We had such a wonderful time visiting the David Davis Mansion. Our tour guide, Jeff, gave us a long…read moreand detailed tour that was both informative and engaging. He was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and made the history of the mansion come alive. One highlight was learning about David Davis's close connection to Abraham Lincoln, which added an even deeper historical significance to our visit. That piece of history was fascinating and memorable. We highly recommend the David Davis Mansion to anyone visiting Bloomington. It's a beautiful historic home with a rich story, and with guides like Jeff, you're guaranteed an excellent experience.

We toured the David Davis Mansion on a chilly December afternoon. There was one else there for a…read moretour so we had our own private tour. The mansion was beautiful and decorated for Christmas. The house has many artifacts that are true to the Davis family. We learned a treasure of information from our tour guide Jeff. He was able to answer both of our questions and we had many of them. Jeff was able to tailor the tour to our interests providing a personalized experience. This tour of an exquisite mansion was top-notch due to Jeff and his wealth of knowledge and pleasant personality.

Wow, I have to say there are numerous improvements made since the new owner has taken over. It is…read morealmost not recognizable to those who were here prior 2012. The paranormal activity here is hot, if you are looking for a place to investigate this is it. It is in the middle of nowhere but within an hour of Champagne, IL home of The University of Illinois. It is three hours out of Chicago, and just over two hours out of Indianapolis. Do your research unlike one particular show, there is no documented Demonic activity here. I think you and or your group will be satisfied. The bunk houses are new and clean worth the rental. Look at the evidence caught in October of 2015, www.ghostly-voices.com.

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.

Absolute perfection! This is one of the best Frank Lloyd Wright houses in the world. It is the…read morebiggest. it also has 95% of the original furnishings inside including a lamp that the state of Illinois had to pay $700,000 to reclaim. They also paid $1 million for the property. It's a bargain at any price. FLW fans cannot miss this one! No pictures are allowed inside, but it is stunning! Look at the pictures on their social media and then go see this place. My wife and I have toured several Frank Lloyd Wright homes including Taliesen West. This one takes the cake. By far. Marcel was our guide and he was amazing. Just go see this place. It's a national treasure!

I mean, it's a tomb. Nice landscaping, nice bronze, I think the monument is a nice touch. Short…read morevisit. Knowledgeable staff.

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.

This was such a nice museum! We were in Springfield for less than a day, but still wanted to check…read moreit out! We are in the Curious Toddler Phase right now so all museums are on our go list. The staff here was VERY welcoming as we entered and explained to us what each floor was. Entry here is completely free! The first floor had a lot of history of Illinois and the common species that could be found. When I say history, it went back millions of years ago. It more of a science exhibit. It was very interactive for little ones with pull out drawers, spinning cranks, and windows at kid level for them to see fossils. We then went to the basement level that was the kid's area. My son loved it. And it was crowded with other kids who loved it. There was a pit to excavate fossils, another area to examine TONS of fossils and bones. My son particularly loved driving the fake jeep lol. It was a very fun experience for us. There was a whole other level dedicated to art that we did not get to see, but maybe the next time we are in the area we will!

Fun spot to go if you are in Springfield, Illinois. Admission is free. They have street parking and…read morea parking lot next to the museum. I enjoyed seeing all of the different exhibits. The Native American artwork was one of my favorites. I enjoyed seeing the beautiful beadwork. They did not have the theater showing anything the day that we went. So I would love to go back to see their theater. They often have kids events, so check their website to see if there's any special items going on. The basement level is a hands-on kids area for kids to play and explore. They also take donations since admission is free. I definitely plan to go back again.

The state capital building is a fun place to visit. They have free tours daily that will take you…read moreto all 3 floors of this Renaissance Revival/ Second Empire style building. The 405 foot dome is regal to say the least. If you're there while the legislature is in session, you can watch from seats in the balcony. It's mostly all marble inside and has historic paintings and statues on every floor.

05/26/26 - Illinois State Capitol fitting review for a beautiful building (REVIEW 1,700). Today I…read morewent down to Springfield as part of a 10 bus 500 members group trying to start a union. By bringing these people just before the session convenes we're trying to get their attention & hopefully get something booked into legislation. As faith would have it we were in the William G Stratton building to talk to a few legislators prior to the meeting on 05/28/26 when they convene and vote. We were going to attempt to talk to a few when an alarm went off signifying a lockdown of the building. About 10 of us sheltered in place while security searched the building. Finally we were shuttled down the hall towards tunnel to the Capitol building. Unfortunately the alarm sounded around 11am and we had to shelter in place for about 1 hr while they searched the building. After the clearance was given we moved through an underground tunnel connecting the William G Stratton building to the Illinois State Capitol. By doing this we didn't need to leave the building & go through security again. When we came up out of the tunnel we were in the Illinois State Capitol Building. I've lived in Illinois almost my entire life. This was the first time I was ever in the Capitol Building. This is an impressive beautiful building w/a very ornate 3 story dome. When we came up to the third floor many of the 500 people that came up w/us from Chicago were milling around along w/other special interest groups trying to get the attention of the legislators before they entered the chambers. From what I understand they were voting on 05/28/2026 on a number of issues and these groups came hoping to win support for their groups The Capitol building is a very impressive structure w/a 3 story central dome that rises to 360 feet. Designed in the French Renaissance and Italianate styles, it was constructed between 1868 and 1888. I was very impressed by the attention to detail that was put into this magnificent structure. The attention to every detail in this central dome is amazing.

We really enjoyed our visit at this reindeer ranch! The gift shop was filled with lots of reindeer…read moreand Christmas products, an old-school furnace in the middle to keep it nice and toasty, an upstairs full of colorful Christmas decor and trinkets. The highlight was the running train in the middle on top floor as you sit and sip on the hot cider while waiting for our reindeer tour at around noon. Luckily at the time we went we were the only once so we basically got a private tour. Who knew reindeers love graham crackers? It had snowed a couple days before so it was so special to see all the reindeer in the snow. The lovely gal answered a lot of our questions about the farm and the reindeer and my 4 yo daughter really loved feeding and patting the friendly and soft reindeers. It looked like they had a fun playground and an onsite cafe (it was closed) and some other amenities around but they were all covered in snow when we went. The only thing is it would have been nice if they plowed their parking lot after the snow for safety. This was in the same town we were visiting family so it was very close. I thought it was worth the price ($12) and I would recommend this for other families to come check out with their little ones and have a unique experience!

Such a cute little place. Did the corn maze with a bunch of friends, was so fun despite the heat…read more The little christmas shop was super cute. I wish they had some proper drinks like cider or something for the hot days but they just had this smashed pumpkin pie with icecream and a donut on top. It was delicious but a whole lot of sweet assortments I guess. Would love to return and do the maze in moonlight, if not for the horror movies I watched

A must see in Springfield, Ill The Abraham Lincoln…read morePresidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in American history, the United States President or Abraham Lincoln. It is located in downtown Springfield, and consists of two main structures: the Museum and the Library. We parked in the multi-story parking garage just to the north and west of the museum. The museum and the library was a short, easy walk away. I think the museum is the star of the visit since it contains far more to see and experience. From the moment we entered, we were warmly greeted by a friendly volunteer at the front desk. The entire facility serves as a wonderful tribute to one of America's greatest presidents, many would argue the greatest. The exhibits are thoughtfully designed and take visitors through the various eras of Lincoln's life, from his early years through his presidency and legacy. I think one of the highlights is the excellent short film presentation in the Archives area. It is located to the right as you enter. It's a well-produced show that beautifully explains the importance of preserving historical documents and artifacts. And that is just one of the exhibits. There is simply so much to explore here that you could easily spend an entire day (or multiple days) just trying to see and absorb everything. Overall, the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum was wonderful and well worth the visit. Whether you're a history buff or just passing through Springfield, this is a great educational experience that brings Lincoln's story to life in a meaningful way. I definitely recommend this to anyone in the area.

Well worth the time (give yourself at least 90 minutes) and the price of admission. The displays…read moreare well done and informative. The docents/volunteers are excellent, everyone that we talked to was warm, informed and clearly enjoyed their time with us patrons. The day we were there two musicians were playing period music. They were very good, and while it did get a little personally annoying, it did really put you in time and place for the subjects. Both of the relatively short theater presentations are worthwhile, so plan accordingly so you can watch both. There was one display depicting the slavery auction block. It is a gut punch to anyone with a human heart, regardless of your outer wrapping.

We had a walk with Garret today and it was very informative. He not only knows the history of the…read morecity but loves the subject of Lincoln.

We took the tour on a recent trip to Springfield and really enjoyed it! The price was reasonable…read morefor the 90 minute tour. Our guide was full of interesting facts and stories, none too scary. Being outside the Lincoln home in the still night was our favorite part. After the tour, the guide returned us to the starting point, near our vehicle. Also, when the owner checked us in, he gave us lots of tips on where to go and what to see while in Springfield. We followed his advice and had a great trip! Highly recommend! As an aside, you can call and leave a message that you are coming but the procedure is to just show up a few minutes before the tour, at their sign, near the old state house.