Learn about one of the most revered presidents of the United States through museum artifacts and presidential papers.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum provides a view of the life and presidency of the nation’s 16th president. Understand how Lincoln lived as a boy and why he is considered one of the best presidents in United States history by many.
In the Lincoln Museum, follow the president’s life. Start in a recreation of one of the log cabins that Lincoln lived in as a boy and continue through his legal practice, marriage to Mary Todd and the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates. View an analysis of the 1860 presidential campaign that put Lincoln in the White House through a modern televised analysis as if it were happening today.
See artifacts belonging to the Lincolns in The Treasures Gallery. Discover the personal lives of Abraham and Mary Lincoln during the presidency as they lived through the death of a son and the anguish of the long American Civil War. Some of Lincoln’s greatest moments are described with artifacts and displays. The Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address and the final end of the Civil War mark major events in U.S. history.
Walk through a replica of Ford’s Theatre, where Lincoln was assassinated in 1865. Move into a re-creation of the Representatives Hall of Springfield’s Old State Capitol to pass the closed casket of the former president. Pay your respects to Abraham Lincoln, who provided security and leadership during a very difficult time for American citizens. Read about the powerful reaction to his untimely death.
The Lincoln Library in a neighboring building holds thousands of documents and artifacts related to Lincoln. View some of these as they rotate through the museum. Make an appointment to conduct research among nearly 1,600 letters and manuscripts signed by Lincoln, approximately 320 pieces of correspondence from Mary Todd Lincoln, more than 13,000 books about Lincoln and some 3,000 Lincoln photographs and prints. Check the library website to see whether any special exhibits are scheduled for free public viewing.
Visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum daily except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Children and students pay reduced admission. Find the two buildings in the heart of Springfield, Illinois, where Lincoln spent his boyhood and life before the presidency.
