The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is located in the heart of downtown
Illinois's state capital. The library and museum are situated within a block of each other. The library is only open on weekdays and is free for public access and research. The museum is open year round. Admission to the museum is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and students, and $4 for children. It is preferable to purchase you tickets in advance online.
The mission of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum is to provide its visitors with interactive and informative exhibits. You enter the museum through the gateway and walk into a large central plaza. From there you can walk through historical recreations of scenes from Lincoln's life, starting with his early years in a log cabin and moving all the way up to his time in the White House. All exhibits are accompanied by descriptive plaques. The museum also features the Union Theatre where you can watch a video on the life of Lincoln. At the end of the Plaza is Ghosts of the Library, a special effects presentation employing Holavision to create ghost-like figures. They will educate you on the importance of historical preservation.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is the best source of documents on Illinois and Lincoln. It is a non-circulating research library full of magazines, newspapers, manuscripts, and other primary sources from Illinois's earliest days. The library also holds a well of information useful to genealogical researchers. Most of the collection is pre-twentieth century.
