Air Combat Museum
835 S. Airport Drive, Springfield
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Phone: (217) 522-2181
Hours: 8-11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; closed New Year’s Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
Admission: Donations suggested
The Air Combat Museum at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport contains a dozen or so military aircraft that are on display. Guided tours of the museum are available for $20 per group.
Camp Butler National Cemetery
http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/campbutler.asp
5063 Camp Butler Road, Springfield
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Phone: (217) 492-4070
Hours: Office open 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; closed federal holidays; gates open daily 8 a.m. until sunset
Admission: Free
A national cemetery for U.S. military veterans and their dependents, Camp Butler also occupies a portion of what was the second-largest military training camp in Illinois during the Civil War.
Dana-Thomas House
http://www.dana-thomas.org
301 E. Lawrence Ave., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 782-6776
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday (last tour of the day begins at 3:50 p.m.); closed New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, Presidents Day, General Election Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day
Admission: Free; suggested donation $1 for children and $3 for adults
This Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home belonged to Springfield socialite and activist Susan Lawrence Dana in the early 1900s.
Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War Museum
http://www.duvcw.org
503 S. Walnut St., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 544-0616
Hours: 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; closed New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and day after, Christmas Day
Admission: Free; donations accepted
The museum contains several books, records and memorabilia from the Civil War era.
Edwards Place
http://www.springfieldart.org
700 N. Fourth St., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 523-2631
Hours: Art gallery open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; tours of Edwards Place historic home at 11 a.m., noon, 1 and 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Day and day after and Christmas Eve through New Year's Day
Admission: Free; $3 donation suggested for Edwards Place; art gallery is free
Home to The Springfield Art Association, Edwards Place is the oldest Springfield home on its original foundation. It was the center of social activity in Springfield in the mid- to late-1800s.
Elijah Iles House
http://iles-house.blogspot.com/
628 S. Seventh St., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 492-5929
Hours: Call for details
Elijah Iles, Springfield's founding father, is the namesake of this historic site, considered the oldest-standing home in Springfield. He lived in the home in the 1830s and 1840s. Iles eventually became one of the area's largest property owners and also served as the city's first postmaster and was involved in Springfield's designation as county seat and state capital.
Executive Mansion
http://www.state.il.us/gov/mansion2
410 E. Jackson St., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 782-6450
Hours: 9:30 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday; closed New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, Lincoln’s Birthday, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, General Election Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and day after, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day
Admission: Free
The Executive Mansion is the official residence of Illinois' governor. Three levels are open for public tours during the above hours when official state functions are not being held there.
Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Museum
629 S. Seventh St., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 522-4373
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed mid-December through first Tuesday or March, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day; tours by appointment
Admission: Free; donations accepted
A collection of Civil War memorabilia.
Illinois Fire Museum
http://www.state.il.us/osfm/Museum/FireMuseum.htm
801 Sangamon Ave., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 785-0969
Hours: Open by appointment only
Admission: Free
The museum, located at Central Avenue and Main Street on the Illinois State Fairgrounds, contains an array of fire service equipment and memorabilia, including an authentic 1857 horse-drawn hand pumper, a fully restored 1939 Diamond T Pumper and a replica of the 1948 Ford used by the old state fairgrounds fire department. The building also has one of the country's biggest firefighter uniform patch collections.
Illinois State Capitol
http://www.ilstatehouse.com
401 S. Second St., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 782-2099
Hours: Tours every 30 minutes 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on the hour 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; no tours noon to 1 p.m. daily; closed New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Admission: Free
The center of state government, located at Second Street and Capitol Avenue, contains the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer, along with the Illinois House and Senate chambers. Visitors can tour the building or, when the legislature is in session, watch the House and Senate from balcony-level seating. For more information on the Capitol Complex, go to the complex's visitor center, 425 S. College St., (217) 524-6620. It is open 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday though Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Illinois State Military Museum
http://www.il.ngb.army.mil/museum/default.htm
1301 N. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 761-3910
Hours: 1 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; other times and groups by appointment; closed New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, Lincoln’s Birthday, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, General Election Day, Thanksgiving Day and day after and Christmas Day
Admission: Free
The museum, located at the Illinois Army National Guard's Camp Lincoln, exhibits several military artifacts, including Mexican General Santa Anna's artificial leg, President Lincoln's target board, as well as vehicles, weapons, uniforms, equipment and photographs.
Illinois State Museum
http://museum.state.il.us
502 S. Spring St., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 782-7386
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday; closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
Admission: Free
Located on the south side of the State Capitol Complex, the Illinois State Museum contains exhibits on the state's natural history and arts. A natural history exhibition, Changes, opened June 12, 2004.
Illinois State Police Heritage Foundation Museum
http://www.isphf.org
3936 N. Peoria Road, Springfield
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Phone: (217) 525-1922
Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday and Saturday or by appointment; closed Independence Day and Christmas Day
Admission: Free; donations accepted
Opened in 2005, this museum contains a collection of vintage squad cars, uniforms, photographs and other artifacts from the long history of the Illinois State Police.
Lawrence Memorial Library
http://lawrence.springfield.k12.il.us
101 E. Laurel St., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 523-3159
Hours: 9:20 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays during school year; call for summer hours
Admission: Free
Famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed this library for Susan Lawrence Dana, who wanted to pay tribute to her father Rheuna Lawrence, a former Springfield School Board president. The library, located on the first floor of the Lawrence Education Center, was restored in 1992.
Museum of Funeral Customs
http://www.funeralmuseum.org
1440 Monument Ave., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 544-3480
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday; closed Mondays and holidays; open until 8 p.m. Tuesday and Friday May 1 through Aug. 31
Admission: Adults $4, ages 62 and over $3, ages 6-17 $2, ages 5 and under free
Near the entrance to Oak Ridge Cemetery, the Museum of Funeral Customs gives visitors a deeper understanding of the history of American funerals and mourning. The Museum includes re-creations of a 1870s-era home funeral, a 1920s embalming room, an authentic replica of Lincoln’s coffin, and a featured display that is regularly changed. Special accommodations and programs are available for tour groups.
Oak Ridge Cemetery
1441 Monument Ave., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 789-2340
Hours: Cemetery grounds: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; office: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
Admission: Free
Oak Ridge is the largest cemetery in the state of Illinois and the second-most visited cemetery in the United States. Besides Lincoln's Tomb, the cemetery is the final resting place to several other historic figures including poet Vachel Lindsay and four Illinois governors. An audio tour provides a guided tour of unique monuments from the 1800s. The cemetery office is located at the Monument Avenue entrance to the cemetery. The cemetery also is home to three war veteran's memorials:
* Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial: An eternal flame burns atop a granite monument that honors the nearly 3,000 Illinois residents who died in the Vietnam War.
* Illinois Korean War Memorial: A 12-foot bronze bell surrounded by four warriors make up this memorial. The names of more than 1,700 Illinoisans killed in Korea are inscribed along eight walls of the memorial's granite base.
* World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial: Dedicated in 2004, this memorial honors the 987,000 Illinois residents who served in the war and the 22,000 citizens who died. This memorial features two black granite walls extending from a large white globe.
Shea's Gas Station Museum
2075 Peoria Road, Springfield
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Phone: (217) 522-0475
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon Saturday; closed during the Illinois State Fair
Admission: $2 for adults, $1 for ages 12 and under
A popular stop on any tour of historic Route 66, Bill Shea's museum contains a diverse collection of gas station memorabilia. Shea himself is often on hand to share stories about his many years of running a filling station along the historic route.
Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon
http://www.carillon-rees.org
1740 W. Fayette Ave., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 753-6219
Hours: Tours noon to dusk Wednesday through Sunday from Memorial Day through Labor Day
Admission: $2.50 adults, $2 students
Concerts featuring the carillon, the third-largest bell tower in the world, located inside beautiful Washington Park, are held at noon and 3 p.m. Sundays.
Vachel Lindsay Home
http://www.illinois-history.gov/hs/vachel_lindsay.htm
603 S. Fifth St., Springfield
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Phone: (217) 524-0901
Hours: Noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday, Presidents Day, Columbus Day, General Election Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
Admission: Donations accepted
Springfield poet, author and artist Vachel Lindsay was born here in 1879 and died here in 1931. The home remained in the Lindsay family for 80 years. It was acquired by the state of Illinois in 1991. Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln visited often.