Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site

This recreation of the 1830s Village Lincoln lived in for 6 years is definitely worth a visit! it is 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.

Fantastic donation-based ($10/family) rebuilt historical village with 100 year old buildings portraying 200 year old life. Excellent AC to cool off in Stone museum (which houses kids toys & photo opp) and exhibit hall. Nice 2 hour visit!

This wasn't originally in our plans for our trip to Springfield. We met with some friends who were visiting their family outside of town. After lunch, they took us to this site. This is where Lincoln got his start as a junior surveyor. The gentleman who took us was also an expert and a part-time tour guide, so he gave us a brief tour. We were rushed since this was our third day, and we had to drive back home. (It was a long drive.) We spent about 45 minutes at New Salem.

Some of the homes and shops are original. Others were built in the same style as the rest of the town. We saw homes, farms, an ox-drawn mill, and other things. We only made it through about 1/3 of the site before we had to go. So, we only saw some of what we wanted, but we got a very good flavor of life in this town about 160 years ago.

It was a fascinating stop, and we're very happy we did this. The last building we saw was the mill. There is a great picture of the part where the Oxen powered the mill. Our guide was around when they showed the mill working the last time. He said it was so loud, and the pressure exerted by the Oxen was so great you could hear the thumping of their footsteps far away.

We stopped short of seeing one of two houses that were Lincoln's shops. I'm disappointed we didn't see either of them. There was one right across the road from the mill. We didn't realize it until we were leaving, and I took another look at the map.

If you visit Springfield, leave time to visit New Salem.

Campground here at new salem great place to stay, cook, and have fun but not me 1 of the guys who are with the check in lady keeps saying stuff like we're doing something bad and we had to move one of the campers bc it was gonna rain, and no rain came down.

The interpreters are amazing, so knowledgeable. It's a cheap fun way to learn about the historical town. Thanks so much

We went on a Friday where the visitor center was closed due to COVID. It was still fascinating. We could walk around and read the signs and look in the homes and the mill. I felt like we were stepping back in time and it was easy to imagine the hard lives of the settlers. It was about a half hour from Springfield. I recommend this side trip if you are in the states capital.

A little off the beaten path but if you're a Lincoln fan this is a must visit. All but one of the buildings are replicas but they show the town as it was in the 1830s when Lincoln lived there. Due to covid restrictions they didn't have the visitors center open or volunteer interpretors in the town buildings which would have made it even better.

We still were able to talk around even though the visitor center and gift shop was closed. We just found out about this place. But it was really neat to walk around and see some of the early settlement homes. And it was a relaxing walk. They also have picnic tables and playground for the kiddos.

Lovely place to visit, lots of walking paths. Beautiful with the trees and greenery. Kind staff.

Bit of advice-while it may be technically open year round, I strongly suggest going during peak season. My recollection is that the place had re-enactors and demonstrations-none of which were on site 2 weeks ago. Still ok, but not nearly as interesting as it is during the summer.