Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Prairies Edge Farm

    5.0 (1 review)

    Prairies Edge Farm Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Prairies Edge Farm

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site - Map of New Salem

    Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site

    4.6(28 reviews)
    23.6 mi

    Good side trip if you are exploring the area. Staff and volunteers are very knowledgeable. Nice…read moreplace for photos. I visited on a weekday afternoon and felt like I had the place to myself, which was a real bonus. There are a series of night events which I want able to attend. Will be back to check them out.

    This recreation of the 1830s Village Lincoln lived in for 6 years is definitely worth a visit! it…read moreis here that Lincoln went from a self-described piece of driftwood to someone who had experience as a land surveyor, had been a captain in the army, and was starting to read law. The entry fee is donation based. For a family, the suggested donation is only $10, which is very reasonable. There is a café and small gift shop in a building separate from the visitor center, although you can bring your own food and drink and have a picnic on the covered tables outside the café. The Visitor's Center has some really interesting exhibits about the town and its short lifespan. While Lincoln was certainly the most famous inhabitant, the other people who lived in town are also of interest, as are the exhibits about daily life in 1830's frontier Illinois. The village was recreated in the 1930s based on interviews with people who grew up in new Salem or are descendants of people who live there, as well as visible foundations of the buildings. The weather was absolutely amazing when we went, but even on a hot day, New Salem would be nice to visit because there are lots of shade trees over the walking paths between the buildings. During our visit, six or seven Interpreters welcomed us into a selection of the shops and homes. These folks dress in historic costume and tell you about the house or shop they're in, as well as what they know about the village. The Interpreter at the Rutledge Tavern mentioned that she has read many accounts of folks who had been to new Salem, lived in new Salem, or were descendants of people who lived there. She also talked about her process of determine which accounts were the most accurate and therefore usable in day-to-day work as an Interpreter. The Interpreter in the doctor's house was fantastic and is a distant cousin of Abraham Lincoln, as well as a trained doctor who has a lot of information about 1830s medical practice. The interpreter at the blacksmiths shop was working on a pin for his wife's voluminous hair! We were at the site about four hours, although you could go through faster, depending on how many interpreters there are and whether you stop in the visitor center.

    Photos
    Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site
    Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site
    Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site

    See all

    Prairies Edge Farm - tours - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...