into the house for the tour.
There are roughly nine rooms you’ll visit during your guided tour of the Lincoln home, including the parlor, dining room, bedrooms and kitchen. Did you know that Abraham and his wife Mary had separate bedrooms? You’ll want to ask your guide why they had different bedrooms.
Your group needs to stay together during the tour, as the guide will be explaining different elements of each room on the tour. You’ll want to stay close to the guide so you can learn about the people who called this place home. Once the tour’s complete, you’ll be guided out of the house and can wander the neighborhood at your own pace.
Self-guided Tours of the Historic Neighborhood
Besides the Lincoln home, the neighborhood has more than one dozen historic homes. In advance of your visit, I recommend reading a little about each of the historic homes in the neighborhood so you have a better idea of which ones you want to visit. However, not all homes are open for tours.
Two of the houses in neighborhood have indoor exhibits that offer more information about the Lincoln home. For example, the Dean House Exhibit, What a Pleasant Home Abe Lincoln Has, focuses on Lincoln, the Lincoln Home, and the Lincoln family’s life in Springfield. The other indoor exhibit is found at the Arnold House Exhibit, which focuses on the historic preservation at the park.
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Other than the two indoor exhibits, strolling through the neighborhood is a pleasant way of stepping back in time to the mid-1800s.
Participate in Events or Demonstrations
Our visit to the Lincoln Home National Historic Site was late in the afternoon, so we didn’t get a chance to participate in any of the events they organize. But in reviewing their calendar of events in advance of your visit, you’ll be able to plan your visit accordingly.
Here’s a list of some of the events they host, but you’ll definitely want to see what’s planned for the day of your visit. The events vary by season and day of the week, so you may need to adjust your schedule if there’s an event you’re particularly interested in seeing.
- Historic Toys and Games with a Park Ranger
- Park Ranger Walking Tour of Lincoln’s 8th Street
- Troubadours Performance at the Lincoln Home
- Reading with a Park Ranger
- Mary and Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Home
- Women’s History Walk: 1840-1876
Don’t Forget the Junior Ranger Program
Like most national parks, the Lincoln Home National Historic Site has a Junior Ranger program. While at the visitor center, as the ranger for a copy of the workbook. Throughout your visit, be sure to complete the activities or answer the questions in the workbook.
After the requirements in the workbook are complete, stop back by the visitor center and have one of the rangers check the work. When it’s complete, they’ll be sworn in as a Junior Ranger of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.
Another Point of Interest About Abraham Lincoln
Since Springfield, Illinois, was where Abraham married and settled, there’s more than just his presidential library and home. There’s also his final resting place in a nearby cemetery.
During our stop in Springfield, we ventured out to the tomb of Abraham Lincoln. It’s a short drive north, through town, to the Oak Ridge Cemetery. Despite the pouring rain, I ventured out into the downpour to visit and photograph the massive memorial. The site is located at 1500 Monument Avenue Cemetery, W Oak Ridge St in Springfield.
Before leaving, we drove to an area just north of the monument photographed above. It’s the site where Abraham Lincoln was first laid to rest. You can walk there from the memorial, but with the rain, I opted to drive do this next area. It’s a walk-in burial site – a mausoleum – with a gate in front of it to keep people out. He was later moved up to the larger burial site and monument.
The Details
Address: 426 S 7th St, Springfield, IL 62701
How long to spend: Plan on 1-2 hours, depending on the tour time you get to the Abraham Lincoln home.
Cost: There is no cost to visit the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. Tickets are required to tour the home, but there is no cost for those, either. There is a $2 fee to park at the visitor center parking lot.
Hours: Open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Tours of the home are available starting at 9 a.m., with the last tour of the day starting at 4:30 p.m. Tours last about 25 minutes.
Website: https://www.nps.gov/liho/index.htm
Phone: (217) 492-4241
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