As the Illinois state capital, Springfield (pop. 120,000) embodies the rural small-town character of most of the state and feels much farther away from Chicago than the three-plus-hour drive it actually is, traffic willing. Springfield is also the place that takes the “Land of Lincoln” state’s obsession with Abraham Lincoln to its greatest extreme, for it was here that Honest Abe worked and lived from 1837 to 1861. He left Springfield after being elected President, and was buried here after his assassination at the end of the Civil War.
There are all manner of Lincoln sites to see all over Springfield, but the newest and best place to start your homage is at the state-run Lincoln Presidential Museum (daily; $7.50; 217/558-8882), which opened in April 2005 at 212 N. 6th Street. Once you’ve toured this comprehensive, reverential yet thought-provoking $90 million exhibition, other sites to see include the only home Lincoln ever owned, his law offices, and of course his tomb. Located in Oak Ridge Cemetery, two miles north of downtown, his tomb also includes the remains of his wife and three of four children; legend has it that if you touch the nose on the bronze bust of Lincoln, good luck will follow.
Though quite sincere and understated, the Lincoln homage can overwhelm, and one place that lets you escape from Lincoln Land is the beautiful Dana-Thomas House (closed Mon. & Tues.; 217/782-6776) at 301 E. Lawrence Avenue, a half mile south of the state capitol. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1902, it is the most luxurious, best-preserved, and most fully furnished of his houses—and is open for hour-long guided tours. Actually a complete remodel of a house that already stood on the site, the Dana-Thomas house was built for socialite Susan Dana, who lived here until the late 1920s, when it was sold to a publishing company and used as offices until the state of Illinois purchased it in 1981.
Springfield also has a favorite Route 66 watering hole, the Cozy Dog Drive-In (217/525-1992), on the old road south of downtown at 2935 S. 6th Street. The birthplace of the corn dog, which here goes by the nicer name “Cozy,” was founded in 1949 by Ed Waldmire, father of noted Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire. So come on in, and chow down on a Cozy Dog or two—four dogs, a drink, and a big basket of french fries cost around $5.
Almost all the national chain hotel and motels have operations in Springfield, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding a room. For more information, contact the Springfield visitors center, 109 N. 7th Street (217/789-2360 or 800/545-7300).
