Springfield

Visit Charming Historical Springfield, Illinois

When you first arrive in this city, you could be forgiven for not realizing that this is actually the state capital of Illinois - it lacks the hustle and bustle usually associated with most state capitals, and certainly lacks the energy of Illinois's most famous city, Chicago. However, the gentle sereneness of Springfield are in keeping with its history, for this is Lincoln's town. He was part of the group of people responsible for making Springfield the state capital, and this is his final resting place.

Apart from the limestone built capitol building from where Abraham Lincoln gave his "House Divided" speech, there's also a Lincoln Home Visitors Center which shows a short movie on the Springfield that Lincoln loved, and where you can obtain free tickets to take a walk around the restored Lincoln home on 8th and Jackson Street. As a visual lesson in how people lived "back then" the home is an interesting place to visit.

For those who don't think that it's morbid, a visit to Lincoln's tomb isn't to be missed. Situated in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Lincoln's tomb contains not only his remains, but also those of Mary Todd, his wife, and their three sons.

If the Lincoln memorial gets a bit too much, have a change of pace by visiting the preserved home of another famous Springfield resident, Frank Lloyd Wright. Named the Dana-Thomas House, this is only a few blocks from the Capitol building, and still contains some original fixtures from his time there.

As a destination, unless you're a history buff, or enjoy wandering around some of America's more charming towns, Springfield's probably not the best place to choose, but as an overnight stop, or a day trip, there's plenty to look at and it's definitely worth the visit.