It took nearly six years after I originally planned to make my return to Springfield, IL, but I finally made it back on Tuesday. I was originally going to go in September 2019, but I ended up cancelling my Amtrak tickets when I realized that I had booked my trip on the same day as the Emmy Awards. I then planned to reschedule for 2020, but COVID happened and I never made it back.

The biggest reason why I wanted to go back to Springfield is that my last trip had been in July 2005, a few months after the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum opened. I’ve since come out as trans, so I wanted new photos with the Lincoln statues and wax figures. (I didn’t get a new photo with the Lincoln statues opposite the Old State Capitol.) The other thing is that back in 2005, we visited Springfield on a Sunday, and because of timing, many places were closed by the time we finished our museum visit. As such, I never made it inside the only home that President Lincoln ever owned until Tuesday afternoon.

In retrospect, the delay was a good thing because I would have completely missed out on items or exhibits that are only on display because of America 250 or because they were recent donations. The other thing is that I knew one could visit state capitol buildings, but I had no idea that one could actually take a proper tour until I began planning my visits to Minneapolis-St. Paul and Denver in 2023 for ballpark tours of Target and Coors Fields. I benefited from my parents taking previous vacations.

If there’s one thing I learned from the trip, it’s to never take Amtrak when there’s an enforced speed limit due to heat. It took 98 minutes longer than planned to get to Springfield. Because of this, I didn’t get to explore the Old State Capitol for long. Nor could I linger around following the Illinois State Capitol tour—this was very quick compared to either Minnesota or Colorado. The Senate gallery is open again, but the Governor’s Reception Area has been temporarily relocated.

Because of how late I was running and knowing that the State Capitol doesn’t do tours from 12-1 PM, I felt it was best to go straight to the Lincoln Tomb. They have a dedicated parking area, and Uber drivers will drop you off right in front. I was able to take photos of all the sculptures that were on display in the entranceway and hallways, not to mention a better photo of the red marble memorial monument that sits about 30 inches behind and ten feet above the burial vault. If I weren’t rushed, maybe I would have lingered.

What’s notable about the Old State Capitol is that it was restored in 1966 to how it appeared when Lincoln served as a representative. It was the state capitol from 1840-76 and served as the local county courthouse from 1876 until 1966. The structure had been raised to add a third floor, which was removed during the restoration process. The outside of the building has been fully reconstructed stone by stone to appear as it did in the 1800s. There are some original artifacts, but otherwise, nothing is original to how the rooms appeared when it was the Old State Capitol, as they completely gutted the place. One desk is believed to have been used by Lincoln.

The Old State Capitol recently underwent a multimillion-dollar restoration process during 2023-25. A historical marker was also recently added to mark the location of President Barack Obama’s campaign announcements in 2007 and 2008. When you view the House and Senate chambers in the current building, you can definitely see why they had to move locations!

Knowing that the current State Capitol tours resumed at 1 PM (every half hour on weekdays, but they offer weekend tours as well), I knew I had to walk quickly. I wouldn’t have rushed myself if I knew the tours wouldn’t be starting on time. Tours take visitors into both galleries, the Hall of Governors, and the Governor’s Reception Area, point out the locations of the offices of statewide elected officials, and then finish in the Old Supreme Court chamber. Additionally, we heard about the rotunda and the statues on display. Due to the current renovation project, I didn’t have an opportunity to stroll through the entire capitol grounds. I got my photo with the Lincoln statue along Second Street before making my way to the Lincoln home. I returned later in the day for photos with statues of Dr. Martin Luther King, Gov. Richard Yates, Gov. John Palmer, and Sen. Everett Dirksen, as well as the Liberty Bell replica.

One casualty of the current renovation project was the office President Barack Obama used as a state senator. They did save and document everything in the event that they build a replica (which they should).

I didn’t let a second go to waste after finishing the capitol tour. Other than a selfie along the way with a historic Route 66 sign, I proceeded directly to the Lincoln Home National Historic Site visitor center and got a ticket for the 2 PM tour. Other than the ranger, I was the youngest person on the tour. I saved 26 minutes by watching Abraham Lincoln: A Journey to Greatness on YouTube the night before.

The Lincoln Home is the only home that Abraham Lincoln ever owned. Lincoln lived there from 1844-61. He never returned after being elected president and moving to Washington. Unfortunately, the bed is not original to the house. The family who rented the home moved to Chicago in 1869, and two years later, the bed was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire. The two-story house tour takes visitors to the Parlor, Dining Room, Sitting Room, and kitchen on the first floor. The second floor of the tour features the bedroom suite (separate rooms for Abe and Mary), the boys’ bedroom, and the hired staff’s room.

The four-block area has been preserved as a neighborhood. I don’t know if the exhibits in the surrounding homes have changed in the past 21 years, but between the heat and wanting to get to the ALPLM, I didn’t linger. It was back to the visitor center to buy postcards, magnets, and a much-needed water bottle before walking a short distance to the museum.

My first visit to ALPLM came during its opening year, so I was long overdue for a repeat visit. In commemoration of America 250, they opened The Second American Revolution this past summer. This exhibit explores the efforts to rebuild America after the Lincoln assassination. It also features the pen used by President Lincoln when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The ALPLM copy of the 13th Amendment was briefly on display this summer, but I wasn’t there when it was on display.

Another item that was donated to the museum this year is an audience chair that was in use at Ford’s Theatre on the night that Lincoln was shot.

The core exhibits are featured in Journey 1 (Pre-Presidential Years) and Journey 2 (White House Years). I did them in reverse order in part because Ghosts of the Library (9 minutes) exits directly into the hallway next to the Treasures Gallery, closest to Journey 2. Unfortunately, I did not take in the 17-minute Lincoln’s Eyes.

It took two hours to get through the museum in 2005. This time around, it took me closer to 75-80 minutes, including the time spent in the gift shop. I had just enough time to get across the street to the library and check out their exhibits: Lincoln’s Life in Letters, The Stevenson Room, and the small busts/statues near the reception desk. There are no exhibits on display on the second floor.

There are two statues across the street in Union Square Park: an Abraham Lincoln standing statue, “A Greater Task” by John McCleary, and a sitting Abraham Lincoln statue by Mark Luden. Unfortunately, I forgot about the sitting Lincoln or I would have taken a photo with it!

Despite running epically late on arrival, I was surprised that I was able to do everything I wanted to do. The only question mark going in was if I would get to the Illinois State Museum. In losing 98 minutes, it was the first thing that got cut from my schedule. It would be nice to check it out during a return trip—traveling to and from Chicago made it a $36 roundtrip and $2 less than what I lost when my Amtrak vouchers expired during the pandemic. My return train was scheduled for 7:24 but was delayed until close to 8 PM in arriving in Springfield. Many trains were delayed because of the heat. In fact, another train to Chicago arrived shortly after I made it to Union Station, but I arrived too late to hear the announcement about switching to an earlier train.

When I first went in 2005, I was very limited in what I was able to do because we arrived too late in the day and didn’t get to do much. The other thing is that I had a throwaway camera and was very limited in what photos I took. Having a digital camera—both my Canon and my phone—makes a really big difference. I took over 250 photos—less than half were uploaded to Facebook. Selects were uploaded to Instagram and Bluesky.

I have an ongoing project to visit as many presidential homes, museums/libraries, and gravesites as I can. I also want to get to all 50 state capitol buildings and take tours—some states are easier said than done due to traveling, and I regret not doing the Texas State Capitol when I had the chance. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be touring the Wisconsin, Indiana, and Tennessee State Capitols. Additionally, I’m finally going to get to the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site and Andrew Jackson’s The Hermitage. President James K. Polk is buried on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol, but I didn’t realize that there’s wording on all four sides of the tomb when I saw it in 2011. In addition to Presidents Harrison and Jackson, I also have a visit to West Branch, IA, in the works for later this year to check out the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in addition to the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. By the end of the year, I will have visited 13 of 40 presidential graves.

If everything goes to plan next year, I’ll add another 4-5 during my Philly/New Jersey/New York vacation. If I somehow make it to NYC this year, I’ll work to fit in a trip to Theodore Roosevelt’s grave in Oyster Bay—tickets to tour his home at Sagamore Hill are harder to come by than a Taylor Swift concert.