I have had the opportunity to visit Springfield, Illinois on several occasion. From these experiences I have compiled the perfect itinerary to spend two days exploring all the great city has to offer, including where to eat. Springfield is the home of the former and Current State Capital of Illinois and the location in which our great president Abraham Lincoln spent seventeen years  as a lawyer and politician raising his family. This great history makes it a fascinating place to visit and experience United States history.

Springfield Itinerary Day One

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Following the above google maps walking directions, the first stop of the day is to the Lincoln Home Visitors Center. There are two reasons for this. First, you need to get in there and reserve the free tickets for a tour of the home for later in the day as they often book up and you cannot book prior to the day of. For this itinerary I am suggesting you book the 4pm tour. Reason number two is the parking lot for the visitors center is the best place to park for the day at $2.00 and open until 6pm.  There are some other parking structures nearby that cost $5-10 a day or the quarter machine street parking that have time limits. Day one’s itinerary will  also loop you right back at your vehicle at the end of the day. Once you have booked your tickets, it is a 10 minute walk (.5 miles) to the next stop. Keep an eye out as you are walking throughout the day for the Looking for Lincoln signs throughout the city that mark different Abraham Lincoln points of interest and have extra information on what life was like at the time.

Abraham Lincoln Museum

The Lincoln museum is the best place to start a Springfield Itinerary as it gives a full run-down of Lincoln’s story and influence as well as his time in the city. This gives you a baseline for all the sites to come. The museum is very immersive in that it often makes you feel as if you are getting to step back into the location or event it is showcasing. There are also some really excellent audio/visual content. The ghosts of the library hologram  is truly magical and  the video that runs through the battles of the Civil War with an ever evolving map provides a great perspective. There is also the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library next door but feel free to skip it. It is just your average library, nothing particularly special or Lincoln related about it. It additionally, appears to be a popular hang out for homeless persons, particularly on rainy days. You can book tickets ahead of time on their website here but you probably can wait until you get there. If you are a teacher, you can also fill out a form and bring  school ID for free entry.

Union Station

Right across the street from the museum is the next stop on the itinerary. The Union Station is a former train station that is now a part of the Lincoln museum complex. It houses an additional exhibit of the Lincoln Museum for an additional fee on the regular ticket of $3 per adult. The exhibit currently houses memorabilia from the making of  Steven Spielburg’s recent film Lincoln.  Additionally, the park area surrounding it is an attraction in itself. Enjoy the gardens, Lincoln Statues or just take a moment to sit on a bench.

Old State Capital Building

The Old State Capital building is a classic example of early government buildings that reminds me of being in our Nation’s capital. Open daily for self guided tours, the doors will be closed and have no real indication that it is somewhere you can walk into let alone tour. (something I found to be common in Springfield) Just go ahead and open one of the main doors on either side of the building and you will be able to enter and a staff member will likely greet you. In addition to it’s historical significance as Illinios’s previous capital building, it has compelling connections to Abraham Lincoln in particular. Lincoln was instrumental in getting the Capital moved to Springfield and spent much of his time as a lawyer in the building. The staff will point representatives Hall out to you in particular as it was the location in which a speech was made following his inauguration and that four years later his body was displayed for crowds of mourners to pay their respects.

Lunchtime

After you have visited union station and the old state capital building it is lunchtime. Depending on how much time you want to take in the museum you may decide to eat lunch before Union Station or the Old capital building which will work just fine as you can easily double back. My reccomendation for lunch is at Cafe Moxo which fits nicely along the route but there are several lunch options surrounding the Old State Capital. Exit out the Southside doors of the Old Capital Building and take a right down Adams Street. If you get to 4th Street you have gone too far but you are not likely to miss it. The restaurant has a big red awning and sign and will be on your right. I received a recommendation from a local about this great lunch spot and was not dissapointed. It is mainly a sandwich place but is also known for it’s pot pies. They have a good selection of coffee drinks and a large selection of house made cookies as well. My server was really great and I am betting he was the owner. It’s low-key and makes for a quick spot that doesn’t break the bank.

Exploring Historic Downtown

After lunch, walk back towards the Old Capital Building. This time be sure to note the numerous markers noting events of historical significance as well as the Lincoln Family Statue. When you get to the corner of 6th street , take a right and note the marker of the location of the Former Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices. Unfortunately it is currently closed for historic renovation; I will update if and when this changes. This is also time that I allotted for exploring the unique shops in the area, mostly on 4th and 6th streets. There are several souvenir shops and a lot of cool artsy shops as well. I recommend in particular a stop in Del’s Popcorn Shop. It’s a cute old timey  candy shop with yummy homemade kettle corn in numerous flavors and ice cream by the scoop.

Lincoln Home Visitor Center

Once you are done exploring the local shops, continue to make your way south on 6th street back towards the Lincoln home. If you are visiting between June and September stop at the Presbyterian Church on the corner of 7th and Capital. Here you can take a docent led tour of the church attended by the Lincoln Family. If not, continue down until back at the visitor’s center to collect the tickets. Make sure you check in at the desk at least ten minutes prior or they will release your tickets to someone else.  Check out the free videos in the visitor center in addition to your tour.  Additionally, be sure to explore the Lincoln  neighborhood surrounding the home. The majority of the homes on the street are preserved and have designations as to who lived in each home when the Lincoln’s did and what their interactions with the family were.  There is a cell phone audio tour that you can take of the neighborhood by dialing 217-213-3003. Then go on your tour of the home led by the park rangers. See above photo for map of locations for first day’s itinerary.

Lincoln Home Tour

It is not a long tour, approximately 30 minutes. Once you have your tickets you meet inside the Dean house. They then walk you over to the front of the Lincoln Home and explain the rules and walk you in. Taking photos is allowed. There are so many unique pieces that make the tour an engaging glimpse into the lives of the Lincoln Family. The Rangers have great anecdotes for each room and how the family would utilize them. Eighty percent of the homes and contents are original;as they were when the family lived there together before they went to the White House. I don’t want to reveal too much and take away from the tour so I will just say this. There is one item in the home in which you are allowed to touch, to place your hand where the president once did, and that is pretty special.

Dinner

Once you have completed your touring of the Lincoln home and neighborhood it is finally time to grab the car out of the lot but we won’t be going far. Just a Minutes drive away is the Oped & Isaac’s Microbrewery and Eatery.   They are located in a beautiful old home and have their own parking lot. There is also outdoor seating when the weather holds out which is something I love.  I also love that they are on  a historic site and building. One of the historic homes in the Lincoln Neighborhood was moved from this site and another historic home on the site expanded to create the current restaurant space. They explain all this and the fact that they named the restaurant after the two homes in their cute little menus that look like old newspapers.  As their name would suggest they brew their own beers and also ciders. I am a big Cider fan and absolutely loved theirs. They have a good selection of pub fare and a great after work atmosphere.

Evenings

If you are like us  you will likely want to head back to the hotel after dinner to relax and enjoy the hotel amenities, in particular the hotel pool. However, There are several other options to spend your evenings several of which I checked out that I will explain here

Nightlife/Pub

Remain in the downtown area to explore them.

White Oaks Mall

If you are looking for a bit of shopping, Springfield does have a local mall. It’s was clean and safe and has the usual mall shops with just a couple that seem more in line for the tourist market.

AMC Theater

There are two AMC theater locations in Springfield to check out a movie. You will just need to google which is closer to your hotel to check out what’s playing.

Lincoln’s Ghost Walk

March 7th through October 31st, Wednesday’s through Saturdays you can take a ninety minute walking tour. Those interested should meet at the Old State Capital at 7:3opm with $15 cash per person. Keep in mind that they will not hold the tour if here is not a minimum amount of people to show up.

Springfield Itinerary Day Two

Wake up and have breakfast at your hotel or wherever you choose. The first stop on Day two is open at 10am daily so make your way over there for about that time.

Lincoln Depot

The first stop on day two is the Lincoln Depot. You can park in the small lot behind it and entry is free. Just walk in, there will not be anyone inside running it.  It marks the place where Lincoln made his farewell address to the people of Springfield before going to the White House. This is commemorated with a mural on the building next door. Inside is very small. It will take you twenty minutes to view it all tops. It displays the depot as it might have been when in use with some photos and small artifacts as well as info about Lincoln’s farewell.

Illinois State Museum

Make sure you save some change (Nickels or higher) for the parking meter to park on the street as this is the only option for parking. I learned this the hard way and was scrambling to find change in my car in order to park legally. This Museum was smaller then I expected but still worth a stop for the entrance price of only five bucks for an adult. The first floor covers the natural history of Illinois. It demonstrates the changes in the land and animals as time has gone by. The second floor is the history of the people in Illinois, beginning with the Native Americans and moving through towards the present day. The second floor additionally has a section for the modern art gallery. The basement has a children’s play area  but as I was there by myself sans children I had no reason to check that out. I estimate you will spend around an hour to an hour and a half here which will bring you to lunchtime.

Lunch

My recommendation for lunch is the Cozy Dog Inn. Its a low-key Diner whose claim to fame is as the creators of corn dog, though they may not have been the only ones to come up with this idea. They pay homage to the Iconic Route 66 that passed through the Springfield area with copious memorabilia throughout the restaurant. They are another great spot for a quick and economical lunch during your trip.

Illinois State Military Museum

Located a bit off the beaten track, you drive straight through a somewhat rundown neighborhood and end up right next to the gated in compounds of the national guard to reach this hidden gem. The Museum is free to enter. It has some large military vehicles outside and is housed in the castle-like building that was the original home of the Illinois National Guard. Inside contains a ton of Military memorabilia from every war in which the U. S. has been in. Definitely, a must stop for the military or gun enthusiast. My favorite piece has to be the tree trunk that was full of the round musket and cannon balls stuck in it from it’s location between the confederate an union armies during battle.

Lincoln’s Tomb

Given the meaning and somber nature of this site I thought it only right to close out your trip here. The Lincoln Monument is located in Oak Ridge Cemetery. The burial site of Both Lincoln his wife and three of his four sons are located in the beautiful monument. Be sure and rub the nose of the Lincoln head before you go in. It is not only allowed but encouraged and is supposed to give you good luck. If you walk back behind the monument and down the hill you can also view the original monument that Lincoln was placed in before the larger and more impressive monument that is there now. I also recommend that you go and view the war memorials located on the other side of the cemetery. Just follow the signs to find them. They are beautiful monuments and a great way to honor our troops past and present. There is a monument for the veterans of the Korean war, Vietnam war, second World War and the recipients of the Purple Heart.

Dinner

My recommendation for dinner is D’Arcy’s Pint. It’s an Irish American themed bar and restaurant with some hearty pub fare. It was recommended to me by a local as the best place to get Springfield’s favorite and uniquely local meal, the horseshoe. Although, locals also tend to fiercely disagree on which place has the best. Apparently, it’s all about the cheese sauce. The horseshoe entails a piece of Texas toast as the start of an open faced sandwich that is smothered in your choice of meat and toppings and a huge amount of fries and of course the cheese sauce. It was a heart attack on a plate for sure but it was delicious. The restaraunt was certainly well loved as I was there on Wednesday night and it was packed and they were additionally hosting a live musician. MY waitress was lovely and everything was to my liking.

Alternative Activities

Have extra time in Springfield or are looking to swap something out? I didn’t get a chance to check out all of the following attractions so let me know in the comments if you have visited any of them and what you thought.

• Tour the Current State Capital Building

• Tour the Executive (Governor’s) Mansion

• Korean War Museum
• Knights action park
• Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden
• Lincoln’s new Salem Village