I grew up around this area shortly after being born in Chicago. And still have a few friends who are in the area. I enjoyed taking the long way home even if it involved bypassing Chicagos traffic , I prefer the longer scenic view of farms /cornfields. Springfield is a city that's sprawled all over and many of the state employees are here. Plenty of historic old buildings all types of tours and fun things to do almost every single day weekend. 18/2026 read more

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Great city to explore the Land of Lincoln along historic Route 66. Grab a map and explore what led Abraham Lincoln to the presidency during a time of unrest that led to the Civil War and ultimately his untimely death due to assignation. Recommended places to visit include the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, the Old State Capital and the Lincoln Tomb. There are so many monuments and landmarks, including his law office, to explore in historic downtown Springfield. Visit the Illinois State Capitol. Tours are free. Make a reservation to the Dana-Thomas House. It contains the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright glass and furniture in one of his designs. It was his first blank check commission. Pay your last respect to Lincoln as well as those who served in the military at the Oak Ridge Cemetery. The Lincoln Family tomb is a stunning tribute. The Illinois War Memorials honor those who served and lost their lives in WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. read more

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Springfield is a fun State Capitol to visit if you're interested in state government and Abraham Lincoln. It has plenty of museums and historical sites available to visit and learn (mostly free or relatively cheap) with plenty of restaurants and hotels to choose from. The traffic overall isn't too congested, making it relatively easy to get around during the day (though you have to be careful of lots of one-way streets around downtown). Worth a visit if you'd like to learn more about Illinois government and history, especially of Abraham Lincoln. read more

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I was recently in Springfield for a conference and arrived with no real preconceptions because the only other time I'd been there was on a family vacation (so minimum 15-20 years ago when my only cares were the hotel pool and guarding my gas station Hostess products from my brothers). Times have changed - this time I didn't even bring a bathing suit. My 28-hour visit taught me that Springfield is: *awesome if lunch is the only meal you eat - almost every promising restaurant I found online closed around 2:30 or 3:00. *manageable on foot if you are taking in the history and shops around downtown only. *still in love with Abraham Lincoln, which is okay because I am too. *two parts sugar (popcorn shop, candy shop) to one part rock n' roll (record shop broadcasting, among others, the Ramones). The people I encountered were friendly and someone there has the good taste to own a Hyundai Veloster, which score big points. But I can't say I'll be tearing down the highway to visit again immediately. read more