Springfield Illinois is one of the most historic cities in the US, a great experience for families and a lot of fun. Start with our pick of the top 10 things to see and do any time of year.
Meeting Abraham Lincoln, Springfield © Enjoy Illinois
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum is an incredibly engaging interactive family experience. Their trick is mixing up special-effects, live performance, hi-tech exhibits and a whole lot of theatre. Of course, none of that counts unless the story is a great one, and few tales are greater than the story of Abraham Lincoln’s journey from a Springfield cabin to The White House.
We particularly like ‘Mrs Lincoln’s Attic’ where kids can dress up, play with vintage toys and help with chores, as if it wasn’t a minute past 1861.
Don’t miss the 1860 Presidential Election re-enacted like it was happening today, right down to TV news and campaign ads, it’s an inspired idea.
Lincoln Home National Historic Site © Enjoy Illinois
Take a free tour of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Everyone knows who President Lincoln was, the Lincoln Home National Historic Site gives us a glimpse of ordinary Abraham Lincoln: father, husband, lawyer and resident of Springfield, Illinois. The only house he ever owned is here, in the midst of several streets, all beautifully restored and preserved as if it was still the mid-19th century.
Guided tours of the Lincoln Home are free, you just need to sign up at the Visitor Centre when you arrive.
Kidzeum, Springfield, Illinois © Enjoy Illinois
Kidzeum: the Springfield museum made just for kids
Between its play specialists and unique three-storey structure where children can climb around while discovering outsize displays about the human body, Kidzeum is real one-of-a-kind museum.
It’s themed around health and science, but the core principal is learning through play for two to 12 year olds. And it works, as the bright, colourful galleries are designed to give kids plenty of space to explore, have fun and interact with exhibits on everything from the human mouth to recycling.
Illinois State Museum © Visit Springfield
Get up close and hands on at The Illinois State Museum
The Illinois State Museum is the best place to start if you want to understand what shaped the state from its landscape and nature to it people. Another Springfield museum that’s keen to get you hands-on with exhibits, this one also contains astonishing dioramas, as well as audio and video displays, and a vast selection of artefacts carefully curated from a collection of over 13.5 million pieces: there’s always something new to see here.
Don’t miss the impressive mastodon skeleton or the enormous Jefferson’s Ground Sloth. And older kids will be fascinated to learn about the Illinois’ origin story from its native peoples to the frontier Americans.
Washington Park Botanic Garden © Enjoy Illinois
Follow the sound of 67 bells to Washington Park
Washington Park in Springfield is where you’ll find the Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon. In fact you can’t miss it, standing 132ft tall and containing no fewer than 67 bells. The uncompromising Brutalist design might defy the notion of romantic ‘belltowers’, but between the fascinating guided tours, spectacular views from the top and free weekly concerts, this one could easily steal your heart.
Although if you’re after more traditional romance, go wander around Washington Park Botanic Garden. Over 1,200 plant species flourish here and it’s as well loved for evergreens as roses, so whatever time of year you visit there’s always something to enjoy.
Route 66 Drive-In Theater © Enjoy Illinois
Nurture your nostalgia with a classic drive-in movie
Snuggling up with your kids at a drive-in movie is a slice of nostalgic Americana you have to try at least once. Fortunately that’s pretty easy to do in Springfield where the Route 66 Drive-In Theater screens movies every Friday and Saturday night, and couldn’t be more family-friendly.
Even the movie eats are nostalgic at the theater, from trad candy like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Sour Patch Kids to classic popcorn and pizza by the slice.
Lincoln Tomb, Springfield © Enjoy Illinois
Lincoln Tomb Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield
Arlington is the only cemetery in the US that gets more visitors than Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, the site of the Lincoln Tomb. Designed by Larkin Mead and finished in 1874, the imposing tomb contains the remains of President Lincoln, his wife and three of his four sons and was paid for by donations from the American people.
Join one of the free tours to see the interior of the Tomb. And don’t forget to stop and touch the nose on the bronze bust of Lincoln at the Tomb’s entrance, it’s supposed to bring good luck.
State Capitol, Springfield © Enjoy Illinois
See US politics in action at the Illinois State Capitol
You’ve probably already spotted how generous Springfield is when it comes to free tours. Making time for them all might be a bit of an ask, but one you really shouldn’t miss with older kids is the tour of the Illinois State Capitol. It’s a chance to see US politics in action within the walls of one of the city’s grandest buildings, where the first legislative session was held in 1877.
These days if you’re lucky enough to catch a tour while the legislature is in session you can see all the goings-on from the balcony area: best seat in the house.
Mini-golf, Knight’s Action Park, Springfield © Enjoy Illinois
Cool down in summer and come play any time
Knight’s Action Park waterpark is the easily the best place to cool down during summer in Springfield. Although you won’t be able to splash around in the 20,000ft² wave pool or ride the chutes and slides in autumn or winter, you’ll still find plenty going on here, from mini-golf courses and driving ranges to batting cages, go-karts and even a big wheel.
Plus, if you’ve a taste for vintage arcade games, Knight’s Action Park delivers on that fun too.
Cozy Dog Drive In, Springfield © Enjoy Illinois
Classic Springfield eats you have to try, and try again
There’s a lot to see and do in Springfield, so you’ll want to fuel up, regularly. Luckily the eats here are almost as iconic as the sights.
Cozy Dog Drive In isn’t just a classic Route 66 diner, it’s the birthplace of the ‘hotdog on a stick’, first created here in 1946 and still going strong today. Even the batter recipe is the same as it ever was, and the vintage vibes are almost as irresistible as the legendary house delicacy.
Springfield also claims to serve up ‘one of the most filling sandwiches in the Midwest’, and from the description of the legendary Horseshoe, they are not exaggerating. It all starts with a base of thick-sliced Texas Toast, topped with the meat of your choice, then loaded with a pile of crispy French fries and finished off with a drenching of homemade cheese sauce. Hungry to try it? Almost any local Springfield restaurant, that serves up classic American eats, will have a version of the Horseshoe on their menu.
Food on the hoof is another Springfield speciality and doesn’t get much better than Mel-O-Cream Donuts. First created almost 100 years ago, they’re all about ‘doing donuts right’ and if you want to put that to the test you’ll find these sweet treats everywhere from supermarkets to bakeries across the city.
Now plan your next family adventure with Enjoy Illinois
