From Wikitravel

Springfield [1] is a city located in the center of the state of Illinois, USA. It is the capital of Illinois, as well as the county seat of Sangamon County. Springfield is best known for its most famous resident, Abraham Lincoln, and the several historic sites related to him.

[edit] Get in

• Interstates 55 & 72 are the main ways in and out.

[edit] Get around

[edit][add listing] See

• Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, 112 North 6th St., ☎ +1 217-558-88441-800-610-2094, [2]. Daily 9AM-5PM. This stunning museum features extremely rare artifacts to Lincoln & others around him. Completely 21st Century (in a good way), this has to be a must see. $7.50/5.50/3.50/Free (Adults/Seniors 62+ & Military (with ID) & Students (with ID)/Children 5-15/Children under 5).  edit

• Lincoln Home National Historic Site, 426 South Seventh Street, +1 217 492-4241 ext. 266 [3] - Daily 8:30AM-5:00PM except January 1st, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. The site features Abraham Lincoln's residence of 17 years, beautifully restored to its 1860 appearance. Entry to the home itself is only by ranger guided tour, but tickets can be obtained at the Visitor Center desk, and admission is free. The Visitor Center also offers an orientation film, along with other exhibits that change periodically. In addition to the home itself, a four block area has been preserved to look as it would in Lincoln's time period. Several of the other homes feature exhibits as well.

• Lincoln-Herndon Law Office, Sixth and Adams Streets, +1 217 785-7960 [4] - Daily, April 16-Labor Day, 9AM-5PM. Tue-Sat, Sept. 5-April 15, 9AM-5PM. Closed on New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday, Presidents' Day, General Election Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day. Featured here is the only surviving structure where Lincoln maintained working law offices. It has been restored and features an historical exhibit on the first floor. Guided tours are available, with a suggested donation. The building is located just a stones throw away from the old state capitol, a great convenience for both Lincoln and the modern traveler.

• Old State Capitol, 1 Old Capitol Plaza, +1 217 785-7960 [5] - Daily, April 16-Labor Day, 9AM-5PM. Tue-Sat, Sept. 5-Apr. 15, 9AM-5PM. Closed on New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday, Presidents' Day, General Election Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day. This building served as the seat of the Illinois state government from 1839-1876. It was here that Mr. Lincoln served his final term in the Illinois House of Representatives, and where he gave his famous "House Divided" speech. He used some rooms in the capitol as his presidential campaign headquarters. On May 3 & 4, 1865, an estimated 75,000 mourners filed past Lincoln's body as it lay in state in Representatives Hall, located in the capitol building. Guided tours are available, the last one will begin 45 minutes before closing. The tour takes about 30 minutes, and a 15-minute orientation video is also available. The entire building is handicap accessible.

• Lincoln Tomb, Oak Ridge Cemetery, +1 217 782-2717 [6] - Daily, Mar.-Oct., 9AM-5PM. Tues., Jun.-Aug., 7PM-8PM. Daily, Nov.-Feb., 9AM-4PM. Closed on New Years Day and the day after, Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday, Presidents' Day, General Election Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and day after. Lincoln's Tomb is located within Oak Ridge Cemetery, the second most visited cemetery in the United States, after Arlington National Cemetery. Within the large monument is the final resting place of Lincoln and most of his immediate family. The small receiving vault where Lincoln's casket was originally placed is also located nearby. The tomb's interior is handicap accessible, but the exterior upper deck is not.

• Lincoln Depot, 10th & Monroe, ☎ +1 217-544-8695 or +1 217-788-1356. April-Aug: 10AM-4PM.  edit

• Illinois Korean War Memorial, Oak Ridge cemetery, ☎ +1 217-782-2177 or +1 217-788-1356. April-Aug: 10AM-4PM.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

• Abraham Lincoln's New Salem State Park, in nearby Petersburg (20 miles)

[7] Open 7 days a week, this reconstruction of over two dozen 1830's log cabin houses at their original sites where Lincoln lived as a young man for over six years. Period costumes, oral historians and an attached evening theatre (see Performances link at this site) make this village of interest for all ages.

• Illinois State Museum, 502 S. Spring St, (217) 782-7386, [8]
• Dana-Thomas House, 301 Lawerence Ave, (217) 782-6776, [9]
• Vachel Lindsay House, 603 S. Fifth St, (217) 524-0901, [10]
• Lake Springfield, [11]

[edit] Learn

• The University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) [12] is the smallest of the University of Illinois's three campuses.

[edit][add listing] Eat

One of the legendary food items that is part of the heritage of Springfield is the horseshoe sandwich. The horseshoe sandwich originated in Springfield, Illinois sometime in the early 20th century at the Leland Hotel. You can get horseshoe sandwiches at most Springfield restaurants, at some restaurants in central Illinois, and at a few restaurants in other parts of the state. Horseshoes are not generally served outside of Illinois.

A traditional horseshoe is two hamburgers each on a piece of toast with fries and cheese sauce over the top. Variations now include broiled(or deep fried) tenderloins, shaved ham, shaved chicken and even vegetarian variations. A pony shoe is half a horseshoe - a sufficient quantity for most people.

[edit] Budget

• Charlie Parker's, 700 North St, ☎ +1 217 241 2104. Extra tasty American diner food served in a quonset hut decorated with rock-n-roll memorabilia. $5-$12.  edit

• Cozy Dog Drive In, 2935 South 6th St., ☎ +1 217-525-1992 (sue@cozydogdrivein.com, fax: +1 217-525-8539), [13]. M-Sa 8AM-8PM. One of the original restaurants on historic Route 66. Their specialty is the Cozy Dog, a cornbread-encased wiener known elsewhere as a corn dog. $3-$8.  edit

• Feed Store, 516 E Adams St (Old Capitol Plaza), ☎ +1 217 528 3355. M-Sa 11am-3pm. Known for their large selection of soups made fresh daily. Also serving sandwiches, salads and desserts. $6-12.  edit

• Head West Sub Stop (Multiple locations), [14]. Tasty submarine sandwiches and a jam-band soundtrack. These hippies can make a great sandwich. $4-$7.  edit

• 1124 W Jefferson St, ☎ +1 217 793 9101.

• 530 E Capitol St, ☎ +1 217 789 9101.

• 3311 Robbins Rd, ☎ +1 217 726 9202.

• Joe Roger's Chili, 820 S. 9th Street, ☎ +1 217 522 3722, [15]. M-Sa 11am-4pm. One of the classic Springfield chili parlors. Their chili is mixed to order with or without beans, with or without meat and available with six different levels of spiciness. Eat a bowl of the hottest style, the JR Special, and get your name on the wall. Yes, in Springfield it is proper to spell it with only one "l". $4-$8.  edit

• Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop, 118 N Pasfield St, ☎ +1 217 523 0723. Classic fast food restaurant serving distinctive loose meat sandwiches of spiced ground beef. Claims to have the first drive-thru window in the country. $4-$7.  edit

• Vic's Pizza, 2025 N Peoria Rd, ☎ +1 217 522 2464. Thin crust pizza and a few basic pasta dishes.  edit

[edit] Mid-range

• Darcy's Pint, 661 W Stanford Ave, ☎ +1 217 492 8800, [16]. M-Th 11am-10pm F-Sa 11am-11pm Bar open until 1am. Typical Irish style pub with better than typical fare. They make a little extra effort with the food and it shows. Good place to try a horseshoe. Very busy at typical meal times. $8-$16.  edit

• Holy Land Diner, 107 W Cook St, ☎ +1 217 544-5786. Vegetarian friendly restaurant offering Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. Buffet served weekdays at lunch plus Friday and Saturday evenings. The Friday buffet contains some meat and the Saturday buffet is vegetarian. The hand made baklava is superb. $6-$12.  edit

• Incredibly Delicious, 925 S 7th St, ☎ +1 217 528 8548 (fax: 217 528 7355), [17]. French inspired bakery and cafe with artisanal bread and tempting desserts located in a old Italianate house. Sandwiches, salads and quiches also served for lunch. All-butter croissants are a specialty. $5-$10.  edit

• Robbie's Restaurant (Old Capitol Plaza), ☎ +1 217 528 1901 (robbiesrestaurant@sbcglobal.net, fax: +1 217 528 1962), [18]. M-F 11am-7pm, Sa 11am-3pm. Frequented by businesspeople and politicians for great sandwiches and cocktails. Live Jazz during Friday evenings. $7-$11.  edit

• Saputo Twins Corner, 801 E Monroe St, ☎ +1 217 522 0105, [19]. M-F 10:30am-11pm Sa 5pm-11pm, Su 5pm-10 pm. Serving the same well-made basic Italian food that has remained a local favorite for decades. $10-$15.  edit

[edit] Splurge

• Fritz's Wagon wheel, 2709 S MacArthur Boulevard, ☎ +1 217 546 9888. Tu-Su 4:30pm-10pm. American style supper club serving steaks, seafood, ribs, etc. $10-$25.  edit

• Gateway to India, 3115 Chatham Road, ☎ +1 217 726 6890. Indian Cuisine. The lunch buffet is tasty and economical. $10-$15.  edit

• Maldaner's Restaurant, 222 S Sixth St, ☎ +1 217 522-4313, [20]. Lunch 11am-2:30pm Dinner 5pm-10pm. Landmark fine dining (since 1884) convenient to many of the historic sites. Menu emphasizes local and organically grown foods. Seasonal al fresco dining available. Lunch is a particularly good value with a special menu of soups, salads and sandwiches. Reservations recommended for dinner. Dinner $15-$30 Lunch $5-$10.  edit

• Old Luxembourg Inn, 1900 S 15th Street, ☎ +1 217 528 0503. Tu-Su 4:30pm-10pm. Family owned steak house popular with locals and visiting politicians. In the 60+ years this restaurant has been open, the surrounding neighborhood has had ups and downs, but the Old Lux has remained consistently good. $8-$25.  edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Forty-Niner Bye-Bye, 518 N Bruns LN, ☎ +1 (217) 787-4937.  edit

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Comfort Inn, 3442 Freedom Drive, +1 217 787-2250, [21]. Conveniently located off Interstate 72/US 36 West, 'just minutes' away from the State Capitol, White Oaks Mall and a variety of restaurants within walking distance.

• Comfort Suites, 2620 S. Dirksen Pkwy, +1 217 753-4000, [22]. Featuring 91 double and king suites each with distinct sleeping and work/leisure areas.

• Crowne Plaza, 3000 South Dirksen Pkwy, +1 217 529-7777, Toll-Free 800-980-6429, [23]. Conveniently located directly off Interstate 55 and historic Route 66.

• Microtel Inn & Suites, 2636 Sunrise Drive, +1 217 753-2636, [24].

• Quality Inn & Suites - State House, 101 East Adams, +1 217 528-5100, [25]. A hotel rich in history as well as a signature style and modern technology.

• Sleep Inn, 3470 Freedom Drive, +1 217 787-6200, [26]. Conveniently located off I-72.

• Hilton Springfield located in downtown Springfield. It is thirty stories and is cylinder shaped and is a black and white building.

• Maple Crest Bed & Breakfast, in nearby Petersburg by Abraham Lincoln's New Salem Village, +1 217 632-0128, [27].

• Abraham Lincoln International Hostel, 421 East Jackson, +1 217 522-8828.

• Hilton Springfield, 700 e. Adams St, +1 217 789-1530, [28]

[edit] Get out

• Athens, [29]
• Jacksonville, [30].
• Petersburg, [31]
• Vandalia, [32], has the original state capitol.

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