Land of Lincoln - Springfield, IL

Day 1

Day 1: Monday, August 21, 2023
Join us this morning from the available departure location of your choice. Meet your friendly onboard Trailways host and driver and then settle in as we make our way to Springfield, Illinois! We arrive at the Old State Capitol for an outside tour. We’ll be greeted outside of the motorcoach by a Lincoln Portraitist for a visit with either Abe or Mary Todd Lincoln. You’ll learn interesting facts about Lincoln and his time working in the Old State Capitol.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand…” These immortal words were spoken by Abraham Lincoln in this historic Old State Capitol Hall of Representatives in the turbulent days preceding the Civil War. Lincoln tried several hundred cases on the Supreme Court, borrowed books from the State Library and read and swapped stories with other lawyers and politicians in the law library at the Old State Capitol. On May 3-4, 1865, President Lincoln’s body lay in Representatives Hall as a crowd estimated at 75,000 people visited to pay their last respects to the President.
After our tour, we’ll depart to drive by the Lincoln Depot. The depot served its most famous patron on the grey, dismal morning of February 11, 1861. President-elect Abraham Lincoln rode a cart from his hotel to the depot and then stood on the back of the train that would take him from his home of 24 years to Washington D.C. and into history. More than a thousand residents of Springfield gathered that morning to see him off.
Check in to the Comfort Suites and have some down time to rest and freshen up before we depart for a dinner this evening at Maldaner’s. Established in 1884, Maldaner’s is one of Springfield’s finest restaurants and the oldest restaurant along the famed Route 66. Enjoy a two-entrée dinner buffet option with dessert.
After dinner, we’ll meet our step-on guide outside of the restaurant for a Lincoln’s Ghost Walk Tour. Take a 60-minute lantern lit walking tour that uses the Lincoln sites as the backdrop for strange and bizarre stories surrounding Lincoln’s life and his death. Learn about his final visit to his law office, his funeral in the Old Capitol and his Christian beliefs. You’ll also hear about the phantom carriage, Lincoln’s bizarre visions and dreams, Mary’s seances in the White House, Spiritualism, the ghostly Lincoln Special and skullduggery at the tomb site. This is a factual history tour.

Day 2

Day 2: Lincoln’s New Salem
After breakfast, depart with a step-on guide to visit Lincoln’s New Salem. This is a reconstruction of the village where Abraham Lincoln spent his early adulthood. The six years he spent in New Salem formed a turning point in his career. Although he never owned a home there, Lincoln was engaged in a variety of activities while he was there. He clerked in a store, split rails, enlisted in the Black Hawk War, served as a postmaster and deputy surveyor. Watch as history comes to life through costumed characters of the people who lived here more than 150 years ago.
Enjoy a quick stop for lunch at Maldaner’s before we visit the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. In 1861, Abraham Lincoln left his home of 17 years – the only home he ever owned – to served as the 16th President of the United States. The Lincoln home has been completely restored to its 1860 appearance and reveals much about Lincoln as husband, father, neighbor and politician.
Our next visit today will be to Lincoln’s Tomb. In the heart of our country, on the edge of the city he called home, is the final resting place of President Abraham Lincoln, his wife, and three of their children. Built with donations from across America, the Lincoln Tomb honors the memory of our nation’s greatest president and those who struggled with him toward a new birth of freedom.
The tomb was designed by famed sculptor, Larkin Mead, and completed in 1874, this beautiful landmark is nestled in Oak Ridge Cemetery. At the entrance to the Tomb itself, there is a bronze bust of President Lincoln where visitors from around the world have stopped to rub the nose of the statue for good luck.
Next, visit the Illinois State Capitol. The construction of the State Capitol Building began in 1867. It is Illinois’ sixth Capitol Building and the second located in Springfield. It sits on the highest elevation in Springfield and is topped with a zinc covered dome. From the ground to the flag, it is 405 feet which is higher than our nation’s capital building. To this day, no structure in the city is allowed to be taller.
Dinner tonight will be at Motorheads Bar, Grill and Museum. Enjoy great food in a one-of-a-kind unique atmosphere. This historic Route 66 stop is home to a variety of rallies and car shows throughout the year. The museum has “66” memorabilia and historic signage.

Day 3

Day 3: Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Have breakfast at the hotel before departing for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. This state-of-the-art facility was carefully designed with exacting historical detail. Amazingly well preserved artifacts tell the entire life story of our nation’s 16th President. Dedicated to the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln, the Presidential Museum, unlike any other in the U.S., features hi-tech exhibits, interactive displays, and multimedia programs, as well as a reproduction of the White House as it looked in 1861. Witness the 1860 Presidential Election as though it were happening today, complete with television news coverage and campaign commercials.
Enjoy a catered lunch at the museum while enjoying a presentation of “Tales from the Vault” where you will get to see items not currently on display and learn more about the circumstances of how they came to be. After lunch, we head for home with wonderful memories made while visiting the Land of Lincoln.