Looking For Lincoln in the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area
"Looking For Lincoln" is a growing heritage tourism project that is designed to transport you back in time, to a time when young Abraham Lincoln was a surveyor, a postman, a storekeeper, a husband, a father, a friend and a rising lawyer with more than a passing interest in holding high office. More than 18 communities across central Illinois, with Springfield at its center, compose the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition that has preserved the hisorical sites and the stories of the Lincoln legacy in Illinois. Together they offer a comprehensive and personal look at Abraham Lincoln as he was preparing himself for a very special place in history. By following the Looking for Lincoln Story Trail acoss 50 communities in central Illinois, visitors can experience a taste of frontier life as Lincoln would have seen it and learn how this unlikely character with a knack for storytelling and an unwavering moral compass could become the most revered president in American history.

For additional information on the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area and "Looking for Lincoln" go to the official Web site at www.lookingforlincoln.com.

The following historic sites are currently welcoming visitors. Let us help you develop the perfect tour for your group by selecting options from the following menu:

Bloomington-Normal, IL
David Davis Mansion State Historic Site
Judge David Davis was a close friend, mentor, and legal and political ally of Abraham Lincoln. After becoming President, Lincoln appointed Davis to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1862. The Davis mansion, "Clover Lawn," was a lavish Victorian home with eight marble fireplaces and boasted many modern features including central heating and indoor plumbing. The home has been completely restored and contains many original furnishings.

Lincoln, IL
Postville Courthouse State Historic Site
The present Postville Courthouse, a reproduction of the original 1840 Courthouse, was visited by Lincoln while he traveled the 8th Judicial Circuit.

Lincoln College and Museum
The Lincoln College and Museum houses a major collection of Lincoln artifacts as well as the Hall of Presidents Museum, honoring the nation's Chief Executives from George Washington through the present.

Watermelon Christening Site
As the first lots were sold in the town of Lincoln, residents asked Abraham Lincoln to come from Springfield to christen the first town to be named for him. He did so using the juice of a watermelon.

Mt. Pulaski Site
Mt. Pulaski Statehouse State Historic Site
The Mt. Pulaski Statehouse is one of only two surviving 8th Judicial Circuit courthouse in Illinois where Abraham Lincoln practiced law. In 1847, local citizens, craftsmen, and merchants donated materials and labor and raised $2,700 to construct the building. Today, the building has been restored and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Springfield, IL
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
A great starting point for your tour of Springfield. The Quaker-brown residence where the Abraham Lincoln family lived for seventeen years (1844-1861) is a national treasure. It's located in the midst of a four-block historic neighborhood. Your tour of the only home the Lincoln's ever owned will be conducted by National Park Service rangers. Free tickets are required and may only be obtained at the Lincoln Home Visitor Center at 426 S. 7th Street.

Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices
Abraham Lincoln practiced law in the offices above Seth Tinsley's dry goods store from 1843 until 1853. It was an ideal location for a rising young law firm – near the Capitol and Springfield's finest hotel of the day, and just above the local post office and Federal Courtroom. Stephen Logan (1843-1844) and William Herndon (1844-1865) were his partners during this time. This is the only surviving structure in which Lincoln maintained working law offices.

Old State Capitol
"A house divided against itself cannot stand..." These immortal words were spoken by Abraham Lincoln in the historic Old State Capitol Hall of Representatives in the turbulent days preceding the Civil War. Lincoln's association with this building spanned the years 1837-1860. He tried several hundred cases in the Supreme Court, borrowed books from the state library, and read and swapped stories with other lawyers and politicians in the law library.

Lincoln Depot
"No one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feelings of sadness at this parting." Bittersweet words spoken by President-elect Abraham Lincoln as he departed his beloved Springfield for an uncertain future in Washington, D.C. The Depot contains restored waiting rooms (one for ladies and one for the luggage andtobacco-spitting men), exhibits of people and placesdear to Lincoln, and an audio-visual show recreatingthe 12-day journey to his inauguration.

Lincoln Tomb
The final resting place for Abraham, Mary Todd, Tad, Eddie and Willie Lincoln. (Oldest Son, Robert, is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.) The monument was designed by sculptor Larkin Mead and completed in 1874. The original receiving vault in which Abraham Lincoln was buried can be seen on a tour of the cemetery. (Ask about the special Civil War Retreat Ceremony held at the Tomb each Tuesday evening during the summer.)

Oak Ridge Cemetery: Oak Ridge is the second most visited cemetery in the U.S. People from across the country and throughout the world come to see the tombof Springfield's most famous citizen. But, this beautiful 300-acre cemetery is also the final resting place for other notable historical figures including labor leader John L. Lewis, the famous poet Vachel Lindsay, four Illinoisgovernors, and Lincoln's law partner, William Herndon.

Petersburg, IL
Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site
Abraham Lincoln grew to "a man of purpose and destiny" during the six years (1831-1837) he lived in New Salem village. While there, he clerked in a store, enlisted in the Blackhawk War, served as postmaster and deputy surveyor, studied law and was elected legislator. Timber houses, shops, and stores now comprise the reconstructed historic village where history comes to life as costumed interpreters take on the characters of the people who lived and worked here more than 150 years ago.

Athens, IL
Long Nine Museum
Abraham Lincoln and a dedicated cadre of eight other Illinois legislators (known as the "long nine") won the General Assembly's approval to move the state capitol from Vandalia to Springfield. They were honored at a banquet held upstairs in the building that stands now where it stood then in 1837.

Beardstown, IL
City Hall
The Beardstown City Hall built in 1844 is the original building where Lincoln tried the famous "Almanac Trial" in 1858. It is the only courtroom in which Lincoln practiced law to still hold court.

Decatur, IL
Macon County Historical Museum Complex
This living history museum features a train depot, schoolhouse, prairie stores, a blacksmith shop and the Lincoln Log courthouse where Abraham Lincoln tried several cases.

Vandalia, IL
Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site
The Vandalia Statehouse is the oldest existing building and the third that served as the Capitol of Illinois. This historic building has been completely restored with the rooms furnished as they appeared during Lincoln's time. Lincoln served as a state representative from 1834-1839 and gave several famous speeches against slavery in the Old State Capitol.

Lerna, IL
Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site
"Goosenest Prairie Farm," located in Lerna, Illinois, was the last homesite of our 16th President's father and step-mother, Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln. This site functions as a living history farm where first-person interpreters perform day-to-day chores of the 1840's..

For additional information on "Looking For Lincoln", visit the official Web site at www.lookingforlincoln.com.