As Illinois’ capital, Springfield is a treasure trove of family fun. From its numerous Abraham Lincoln sites to Route 66 to quirky mid-century roadside kitsch, Springfield is an ideal destination on a road trip. Add a museum or two and save room for a second helping of its Americana food. Here are the top things to do in Springfield, Illinois.
12 Can’t Miss Things to Do in Springfield Illinois
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Lincoln’s Tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery
Illinois State Capitol
Old State Capitol
Illinois State Museum and the MacLean Play Museum for Children
Lincoln Depot
Route 66
Ace Sign Co. Sign Museum
The Illinois State Fairgrounds
Grab a Cozy Dog or Mel-O-Cream
Spend the Night
Lincoln in Springfield Illinois
As Lincoln’s home during his professional life, many of the top Lincoln sites are located in Springfield, Illinois. It is the capital of Illinois and also his final resting spot.
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
The Lincoln Home National Historic Site is a 4-block pedestrian-only neighborhood with Lincoln’s home before moving to the White House. Abraham Lincoln and his family lived there from 1844 to 1861, and it is the only home Lincoln ever owned.
During my visit, I started at the Visitor Center and watched the park film: Journey to Greatness. This is also where I got tour tickets for the guided Lincoln Home tour.
Tour the Lincoln Home
Led by a park ranger, this guided tour takes visitors inside the Lincoln Home. Built in 1839, it was purchased by the Lincoln family and expanded to fit their needs over the years.
Filled with some original Lincoln furniture, the house includes reproduction wallpaper and rugs from Lincoln’s time. It also includes decorative objects from the era.
During my tour, I explored the parlour, dining room and kitchen on the first floor. Then we went upstairs to see Lincoln’s bedroom, Mary Todd Lincoln’s adjoining bedroom and the room for their boys.
The tour lasts about 30 minutes and is free with a ticket.
Tour the Neighborhood
After touring Lincoln’s Home, I toured the neighborhood. It includes several restored homes and additional artifacts, like carriages.
- Dean House exhibit: What a Pleasant Home Abe Lincoln Has
- Arnold House exhibit: If These Walls Could Talk
- Jameson Jenkins lot: National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site
Located at 426 S. 7th Street, Springfield, IL. The visitor center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free to enter.
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Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum includes a 1861 White House reconstruction and a replica Lincoln Cabin. It also houses 40,000 items, including an original handwritten copy of the Gettysburg Address.
During my visit, I walked through the boyhood cabin and learned about his early years in Kentucky and Indiana. I also walked through a replica of his law office.
The White House exhibits walked me through his campaign and his years in office. This includes navigating the Civil War. He was assassinated on April 14, 1865, while in office.
A separate facility used for research, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, houses over 1,600 documents in Lincoln’s handwriting.
Located at 212 N. 6th St., Springfield, IL. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adult admission is $15, students are $12 and kids (5 to 15) are $6.
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Lincoln’s Tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery
Dedicated in 1874, the 117-foot-tall granite obelisk marks the site where Abraham Lincoln, his wife Mary and three of their four sons: Edward, William, and Thomas, are interred. The eldest son, Robert T. Lincoln, is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Also on the site is the public receiving vault, constructed in 1860, where Abraham Lincoln’s funeral services were held on May 4, 1865. In 1960, the Tomb was designated a National Historic Landmark and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
Visitors rub his nose on the bronze Lincoln bust outside the entrance for good luck.
Located at 1500 Monument Ave., Springfield, IL. Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from March to May and September to October. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. April through August. From November to February, it is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entry is free, and parking is free next to the tomb; follow the signs through the cemetery.
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Illinois State Capitol
The current Illinois State Capitol was built between 1868 and 1888, though it opened in 1876, replacing the undersized Old State Capitol, now a historic site. It is 361 feet tall with a zinc-covered dome and is taller than the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.
The building centers around its Rotunda with the dome above and includes four wings in a cross shape. Much of the interior includes marble, granite and stenciled details in one of the most decorative capitols I’ve toured.
Official tours visit the Senate galleries, Governor’s reception area, Hall of Governors and Old Supreme Courtroom. Tour guides point out the rich decorative details, such as marble and gilding. A standout is the 40-by-20-foot oil painting of George Rogers Clark negotiating with Native Americans at Fort Kaskaskia in 1778, painted by Gustav A. Fuchs and completed in 1886.
Located at 401 S. 2nd St., Springfield. Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free to enter, and it offers free tours on the hour. Street parking available and enter from the west doors and head to the Rotunda.
Old State Capitol
In total, Illinois has had six different capitol buildings, including several in other towns besides Springfield. The Old State Capitol was the fifth and used between 1840 and 1876. Lincoln delivered his famous House Divided speech there in 1858.
In the 1960s, the building was rebuilt using the exterior stone and recreating the original interior. Visitors can tour the exhibits and learn where Lincoln served as a legislator. This is also where he lay in state after his assassination in 1865
Located at 526 E Adams St, Springfield. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is free to enter.
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Illinois State Museum and the MacLean Play Museum for Children
The Illinois State Museum offers a natural history gallery, with wildlife from prehistoric to present. On the second floor, there is an exhibit about life in Illinois from its foundings to the present.
During my visit to the Illinois State Museum, I toured the new Miles of Memories: Stories of Route 66 at the Illinois State Museum. It is on the second story and includes memorabilia and interviews with those along the famed route.
The MacLean Play Museum for Children is also in the Illinois State Museum’s basement. It is ideal for kids 3 to 10 and includes dress-up and hands-on activities.
Located at 502 Spring St., Springfield. Open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4:30 p.m. Free to enter and use nearby street parking.
Lincoln Depot
This depot opened in 1852 as the Great Western Depot when the train arrived in Springfield. This is the depot where Lincoln departed for Washington DC to become president.
Located at 930 E. Monroe St., Springfield. Open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is free to enter.
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Route 66
Springfield is known as the birthplace of Route 66, celebrating its centennial in 2026. In 1926, two business leaders met at a local hotel to discuss a cross-country route.
As a National Scenic Byway, it originates in Chicago and terminates in Los Angeles, passing landmarks like Cahokia Mounds and the Illinois State Capitol. It was the first highway to be paved that spanned the U.S.
During its storied history, Route 66 was realigned to make the route more direct between destinations, as is visible in Springfield. In total, Illinois has 301 miles of the road.
In Springfield, I drove down several streets that are part of Route 66, usually signed. Sixth Street, Dirkensen Parkway, Peoria Road and Stevenson Drive are some of the streets with a Route 66 designation from 1926 until the road was decommissioned in 1986.
In Springfield, Route 66 shield signs are found all over town. I also found several official Route 66 Roadside Attraction plaques in Springfield. Each is worth a stop and a selfie.
Cozy Dog Drive In at 2935 S. 6th St. and Mel-O-Cream at 3010 S. 6th St.
Muffler Man, the Lauterbach Giant, is located at 1569 Wabash Ave.
Shea’s Gas Station Museum is located at 2075 N Peoria Rd., Springfield.
Mahan’s Filling Station is located at 1168 Sangamon Ave., Springfield.
Route 66 Experience is at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, at Gate 2, at 801 E Sangamon Ave.
As a statewide initiative, I saw several Route 66 murals during my time.
Outside of Springfield, a 1.4-mile stretch of restored brick road remains by Snell Road and Curran Road.
Ace Sign Co. Sign Museum
For over 80 years, the Ace Sign Co. has crafted signs in-house, including neon and hand-lettering, for some of the biggest corporations. Over the years, they have removed classic signs when logos were replaced and quietly stored the classics, too good to be thrown away.
Ace Sign Co. recently hung 85 historic signs from Springfield and Route 66 in the former 1952 Sears warehouse, repurposed as its factory. Visitors will learn about the art of sign making and the history of neon and Ace’s role in preserving treasures from a bygone time.
Ace Sign Co. is a working sign business, and during my tour, I saw signs being manufactured. I delighted in seeing the Cozy Dog couple and Simon the Sputnik, a local icon from the Bel-Aire Motel. I found classic neon from beer brands to soda.
Ace Sign Co. also has a resident neon sign maker located off-site. It continues the art of crafting new neon and helping restore vintage neon signs.
Located at 2540 S. 1st St., Springfield. Museum Tours Monday to Friday at 10 a.m. or by appointment. Admission is $10 per person.
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Route 66 Experience at Illinois State Fairgrounds
During my visit to the Illinois State Fairgrounds, I walked through the Route 66 Experience. It is a self-guided trail that celebrates 92 communities along Route 66 in Illinois.
Beginning in Chicago and ending at the Chain of Rocks Bridge in Madison, I could learn about the smaller towns and communities that grew along the fabled route. The Route 66 Experience includes vintage neon signs, public art installations and mid-century billboards advertising attractions and motels.
The Rail Splitter Giant
Standing 30 feet tall, a young, beardless Abe Lincoln holds a giant axe, greeting visitors in front of the Illinois Expo Building near Gate 1. Known as the Rail Splitter, he cut a few split rails for fencing during his younger years.
The Giants are fiberglass statues created for advertising. Springfield boasts the Muffler Man, the Spartan at a local high school and Abe at the fairgrounds.
Located at Gate 2 at 801 E Sangamon Ave., Springfield. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Free to enter.
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Mel-O-Cream
My visit to Springfield focused on iconic Americana food, so I had to stop at the original Mel-O-Cream Donuts. Founded in 1932, Mel-O-Cream is family-owned and still turns the lights on early to start the donuts.
We stopped by the Route 66 location on a Saturday morning. I recommend that location for its unique building design and its later hours. The Lincoln location features a donut sign.
Located at 3010 S. 6th St., Springfield, next to Cozy Dog Drive-In. Open Monday and Tuesday from 5:30 AM to noon and Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Custom Cup
When we were touring downtown Springfield attractions, we stopped at Custom Cup for coffee and breakfast sandos. It roasts its own coffee in-house, and we enjoyed bagel breakfast sandwiches that stuck with us until our late lunch.
Located at 319 E. Monroe St. Open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (closed Sunday).
Cozy Dog Drive-In
Cozy Dog Drive-In is famously credited with inventing the corn dog on a stick in 1946. During my visit, I had to stop with my corn-dog-loving son. He ordered two; I stuck with one.
The interior is lined with memorabilia and tables. Be sure to check out its cute merch area. Or you can use its drive-through window on the side.
Located at 2935 S. 6th St., Springfield. Open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (closed Sunday).
Route 66 Motorheads Bar, Grill and Museum
Outside, I wandered through classic cars, vintage motorcycles, and old roadside signs from the 20th century. It felt like a curated antique fair with all the best stuff. It was fun to point out vintage finds from my childhood to my teen son, including Ronald McDonald.
Don’t miss the world’s largest Route 66 shield sign in its parking lot. The Ace Sign Company in Springfield created it.
In the dining area, I saw vintage Route 66 memorabilia, such as gas station photographs and Route 66 artifacts that tell the story of Route 66. The walls are also lined with automotive and motorcycle parts.
The menu is Americana with friendly service, and I enjoyed a burger. During my weekend visit, it was hopping, with a mix of families, couples and those in for a drink at the bar.
Located at 600 Toronto Rd, Springfield, IL. Open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to midnight, Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Where to Stay in Springfield
Located about five miles from Downtown Springfield, the Crowne Plaza Springfield is conveniently located next to Route 66 and just off Interstate 55. With complimentary parking, this three-star hotel is a favorite with business and leisure travelers.
The Crowne Plaza Springfield is minutes from the University of Illinois Springfield campus and the Abraham Lincoln historical sites. Guests can cruise on Route 66 and spot the legendary sites that made the famed roadway famous.
On the fourteenth floor, guests will find a 24-hour fitness room with free weights and an assortment of fitness equipment. Also on this level, the indoor lap pool features loungers and a dry redwood sauna. An outdoor patio rounds out the amenities.
On the first level, the Crowne Plaza Springfield boasts 70,000 square feet of convention space. The second-story lobby is for guests staying at the hotel, including dining and a sundry stop.
All-day dining is found at the Long 9 Bar and Grill, starting with breakfast. It includes a lounge with gaming. For those in a hurry, Harvest Bakery serves Starbucks coffee.
Located at 3000 S. Dirksen Parkway. It offers an airport and Amtrak train station shuttle service.
Disclosure: Visit Springfield Illinois hosted me during my visit. This article contains affiliate links.
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