This Road Trip Takes You To The 8 Most Fascinating Historical Sites In All Of Illinois
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Elizabeth Crozier
Author
Take a historical sites road trip through Illinois for a chance to get out of the house and enjoy the Land of Lincoln. This mini road trip won’t take you long, and it features some excellent and ancient wonders that every Illinoisan must visit. Scroll on for more details.
The first stop is a historical garden that does not seem like a memorial but is actually a collection of the views and landscapes that Abraham Lincoln would have enjoyed during his time. Admission is free, and there are 100 acres to explore. Trails will bring you to ponds, benches, footbridges, woodlands, wetlands, prairies, and more.
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Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1902, this stunning home looks like a modern piece of architecture. It contains a large collection of Wright art glass and furniture and contains 35 rooms within 12,000 square feet. Tours are given throughout the year for a suggested donation of $10.
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Built around 1837, this house was built by one of the four men who founded Springfield and is designed like a Greek revival cottage. It is typically open April through October with tours given on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
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This incredible historic district preserves the home and place where Abraham Lincoln lived as an adult between 1844 and 1861. It is now a visitor center that guests can tour and see as if Lincoln still lived in it to this day.
Built in the Greek Revival style, this was Illinois' fifth statehouse and it served as such between 1840 and 1976. It played an important role in the tension that was building prior to the Civil War and was the site of many famous debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas.
The home of a prominent attorney in the mid-1800s, this house was frequented by Abraham Lincoln and his peers for parties and is a testament of both domestic and social culture at the time. It was built in 1833 and remodeled in 1857.
Abraham Lincoln, his wife, and three of their four sons are buried within this tomb. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and is truly an incredible sight to see.
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If you wish to go on a scenic drive a bit further out of town, there is an additional landmark you could catch. This Native American site has been around longer than any of the previously mentioned attractions. It explores 12,000 years of human existence in the Illinois River Valley and includes a museum with many artifacts. The mounds are sacred and ancient burial mounds.
What other landmarks would you add to this historical sites road trip? Share your ideas with us below in the comments.
For more like this, check out 13 places in Illinois you can visit that are full of history.
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Featured Addresses
10956 N Dickson Mounds Rd, Lewistown, IL 61542, USA
Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, 1500 Monument Avenue Cemetery, W Oak Ridge St, Springfield, IL 62702, USA
700 N 4th St, Springfield, IL 62702, USA
Old State Capitol State Historic Site, 526 E Adams St, Springfield, IL 62701, USA
426 S 7th St, Springfield, IL 62701, USA
Elijah Iles House Foundation, 628 S 7th St, Springfield, IL 62703, USA
Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site, 301 E Lawrence Ave, Springfield, IL 62703, USA
Lincoln Memorial Garden and Nature Center, 2301 E Lake Shore Dr, Springfield, IL 62712, USA