Visitor Center at Lincoln Home National Historic Site

OPERATING HOURS

The Visitor Center at Lincoln Home National Historic Site is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. Keep in mind that times can always change, so be sure to get the current schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the park.

AMENITIES

• Information desk where you can pick up a park brochure
• Get tickets for a tour of Abraham Lincoln’s house
• Park film
• Souvenir and bookstore
• Restrooms

Inside the Visitor Center at Lincoln Home National Historic Site

PARK FLIM

Movie theater and auditorium at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site Visitor Center

The 25-minute film Abraham Lincoln: A Journey to Greatness shows every half hour in the Visitor Center’s auditorium. This is a live-action film with speaking parts and voice over that covers Abraham Lincoln’s life from when he arrived in Springfield, Illinois, in April 1837 to his election as president in November 1860. While his early years in Springfield and his family receive mention, the main focus of the film is his political career from 1846 through 1860.

The film is a little misleading in that while it briefly mentions Lincoln was in the state legislature before he came to Springfield (literally one sentence), it pretty much makes it seem as if he rode into town jobless and that it was in Springfield where he took up politics. He was actually serving his second term in the Illinois House of Representatives, a paid position, when he moved to Springfield (he was first elected in 1834). Other than that slight, which most people won’t even pick up on, the film is informative and entertaining. I’d even go so far as to say it is one of the better National Park Service films. Some of it was shot at the park, and you will recognize many of the buildings when you step outside to explore. There is no objectionable material, so the film is suitable for all ages.

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

Other than getting a ticket for a tour of the Lincoln House, watching the park film is the only substantial activity at the Visitor Center. There are a few exhibits in the lobby, but you can give these a look when waiting for either the film or your house tour to begin. Overall, 45 minutes should be enough time for a stop at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site Visitor Center.

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