Review Visit: March 11th, 2014…read more To quote my friend; "It's not even covered!" Now, to be fair and to preface this blog post, we did stop by after it received some storm damage. So the state it was in when we visited is not a representation of what it actually looks like. The low score is from my initial visit. Should I happen to make it back, I will update the score and post new photos to reflect what it really presents. Looking into it for this blog post, I would rather like to see it in it's former glory as it looks really cool! Okay, so with all that in mind, my friends and I left Springfield after a day of exploring. On the way home, we saw the sign for this covered wagon. I asked everyone if they wanted to stop and check it out. They didn't care... so 10 minutes later, we find ourselves looking at the wagon... or the damaged wagon. As stated above, it seemed to have received some storm damage and was in the process of being restored, so it was in really bad shape. But we had some fun taking goofy photos in front of it. It was muddy out, so we couldn't explore around the area too much. I have visited Lincoln, IL a few times since this photo was taken, so next time I am down there, I hope to have new/better photos of the wagon. It really does look cool from seeing other people's online photos. Plus, it's a nod to Illinois and the USA's history since it has Abraham Lincoln on it. The link to the website provided below is not to the Wagon's actual website... because it does not have one. But I do like Atlas Obscura, so I linked to their website. That way there is some reference material if you are interested in learning more about the wagon.

Exactly as advertised, this is the World's Largest Covered Wagon. It's worth a quick stop on your…read moredrive along Route 66 to take a fun picture as it's located off the main road in a large parking lot so you can feel free to slowly take as many pictures as you need. It's free to visit and not too far off the highway.

We followed the signs getting off at the cemetery. We passed different war memorials before finding…read morea lot in front of Lincoln's grave. There were restrooms at the gravesite. Visiting Lincoln's Tomb was free. Pres Lincoln, Mary, & 3 of their sons' remains are here. The Lincoln Tomb was formally dedicated on October 15, 1874, 150-years ago. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources presents "Porch Talks" on the grounds of the Residence at the Lincoln Tomb providing :20 programs about lesser-known facts surrounding this monument. We drove into the cemetery, passing From 1865 to 1901, Lincoln's coffin was moved 17 times due to construction & fears for the safety of the president's remains. There was actually a plot in 1876 to steal his body and hold it for ransom. The coffin itself was opened on five separate occasions. Lincoln Cemetery is a 112 acre historically African American cemetery in Blue Island, with over 16,000 interments. Many famous black musicians, scientists, aviators, athletes ... are also here.

Abraham Lincoln's Tomb is in the Oakridge Cemetery just a short drive from downtown Springfield…read more He's buried there with his wife Mary and his 3 sons. This is his final resting place after his coffin was moved 17 times due to potential grave robbers and construction of this site. The obelisk outside the tomb is 117 ft tall there are several rooms and bronze statues of Lincoln duplicating him at different times of his life. The inside is solid marble! There's even a grave keepers home alongside the grave that appointed custodians lived and watched over his tomb from 1874-2014. Due to state budget issues, the last custodian retired and wasn't replaced.

We paid two dollars an hour to park in the lot. We went into the theater to meet our free half an…read morehour guided tour through Lincoln's house. Ranger Nate brought 12 of us through the 12 room house. We went into the parlor, family room, upstairs to the bedrooms, down the back staircase to the kitchen & outside. An entire 4 block neighborhood has been preserved here. At the national Park Service Visitor Center we picked up a ticket to enter his 12 room home. This is the only home Abe & Mary ever owned from 1844 until they moved to the White House in 1861. A remarkable 80% of the home is original. We were told that they moved into a one story home when their first son was born. They added this second floor when they were a family of five. The neighborhoods around Lincoln's home has been preserved . We were able to walk into other people's backyards and inside for more exhibits, just fascinating.

This is a wonderful place to visit especially if you are a Lincoln fan as we are. You can only get…read moretickets day of, but we walked up and got on the next tour (up to 15 per tour). The gift shop is very nice and has lots of goodies. The tour was led by a very knowledgeable guide with the national park service. The house is in immaculate condition and over 50% of the furniture etc is original, which I thought was amazing. So cool to see Lincoln's real chairs, bed, etc. The streets and houses around have been preserved and some are open to self tour. Street parking can be found for free or you can pay $2 and hour at the headquarters. House tours are free.

I was just passing thru Springfield but i HAD to stop by and take a pic of this. It was bigger than…read moreI thought it was going to be. It is very well maintained too. As you can see it doesn't have the cover which is understandable because it was still winter/spring time when I was there. I hope to go there soon!

From the owner: Tourism and information center all about Logan County with deep roots in Abe Lincoln and Route 66.read more

We had such a wonderful time visiting the David Davis Mansion. Our tour guide, Jeff, gave us a long…read moreand detailed tour that was both informative and engaging. He was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and made the history of the mansion come alive. One highlight was learning about David Davis's close connection to Abraham Lincoln, which added an even deeper historical significance to our visit. That piece of history was fascinating and memorable. We highly recommend the David Davis Mansion to anyone visiting Bloomington. It's a beautiful historic home with a rich story, and with guides like Jeff, you're guaranteed an excellent experience.

We toured the David Davis Mansion on a chilly December afternoon. There was one else there for a…read moretour so we had our own private tour. The mansion was beautiful and decorated for Christmas. The house has many artifacts that are true to the Davis family. We learned a treasure of information from our tour guide Jeff. He was able to answer both of our questions and we had many of them. Jeff was able to tailor the tour to our interests providing a personalized experience. This tour of an exquisite mansion was top-notch due to Jeff and his wealth of knowledge and pleasant personality.

Another one of the fun landmarks along Route 66. This one is a little more tricky to get pictures…read moreof, as it's large enough to get a distorted angle if you're taking pictures underneath Paul Bunyon, but the composition isn't great if you're standing across the street. Ideally, try to use 3x zoom if you can and check out some of the local sights in the area as well.

a must stop when traveling along Route 66 take a step back in history and think what this area was…read moreis a pretty cool feeling

There were several aspects of this tour that I really enjoyed. It was super cool to get to see the…read morecouch on which Abe courted Mary Todd! The servant's quarters in the attic were absolutely fascinating. The recreation of the wallpaper was a super cool story. The tour guide James was a bit odd but very knowledgeable. His jokes felt somewhat canned rather than organic, but that's probably just one of the hazards of the job. My main issue was that, as we were touring the house, there were random kids hanging out in various rooms doing art projects. This somehow felt strange, given the reverence with which James was suggesting we should treat the house. And then you turn the corner and there are a bunch of 8 year olds sitting in the floor of the main room. There's also one room upstairs that hasn't really been restored to the same period as the rest of the house. The guide had a reason for that, but it didn't make total sense to me. Not sure I'd make a second trip, but I certainly don't regret the hour or so I spent touring it!

A beautifully restored historical home-a treasure for Springfield IL. If you love history and…read morecraftsmanship you will enjoy the Edwards Place. Hand sewn wool carpets, silk screen wallpaper, walnut and oak wood graining by artisans, custom made draperies, make this a unique home. The original home was build in 1830's. Multiple additions to the home are apparent by examining the trim and woodworking changes. This house is a living museum.

Shaded playground, huge shaded picnic area, bathrooms, walking path around creek, volleyball/sand…read morearea and massive sports facilities. Great park in a nice area close to the mall!

Clean, well shaded playground with lots of equipment to entertain the kids. Huge pavilion, walking…read moretrail, baseball fields, volleyball court, tennis courts etc very nice community park.

This is an historical marker in Ware Illinois in Union County and is part of the Lewis & Clark…read moreexpedition that was lead by Sacagawea. There's many historical markers in the near traveling areas that you'll want to see especially if you're a history buff.

The Two Story Outhouse. I loved being here. I smiled ear to ear the whole time. Such a great way to…read morebring some traffic to the village of Gays. They had a mini replica of the outhouse that had cars and pens inside where you can write where you are from. So fun! I recommend spending time here. It was fun and wholesome.

The major attraction in Gays, this is indeed a Two Story Outhouse. I was unable to prove how it…read moreworks as it was padlocked and secured. You'll just have to use your imagination and that's what makes it even better. A two minute stop in a small town that is a short detour off the Interstate just north of Effingham. Don't miss out. [Review 1282 of 2024 - 209 in Illinois - 22305 overall]