How can you not love a guy holding a Big Hotdog. And have it be a classic Muffler Man makes it all…read morethe better so many things to take in around the Area

A nice detour to break up a long monotonous interstate car trip -- and to reminisce about what car…read moretravel along Route 66 might have been like in the 1960s. The statute is huge. I'm 5'4", and only reached Paul's knees! Took a few photos, and then set out for lunch. We had hoped to grab a quick lunch in Atlanta, Illinois, where the statue is located - but the cafe across from the statue was closed on a Friday in May around noon. We were able to get a soda (no diet sodas available) and Gatorade at the bakery next door (Misty's?). We ate a few abacus with our drinks at a picnic table next to a memorabilia shop that us currently for sale across from the statue. Looks like a cool place. Sorry it wasn't open. There is also an inviting souvenir shop next to the statue but we didn't visit.

A fantastical site to see. Literal history right before your eyes. Walked through the same house…read morethat Lincoln lived in for 26 years. Amazing. And all for free. No reason not to go.

You can walk through the actual house that Abraham Lincoln lived in. How cool is that!…read moreThe Lincoln Home National Historic Site is located in downtown Springfield, Illinois, just a few blocks from the Illinois State Capitol. The site is operated by the National Park Service which preserves not only Abraham Lincoln's home but also much of the surrounding neighborhood. Your visit begins at the Visitor Center, where you obtain your free tour ticket and can browse several exhibits about Lincoln, his family, and the history of the neighborhood. The staff and park rangers were friendly, helpful, and well organized. When it was time for our tour, our group was briefed in the small theater and then escorted the several blocks through the historic neighborhood to Lincoln's home. The guide lead our group to outside the home first and talked about the history and then we went into the house and moved from room to room. The tour guide did a great job of explaining everything and answering the many questions that our group had about the house. Seeing the actual home where Lincoln lived before becoming President makes the history feel much more personal than simply reading about it in a book or hearing about it on the web. The rooms are furnished in period style, and the guides do an excellent job pointing out interesting details that you might otherwise overlook. Because this is a carefully preserved historic home, visitors are asked not to touch the furniture, walls, or other interior features. There are also several stairways, narrow hallways, and uneven transitions between rooms, so those with mobility limitations may find portions of the tour challenging. The National Park Service works hard to preserve the home while still allowing visitors to experience it as authentically as possible. I would suggest after touring the house that you take some time to walk through the surrounding neighborhood. Many of the neighboring homes have been restored, creating the feeling of stepping back into the mid-1800s. Overall, this was a highlight of our visit to Springfield. The knowledgeable guides, beautifully preserved home, and historic neighborhood made it a memorable experience. I would highly recommend the Lincoln Home National Historic Site to anyone visiting Springfield or anyone interested in American history. Enjoy!

A Greater Task "Why…read moreshould there not be a patient confidence in the ultimate justice of the people? Is there any better or equal hope in the world?" Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address Located in a small park across the street from the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, this statue highlights the burden and complexities that Lincoln faced as he began his journey to Washington and became a wartime president. Visit this and the nearby Acts of Intolerance Sculpture to reflect on the past, the present and the future.

Do the tour! The tour of the Carillon's is about 30 minutes and you learn about how they're played…read moreand how they came to be and how they're made. Then if you can stay or come back for the concert when they play, it's worth it. The concert is about another 30 minutes and sounds just wonderful. There are places to sit and relax and geese to feed too. The tour costs a nominal amount but listening to the Carillons is free.

Have you seen it? have you heard it? It's pretty amazing…read more... super tall, 32+? bells that one person plays! Hello? Awesome! Wednesdays in the summer take wander around the area and take a listen! I think it's pretty awesome. Now, if we could get rid of the bugs... Anyway - it's great! Go, enjoy!

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.

A wonderful monument. Make sure you go inside the memorial if it is open…read more We wanted to visit Springfield to see all the wonderful sites in Lincoln's hometown. We visited teh Presidential Library and Museum and ate lunch at a nearby park with a pool. The Museum was lovely and I could have spent days there but we decided that we wanted to see his tomb since is was nearby. It is a short drive from the Museum (about 5 min) through a cemetery on the northwest end of the city. It is very pretty. There is a parking lot down the hill from the memorial that serves as his tomb. The tomb has a bust of his head in front that superstition says is good luck to rub its nose. You can walk around the entire structure. When we visited, there was a tour that was able to walk up to the second story of the structure but noone else was allowed. The hidden gem here is a door at the base of the monument that is beautiful inside. It circles the tomb in air-conditioned walkway. The four corners of the have small status of Lincoln in different periods of his life. It is very nice and well done. I highly recommend it to anyone in the area.

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.

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 Route 66 Museum is great and close to the other attractions in Atlanta. There is a pride in…read moretheir history that shows. Every one we spoke with at every stop in town was kind and knowledgeable.

It has been celebrated in song, story, poem, and yes, even a Route 66 TV show (1960-1964); historic…read moreU.S. Route 66 was established in 1926 and ran east-west across the central United States. According to the popular song "Route 66" by John Mayer "...it winds from Chicago to LA, more than two thousand miles all the way". 2448 miles or 3,940 KM to be precise. Tourist attractions designed to get a motorist to take a break from their journey (and spend some cash) along "the mother road" or the "main street of America" are scattered here and there among the small towns that are found along Route 66. One of these attractions is the Route 66 Arcade Museum located in the prototypical small town of Atlanta, IL. At the Route 66 Arcade Museum it is possible to misspend your youth all over again; one quarter at a time! The Museum is chock full of vintage pinball and video games from the 1930's-1970's. The Route 66 Arcade Museum is only open during the tourist season April through September. The museum is opened and closed by a third party but is usually open from 9am 4pm in season. Hours are currently impacted by IL state COVID-19 regulations for entertainment businesses so please check before your visit.

We reserved a free tour at Eventbrite. Jennifer brought 15 of us through this massive, historic…read morehome. She pointed out specific pieces, told stories about the owners & was very knowledgeable about Frank Lloyd Wrights work. We started our tour with a brief video about the glass work. We went into several sitting areas, Dana's bedroom, nursery, dining room, pantry & kitchen.library, bowling alley & billiards room. The 3rd largest home Frank Lloyd Wright ever designed. this remarkably preserve Prairie School icon dates from 1902 until 1904. It's more interesting than his home in Oak Park. The 16 floor home was considered experimental with a duckpin bowling alley & 2 barrel vaulted ceiling's. There is exquisite color shifting art glass & 90% of the furniture is original. Susan Lawrence Dana (1862-1946) was an heiress to a silver mines fortune . She was widow in 1900 & had complete control over her household & fortune. She was a leading philanthropic figure in Springfield. Dana decided to completely remodeled her home commissioning Frank Lloyd Wright. Her new home reflected her flamboyant personality & was designed for display & entertainment. The concept of "expanding space" was evident throughout the house with windows placed to continually draw the attention to the outside. Wright designed approximately 450 art glass windows, skylights, door panels, sconces & light fixtures for the house. The interior Torii gates are magnificent.hallway into two of the largest rooms in the house. The musical gallery for entertaining and the library contains special easels. Wright designed white oak furniture for Dana to display Japanese prints. In1928, Dana had dementia & financial constraints. In1944, the home and its contents were sold to Charles C. Thomas, a medical publisher. Thomas lived here & used this home as his publishing company. He sold the house to the state for a million dollars. It became a historic site. Jennifer shared that the house is still being utilized for social community events.

This was so cool! What an amazing experience! This was my first Wright house, and I'm not sure it…read morecan be topped! I understand why photos aren't allowed inside, but I was expecting more postcards depicting the various rooms to be available in the gift shop. There was cool stuff, for sure, but more postcards of the interior would be great since photos aren't allowed. My tour guide was Allicent and she did a great job talking about all the artistic and architectural features of the home. There was also a video at the beginning about the manufacture of some of the glass. I was sorry that the intro video didn't tell us more about the historical and social context of Mrs Dana, but I imagine most visitors would be more interested in the architectural technique. My only complaint with my tour is that there were two little kids on it. They were like 3 and 5. They were totally distracting the whole time--talking, whining, trying to grab at things. I'm not sure why the museum has such strict rules about other things but also allows in kids under 12. There's nothing they could possibly glean from the tour. It's really not designed for kids. Nor should it be!

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.

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.