Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum

What a great addition to the Springfield downtown scene. This museum is awesome. The shows are very cool, educational and entertaining. The displays are interesting and the rotating displays are even more fun. The first time I went I saw a "Christmas at the White House" display and the second time it was "The First Ladies Dresses". Definitely worth spending a couple of hours at. The museum itself is also a very beautiful structure, located in a prime spot downtown; close to great restaurants, The Old State Capital and Lincoln's home-making for a lovely afternoon.

As a history nerd, I've been learning about Lincoln for decades. And growing up in Kentucky, where he was born, I even learned about his youth in Hodgenville and the surrounding area.

This museum had a lot of things I already knew (taught himself, grew up in log cabin, met Mary Todd, was a shop keeper at one point, had a law practice, and his presidency during the Civil War). But it is very well done. Enough information for the layman, not overbearing or too much. It's laid out with a great flow, starting with his childhood and looping around through the Whitehouse years and his death. They have a log cabin replica and Whitehouse replica. Tons of wax figures show scenes from Lincoln's life. I also really enjoyed the way they used multiple forms of media to keep things interesting (animations, illustrations, films).

The museum had multiple artifacts. Letters he wrote, Mary Todd Lincoln's commitment papers, several bronze casts of his face. It was poignant to see how Lincoln aged into an old man over just five years or so. Another thing that I didn't expect to see was a small exhibit on the girl who told him to grow a beard (so he did!). It showed her as an elderly woman with her grandchildren and a few personal items. A neat little surprise.

There was also a touching place in the museum called "The War Gallery" with photos of people involved in the war in some capacity. You can touch a screen and choose various photos to learn more about them. I was curious about a very young Black boy, couldn't have been more than maybe eight years old. The caption was drummer boy or possible contraband. Heartbreaking and vital to know about and remember.

The section I enjoyed most was the section covering all the editorial cartoons about Lincoln. Cleverly displayed in slanted frames and with slanted architecture, they show how much vitriol Lincoln faced. I knew he had haters, but had no idea people were illustrating him as literal Satan, or as a vampire, or a troll. There is one cartoon that portrays him as a monkey while holding the Emancipation Proclamation. There are also quotes insulting him and Mary Todd Lincoln.

I learned the most from that section.

I came in around 3:45 PM, and they close at 5 PM, so I had to move fast. While I could have probably used a little more time, I knew a lot of the history, so I could focus on the artifacts and those illustrations. I didn't get to see the films. There are two theaters.

The front desk worker was very helpful. She let me know the museum closed at 5 PM (which I did know) and then she was kind enough to show me a map and give me a plan of attack to maximize the short time I had. Entry fee is 15 dollars. Also, there is a cafe, which I didn't utilize.

They mention the library, but it's across the street. I'm told it's not really a museum or anything and the website says you have to make an appointment.

Worth a stop for sure, along with the Lincoln home and Lincoln's tomb. I would probably do the home first, then the museum, then the tomb (that itinerary not only makes the most sense, but is in order of driving distance so you're not doubling back).

Great museum and library! Abraham Lincoln's story is nicely unfolded here - great flow, nice exhibition and explanations! Volunteers are friendly & helpful as well.

A combination of static displays, movies, etc you'll learn a lot about Lincoln, his family and his contributions to our country! It's a must see of you are in the area!

Everything went well

This is a must stop because this is history

Bring you kids
Bring your grand kids

I'm sorry it took me the majority of my adult life to make it down here from Chicago.

I'm so glad I stopped here

Great museum and reasonable pieces to get in. Staff is very friendly and helpful.
We love the layout and especially the "present day campaign reporting" with Tim Russert. Very original!!
We really enjoyed our experience and would go again.
The only disappointment were the two short movies. We expected to learn more, but it was a lot of fluff, but well done with good special effects.
All in all, it was immersive and a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

Very well done! This museum covers both the time prior to Lincoln becoming president and then moves onto his presidential years up to his death. President Lincoln is really humanized by exhibits such as one showing the speed at which he aged during his presidency. The Lincolns had four sons, only one of which lived to adulthood. The loss of these children was devastating for the Lincolns and their despair and agony is well chronicled as well, again, really humanizing President Lincoln. The shows had a surprising amount of technology. Making them very compelling. Highly recommended!

This musuem, more than most, effected me deeply. My favorite genre of book is historical fiction. I have read many books on Mary Todd Lincoln, so seeing her cast in 3-D, was profoundly moving. Each scene is intricately authentic, and seems vividly alive. I felt absorbed into their story in a way a book or movie could never accomplish.

If in Springfield, this is a must-see. While the location says Library and Museum, the library was closed when we were there. We were also told there is very little for the public to see in the library - it is reserved for historians.

As for the Museum, they cover everything about Abe's life. Much of it is shown in diorama scenes. Other topics are shown as paintings and statues. The presentation was very well done. You will be satisfied if you have deep knowledge or are just learning. It was well worth the price of admission.

We stayed for a couple of hours at least. While the museum isn't huge, it covers what it needs to. You'll get a marvelous flavor of the man, his wife, and his children. You will also feel the tragedy in their lives, losing two children while in the White House. Of course, they cover the assassination. And they discuss the loss of a third child after Abe's death.

One of the more interesting things we saw, and I have seen this, is a series of photographs of Lincoln each year in office. He died young, but in the last picture, he looks much older than he was. One can only imagine what the stress of being President during a Civil War, losing children, and suffering from depression did to him. It is apparent in the photo series.

i can't say much else. This is something you must experience.

Definitely a must visit Museum if you're in Springfield, and really for any history lover in the state of Illinois. This museum is fantastic place to learn about Abraham Lincoln and definitely worth the price of admission.

The exhibits here completely surprised me both in terms of the quality and completeness. When I first heard about the museum, i was expecting lots of historical artifacts behind glass and some short explanations here and there. Instead, I was delightfully surprised at how this felt like a fully immersive experience, where i could really step into Lincoln's shoes throughout the various stages of his life, as I was surrounded by very well constructed scenes that ranged anywhere from log cabin life to the decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

In addition to stunning visual design, the sounds here really added to the experience and were played on high quality speakers throughout each room. This definitely added to the experience as it helped set the tone and mood that I was expected to experience in each area. I highly recommend experiencing the two special theater shows as well. The quality of these I think are better than what you get from a 4D theater experience, and I still wonder how these were constructed. They did an amazing job of making history feel exciting and making me feel like I was actually in the actual battle or with Lincoln as he made important decisions.

Overall, this museum is highly recommended and worth a special trip for anyone who enjoys history. Make sure you budget at least several hours for this visit to truly enjoy everything.

Awesome place. Really enjoyed taking the tour. Wish they had more of Lincoln's stuff, but it was so long ago can understand why they don't. Takes about 2-3 hours to get through.

Amazing museum of the important President Abraham Lincoln with many interesting artifacts and exhibits. It's not stale like many museums. Lifelike figures and simulated conversations let one feel like they were around Lincoln and others. For sure the only bad thing is paying admission. The experience is worth it though for anyone wanting to know about Lincoln and history.

Basically there's two parts: the library and museum are connected. In this case, as is for many other Presidential centers, the library is mostly limited to historians and researchers. The museum is the main thing. It's about $15 for an adult. They give you a wrist band and allow you to reenter throughout the day, so you can come back later. Journey through the life of the President born in a log cabin. The exhibits show his humble beginnings, his professional and political careers, and then his time in the White House. See the unflattering political cartoons. The exhibit goes on through the Civil War and how he overcome adversity to save the Union. See the sad end at Ford's Theater and aftermath. The museum notes how opinion of him improved. Also they have a few special exhibits. They show off rare art from the era and also there's live music.

For sure this is a must see while in Springfield, along with a few other Lincoln sites so be sure to make time to get here. It may take a couple hours to go through the entire museum. The museum is worth the price of admission and you can even get it cheaper if you become a member, which is good if you have family or friends who want you to show them around this and other things.