Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site

06/12/2026

We have the perfect Saturday planned for you at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site. Our schedule is packed with a lot of fun, and we invite you to be a part of it all!

Tomorrow at 8AM - Yoga & Wellness with Thelma will be hosting a yoga session in the historic village.

Follow your yoga up with World Wide Knit in Public Day. Bring your fiber arts project, a lawn chair, or picnic blanket, and show off your knitting/crocheting/looming skills! Limited participant stickers can be found in the Visitor Center starting at 9AM.

Railsplitter Gifts and Eatery will be open from 9AM to 8PM - so grab lunch, grab a souvenir, grab ice cream, and then grab dinner too!

Follow all of this up with The Studio On The Square's performance of Shrek Jr. outside at the Kelso Hollow Amphitheater. Pre-show starts at 7:30PM. Tickets can be found at https://www.theatreinthepark.net/.

And of course, we also have historic interpreters conducting historic demonstrations and discussions from 9AM to 5PM. Come spend a beautiful Saturday at Lincoln's New Salem!

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

06/11/2026

Tonight’s show has been rescheduled to Monday night- stay safe everyone!

06/11/2026

Tonight through Sunday night!

Need a dinner plan prior to the show? Railsplitter Gifts and Eatery will be open until 8PM each night as well!

I Know It’s TODAY!!

Shrek, Junior opens TONIGHT at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site Kelso Hollow Amphitheater.

This charming and hilarious tale of three friends discovering the importance of who they are runs this weekend only and features over 90 local performers.

You do not want to miss this chance to let your freak flag fly and spend a night under the stars with friends and family!

Doors open at 6:30 so come early to enjoy our pre-show marketplace featuring flowers, crafts, vendors and more! Pre-show promptly at 7:30 and a junior length musical still gets the family in bed before turning into ogres.

Tickets available online and at the door. We recommend arriving early to secure the best of our general admission seating.

Thank you for supporting the arts in your backyard…we are excited to spend the weekend making magic with you!

For tickets: www.theatreinthepark.net/get-your-tickets

06/09/2026

Calling all fiber arts enthusiasts! Saturday, June 13th is World Wide Knit in Public Day, and we would like to personally invite you to bring your chair/blanket and your current fiber arts project and head out to Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site.

A limited number of World Wide Knit in Public Day stickers will be available for any participants in the Visitor Center starting at 9AM.

WWKIP is an international event where fiber arts enthusiasts across the world come together in public to connect and share their passion for knitting!

06/06/2026

Don’t forget Pioneer Days continues tomorrow from 9AM to 5PM!

And if you can’t make it, no worries…this is just the kickoff for a packed, history-filled summer at Lincoln’s New Salem!

Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site in Menard County will kick off its summer season with Pioneer Days June 5-6, including complimentary round-trip shuttle service between Springfield and the site on both days of the event.

The historic village at Lincoln’s New Salem will feature costumed interpreters demonstrating life in the 1830s. Activities will include blacksmithing, quilting, open-hearth cooking, games and more.

To learn more, visithttps://www.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/illinois/iisnewsattachments/32565-052926-05292026-new-salem-summer-happenings.pdf.pdf

06/05/2026

Exactly one week from tonight! Come out to the Kelso Hollow Amphitheater for The Studio On The Square’s production of Shrek Jr.

“What makes us special…makes us strong.”

Shrek, Junior storms the stage next week and tickets are flying out the castle doors!

Plan to spend a summer evening under the stars with us, get your tickets TODAY:
https://www.theatreinthepark.net/get-your-tickets

05/30/2026

Another fun opportunity for all the yogis that are fans of Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site! We love partnering with the local community!

Yoga & Wellness with Thelma

Be part of history with the first yoga class at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site. Also, enjoy hiking the trails or walking in the park before or after yoga. New Salem State Historic Site is located just outside the historic town of Petersburg, IL, offering wonderful businesses to explore while enjoying a slower pace of life.
Information and sign up at https://yogawiththelma.as.me/

05/29/2026

We are one week away from a BIG summer event out here at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site! On Friday, June 5th and Saturday, June 6th, we will be hosting a BRAND-NEW event called, "Pioneer Days" in collaboration with Visit Springfield and the popular History Comes Alive program.

The historic village at Lincoln’s New Salem will come alive with costumed interpreters opening many of the log homes and buildings, while also providing 1830s period demonstrations. The demonstrations will include blacksmithing, quilting, 1830s games, open heath cooking, and much more.

Thanks to Visit Springfield, we will also have a complimentary shuttle service with a step-on interpreter from Lincoln's New Salem. So you can ask questions on the way to the site and back to Springfield!

🚌 Complimentary shuttle service from Springfield will also be available for Pioneer Days on June 5 & 6
⏰Each day will include two round trip shuttles featuring an onboard New Salem staff guide:
• 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Departs Springfield at 9:00 AM and returns at 1:00 PM
• 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Departs Springfield at 1:00 PM and returns at 5:00 PM
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED and space is limited.
Plan your visit: https://www.visitspringfieldillinois.com/Events?id=Upcoming

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

04/30/2026

There are a lot of community events happening at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site this summer - and it all starts in May!

Live performances! A day camp! Yoga! There is something for everyone to participate in this summer at Lincoln's New Salem.

This post has all of the information for those upcoming community events!

Menard County Singers will be performing a Spring concert on Sunday, May 3rd at 3:00PM in our Visitor Center auditorium. No charge for admission!

The Studio On The Square will be holding their Spring Showcase with an afternoon of performances in the indoor auditorium on Sunday, May 24th from 12PM to 3PM.

The Studio on the Square will also be bringing some of those students to our outdoor amphitheater for the musical, Shrek Junior. The production will run from Thursday, June 11th to Sunday, June 14th.

Kind Hearts & Creative Souls is bringing a craft camp to Lincoln's New Salem for children age 5 to 10 years old. The 5 to 7 year old camp is June 22-24th, and the 8 to 10 year old camp is June 29 through July 2. The camp focuses on fiber arts and allows campers to express their creativity in creating various crafts.

Yoga & Wellness with Thelma will begin conducting yoga sessions monthly in the historic village starting in June. Come connect with nature and stretch out under the sky.

Theatre in the Park also is bringing 4 productions to the outdoor amphitheater this summer with the first show happening on May 21st. Check out their page for the full schedule!

For all of the details for the above community events: check out these community partners' social media profiles and/or their various flyers in the comments section below!

We love sharing Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site with the community and are grateful that so many partners choose to hold their events with us.

AND - if none of this appeals to you- we have history, hiking trails, and a campground!

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

02/27/2026

It's official! Here is the 2026 events happening at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site!

From performances by Theatre in the Park and The Studio On The Square from our BIG annual traditional events - this is an exhaustive list that you will want to keep with you for the next nine months!

Take a look at some of our newest events as well- including a New Salem Militia Muster on April 24-25. We hope to see you out here at Lincoln's New Salem in 2026.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources