January 2015 visit to Springfield, Illinois for the first time. Solo road trip. (1 Day)
Looking for a short day trip from St. Louis?
Just an hour and a half drive from St. Louis, Missouri is the former home of one of the nation’s greatest presidents and a home designed by one of the country’s greatest architects. Though they lived decades apart, Lincoln and Frank Lloyd Wright both feature prominently in the quiet little town of Springfield, Illinois.
Entering Springfield for the first time I was a little surprised. Not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it wasn’t what I encountered. Springfield, IL is your typical little highway town. Golden Coral and McDonalds greet you as you exit the highway along with the other places that thrive in those little towns. After about three or so miles in it started to look more like a historic town. A little like downtown Kirkwood, Missouri. Very quaint — but only in the area immediately around the capitol building.
Lincoln Museum and Presidential Library
My first stop was the Lincoln Museum. It was a quiet day. I arrived at 11 a.m. and was immediately accosted by a museum greeter who tried to get me to join the foundation. I declined and purchased my one-day ticket at a $1 AAA discount.
The museum was very impressive. It was like history told by Disney. Made learning even more fun. The first thing you see it Abraham Lincoln and his family in mannequin form. The museum is divided up into different sections, highlighting different parts of Lincoln’s life, from his early years to high time in the white house. A wonderful exhibit. Interactive. Informative. I learned a lot in the two hours I spent there.
One of the most fascinating parts was a hallway featuring all the bad press Lincoln received in his day. I had no idea how hated he was by some at the time, but I guess it makes sense. The country was at its most divided.
After the museum, I was ready for lunch. Fortunately I had already scoped out a place – Incredibly Delicious. It was a quaint restaurant in a historic home. You ordered from a pastry counter and then pick a room to sit in. I had the quiche with ham and cheese.Each room was different. It was like eating in someone’s home and the food was wonderful.
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
After lunch, I headed over to the Lincoln home. It’s run by the national parks service and is just as informative, but much less flashy than the museum. I found it fascinating how simply Lincoln lived when he was at home. (He spent a lot of time on the road as a lawyer.) The guide was fantastic and eager to answer any questions our group had. Definitely worth a stop.
At this point I was starting to run out of time. I needed to be back in St. Louis by 7:30 to attend my birthday dinner with my family. But I didn’t want to miss the Frank Lloyd Wright house – the Susan Lawrence Dana Thomas house. I headed over on foot to the house and caught one of the last tours of the day.
Susan Lawrence Dana Thomas Frank Lloyd Wright House
The Dana Thomas home was the first time I’d ever been to a Frank Lloyd Wright house. It was quite an experience. To say I was blown away would be an understatement. I felt things in the building. The architecture made me feel compressed then free, just as the tour guide was explaining that this was on purpose. I fell in love with Frank Lloyd Wright. Every thing about the house was perfect. The grand entrance. Dining room with seating for a minimum of 40 people. Amazing art glass. The way it made the most of the nautral light. It made me want to go see many more Wright homes.
The tour took about an hour so it was about 4:00 at this time. I had to hurry over to the Oak Park Cemetery to see the Lincoln tomb.
The Lincoln Tomb
Once again I was blown away, but in a different way. It was a very somber, serious place. I was the only one, other than the docent, who was in the tomb at the time. I made a point to thank Lincoln for his service and for keeping the country together during a difficult time so that I could live in this wonderful country and enjoy its freedoms today.
After that I headed home for birthday dinner with the family. A great one-day trip from St. Louis. Highly recommend!