* Springfield is located in the heart of Illinois, at the junction of Interstates 55 and 72, just 200 miles from Chicago and Indianapolis and 100 miles from St. Louis. Several parking garages are available downtown for a nominal fee. Metered on-street parking also is available throughout downtown. Meters do not have to be fed on Saturday, Sunday, city holidays or after 5 p.m.

* Springfield has several car rental outlets throughout town, including rental stations at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. -- Avis Rent-A-Car, (217) 522-7728 -- Budget Rent-a-Car, (217) 523-9215 -- Hertz, (217) 525-8820

* Several private taxi companies provide service to Springfield. Call to request service. -- A Diamond Cab, (217) 788-5828 -- Airport Cab, (217) 741-3029 -- Lincoln Yellow Cab, (217) 523-4545 -- Mid-State Cab, (217) 522-9039

TRAIN

* Amtrak runs three northbound and three southbound passenger trains daily out of Springfield's downtown station, Third and Washington streets. See www.amtrak.com or call (800) USA RAIL or (217) 753-2013 for more information.

AIR

* Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, located at the northwest edge of the city, offers several daily inbound and outbound flights to and from Chicago and St. Louis. United Express, a subsidiary of United Airlines, provides service to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, while AmericanConnection, a subsidiary of American Airlines, goes to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. For schedules, check www.flyspi.com or call (217) 788-1060.

BUS/TROLLEY

* Springfield's Greyhound station is located at 2351 S. Dirksen Parkway, (217) 544-8466, and has routes and connections along Interstates 55 and 72.

* The Springfield Mass Transit District provides public bus service on 13 fixed routes that go to many popular destinations within the city, including major shopping centers, tourist stops, medical facilities, major employment centers, schools and colleges. The new "Historic Sites" route hits many downtown attractions as well as historic Oak Ridge Cemetery. Route maps and schedules are available by calling (217) 522-5531 or visiting www.smtd.org. Buses run Monday through Saturday, holidays excluded, from roughly 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Historic Sites bus runs every 30 minutes 8:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Most buses are lift-equipped or have ramps to provide accessibility to those who cannot board the bus via steps. All routes are accessible, but all trips on each route may not be accessible.

* The Springfield Trolley is an old-fashioned vehicle that is open-air in nice weather and enclosed in the winter. It stops at major historic attractions. Call (217) 789-2360 for information about purchasing tickets, stops and days of operation.

PEDI-CAB

* Capital City Cycle Tours offers chauffeured pedi-cab rides throughout downtown Springfield. The approximately 20-minute rides go past several historic downtown sites. Tours start directly across from the Lincoln Home Visitor Center, 426 S. Seventh St. To confirm tour prices and days of operation, call (217) 971-5752.