This Park is huge. Great for walking and catching great scenery. Also a bit romantic if you are…read morestopping to just sit in the garden. Full of live nature and of course free of charge plenty of parking. Be sure to remember where you parked the walking trail will have you walking for a long journey. There's a park on the other side for kids to play. Bridge to cross if you find view of ponds calming. Trails to walk through the forest preserve and plenty of people out walking, running or picnicking. It's absolutely beautiful and a staple here in the state capital.

I recently visited the Washington Park Botanical Garden in Springfield and had a lovely 4-star…read moreexperience. The gardens are well-maintained and make for a peaceful escape from the busier parts of the city. There's a nice variety of plants and flowers throughout the grounds, and depending on the season, there's plenty of colour and interesting displays to enjoy. One of my favourite parts was simply walking through the conservatory and taking my time exploring. It's not a huge attraction, but that's part of its charm--it feels relaxing rather than overwhelming, and you can appreciate everything at your own pace. The grounds are clean, the staff are friendly, and it's a great spot for photos, a quiet stroll, or just spending some time surrounded by nature. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that it's relatively small, so you can see most of it fairly quickly. I also have not explored the entire garden yet so I can't say I experienced it fully. Still, it's a beautiful local gem and well worth a visit if you're in Springfield. Overall: 4 stars. A peaceful and well-kept botanical garden that's perfect for a relaxing afternoon.

Springfield Union Station opened in 1898 that has Romanesque architecture. It served trains until…read more1971 until Amtrak moved services 3 blocks away. Sadly, it's temporarily closed but very beautiful inside when we visited several times before. It is a museum with historic memorabilia from days past and is currently part of the Abraham Lincoln Museum & Library.

This gorgeous train station was built in 1896 is on the Natl Register of Historic Places. The…read morestation was mainly used by the Illinois Central but others such as the B&O and the Chicago, Peoria and St Louis Rrds shared the facilities. If you think that the outside is a wonder, then make it a point to visit during operating hours and view the interior. Note that the upper level in not open to the public.

We had a great time here at the old Capitol. We enjoyed the self guided tour and listening to the…read moreLincoln Troubadours sing in the rotunda area and in the old house chamber. This statehouse was not used very long, but Lincoln was in here when he was alive. It was also the last place he lay in state before they closed the coffin and buried him and his son Willie in the Springfield cemetery. We enjoyed the Underground Railroad display and stories in the old Supreme Court Chambers. This place is kind of big and you can schedule at least an hour to see everything. As of June 2025 it's open Thursday through Saturday.

The Old State Capitol is a reconstruction of Illinois' statehouse from 1840 to 1876. During the…read more20th century's civil rights movement, its restorers faithfully recreated the building in which John Jones & Frances Gage worked to expand the meaning of freedom. Lincoln served his final term as a state lawmaker in 1840-41. As a lawyer, he pleaded cases before the state supreme court in this building (1841-1860). In the Illinois House chamber, Lincoln made his House Divided speech in June 1858, announcing his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. It was to the same chamber, in May 1865, that his body was returned to lie in state, arriving from Washington, D.C., prior to final burial in Springfield's Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Took our grandchildren to spend a Saturday afternoon.... they absolutely loved the experience…read more... they were able to do the detective search as an interactive activity and enjoyed looking for all of the items on the paper... both absolutely loved receiving the certificate and small prize when turning it in to the information desk... all of the staff was so great with the kids ... they took the time to stop interact and explain different areas to the kids and answered any questions they had... we will definitely be bringing them back! Editing the review as I forgot to mention the theater experiences... they were both very good and captivated the attention of a five and eight year old the whole time!

This is a small museum worth doing once…read more Both screenings were very good. The ghost screening seemed like a real actor, crazy how good it was. One gallery wasn't open. We toured the rest and took less than an hour to go through it.