Illinois: Springfield, Happy Birthday Mr. Lincoln – Living History, Storytelling, and Theater.
Plan to take part in a grand birthday celebration which spans throughout the year as Springfield conveys the spirit of The Lincoln Bicentennial 1909-2009. No single location has a greater story to tell and they tell it well. The city has carefully preserved Lincoln’s sites and has plans set to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday like no other city in America.
Share with your children (or grandchildren) the story of an American president who faced adversity and initiated dramatic change. The years Lincoln spent in Springfield, Illinois formed his ideals of freedom, equality and opportunity. The positive energy of the city sustains Lincoln’s dream for America. There are stories to be heard. In Springfield his office remains; his home remains; the Statehouse where Lincoln wrote his “House Divided” speech remains; his neighborhood remains; the train depot remains; his tomb remains.
One of the most fascinating ways to journey along the Lincoln timeline is by following “Here I Have Lived” outdoor interpretive exhibits placed throughout the historic downtown area. Each location conveys a moment in time for Lincoln and relates it to people, places and events in Springfield. At each of the more than 30 locations a medallion symbolizes that particular story.
Bonus points: For parents who wish to share the story with their kids, follow the map provided online and collect rubbings of each medallion.
Unique Lincoln Bicentennial events have been scheduled throughout the year. Not surprising, in February the Lincoln Home National Historic will conduct living history and ranger led talks (Feb. 11-15, 2009). Tours will feature staff in period costumes who will tell the story of the Lincoln family home of 17 years in the home. Also in February, the Springfield Theater will perform “Our American Cousin” (Feb. 13 -15, 2009), an authentic staging of the hit 19th - Century comedy about a staid British family whose lives are turned upside down by the arrival of a boorish American relative. The play assumed its place in American history when it was performed at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. in April of 1865, with President Lincoln in the audience. This STC production will recreate that pivotal union of theatre and history. In June, look for "The Start of Something New" - Lincoln's Life at New Salem (June 13- 14, 2009). Walk along the back of the Sangamon River and see where the dam once stood that logged Abraham Lincoln's flatboat enroute to New Orleans. Learn the operation of the Saw & Grist Mill, and hear the stories at the Denton Offut Store where Lincoln first clerked.
The anchor of the Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration is the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum ,dedicated to the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. It is the largest presidential library complex in the nation, housing the 46,000-item collection of Lincoln documents and artifacts including almost 1,500 documents written or signed by Lincoln, handwritten copies of the Gettysburg Address, and the Second Inaugural Address.
The Museum walks visitors through the personal and political life of Abraham Lincoln, from his boyhood to his funeral homecoming. The Central Plaza, flanked by scale models of the White House and Lincoln’s Indiana boyhood cabin, opens the journeys into Lincoln’s life. The Plaza is interspersed with realistically designed “models” of the Lincoln family and others in his life, such as Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass and Generals George McClellan and Ulysses S. Grant. John Wilkes Booth is also there, standing to the side, intently watching Lincoln's back.
The Museum’s immersion-style galleries and special exhibit areas provide re-creations of many of the significant places and events in Lincoln’s life, including: the Indiana boyhood cabin amid an oak forest; commercial store in New Salem; the White House front portico, Blue Room and kitchen; Lincoln’s theater box at Ford Theater in Washington, DC; Old State Capitol in Springfield; the Lincoln-Douglas debate scene.
In the Whispering Gallery, vicious rumors, gossip and political cartoons of 1860’s Washington assault the senses. The President agonizes in his office over the decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. President and Mrs. Lincoln sit with young Willie at his sickbed, while the sounds of a State Dinner below float up through the open bedroom doorway. The Civil War in Four Minutes, a map of the war with battle lines that continuously move, shows the changing progress of the war, while a casualty counter tracks the mounting toll of casualties. Two special-effects theaters transport audiences to the past where they become a part of the experience. Union Theatre features “Through Lincoln’s Eyes,” a portrayal of the chaotic times and events of the mid-1800s as Lincoln might have experienced them. Some of the techniques used include: cannon reverberations, rumbling seats, surround sound and changing wall screens depicting Civil War battlegrounds.
The SBC Holavision® Theatre brings “ghosts” on stage to interact with live actors. “Ghosts of the Library” is a lively, educational program demonstrating the pleasure of reading and conducting library research. The program’s live actor and holographic 3D images blend past and present.
Walk through the Illusion Gallery, a gauntlet of yelling images arguing for and against slavery; visit the President’s Office during a cabinet meeting; view a 42-foot-wide Gettysburg Mural as it pans from battlefield action to the aftermath of death, from a mass burial ground to the dedication ceremony and Lincoln's famous speech; hear Eight Soldiers' Stories and learn the fate of four Union and four Confederate soldiers who fought at Gettysburg; witness the final moments of the President and First Lady together at Ford Theater; pay last respects to President Lincoln as he lay in state in the Old State Capitol in Springfield.
Elsewhere in the museum, Mrs. Lincoln’s Attic, a children’s space, includes period toys and activities that encourage young imaginations to soar to another place in time. A café and museum store round out the museum’s amenities. Getting kids excited about a vacation spot often makes the whole journey more enjoyable. The folks in Springfield know that, and so they have created pages for kids at
www.visit-springfieldillinois.com/About/Kids
Make it happen at Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. During any season of the year the story of Abraham Lincoln may be experienced in the Springfield area and their informative website has plenty of options for the Bicentenniel Celebration. For information on overnight accommodations in the greater Springfield area, call the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau toll-free 1-800-545-7300 or go to
Visit Springfield
Planning Details
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum. Call toll-free 1- 800-610-2094, (217) 782-576 or
www.alplm.org
Lincoln’s New Salem. (217) 632-4000 or
lincolnsnewsalem.com
Lincoln Home National Historic. (217)391-3241
www.nps.gov.liho
Springfield Theater. (217) 414-8905 or
www.springfieldtheater.com
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