Lincoln Home National Historic Site

10/22/2026

EVENT UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Springfield Animal Protective League is unable to bring adoptable animals to the event. The adoption portion of the event has been cancelled. However, park rangers will still be available to help visitors and their pets become B.A.R.K. Rangers from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. outside the Lincoln Home Visitor Center. We hope to see you and your furry friends there!

As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, what better way to stay warm and cozy than with a new furry best friend? Or do you just enjoy seeing really cute animals and learning about history?

If you said yes to either question, join us on Saturday, October 24 from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. for an adoption event in partnership with Springfield’s Animal Protective League (APL)! The APL’s Mobile Adoption Unit will be on-site with adoptable cats and dogs. APL staff and volunteers will be available to process adoptions and set you up with your new cuddle buddy!

If you already have an adventure buddy, you can still stop by and participate in our new B.A.R.K. Ranger program! This program encourages responsible recreation with pets outdoors as they join you on your adventures. Pets can even earn their very own B.A.R.K. Ranger badge!

Learn more on our website https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=E7BC2B28-BAE0-835A-A067D07240BA6C90

10/17/2026

As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, what better way to stay warm and cozy than with a new furry best friend? Or do you just enjoy seeing really cute animals and learning about history?

If you said yes to either question, join us on Saturday, October 24 from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. for an adoption event in partnership with Springfield’s Animal Protective League (APL)! The APL’s Mobile Adoption Unit will be on-site with adoptable cats and dogs. APL staff and volunteers will be available to process adoptions and set you up with your new cuddle buddy!

If you already have an adventure buddy, you can still stop by and participate in our new B.A.R.K. Ranger program! This program encourages responsible recreation with pets outdoors as they join you on your adventures. Pets can even earn their very own B.A.R.K. Ranger badge!

Learn more on our website https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=E7BC2B28-BAE0-835A-A067D07240BA6C90

10/02/2026

It’s October and you know what that means... Lincoln Home Halloween! We are excited to host another evening of fun, so join us at Lincoln Home National Historic site on Friday, October 23rd from 5:30 to 7:30.

There will be a food drive and of course neighborhood trick or treating! Additionally, we will have appearances by Abraham and Mary Lincoln.

So, break out those costumes and we will see you there! Learn more on our website! https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=BD88FBC2-E419-09A3-2D39D52177074210

07/15/2026

It's a beautiful day in Lincoln's neighborhood! As summer is now in full swing, what better time to highlight another Lincoln neighbor, Reverend Francis Springer.

In 1839, Reverend Springer purchased a lot on the corner of Eighth and Jackson Streets. His home, and what would become the Lincoln Home were built at the same time, right across the street from one another. Reverend Springer was an ordained Lutheran clergyman and is considered the father of Lutheranism in Springfield. He organized the Evangelical Lutheran congregation in September of 1841 and founded the Lutheran Church of Springfield. The first church services were held in his home. Reverend Springer served as clergyman of the church until 1847 when he accepted the presidency of Hillsboro College in Montgomery County, Illinois.

By 1850, Reverend Springer sold his property next to the Lincolns to Charles Arnold for $800. During the Civil War, Reverend Springer served as a chaplain with the 10th IL Volunteer Cavalry and spent much of his service at Fort Smith, Arkansas. While at Fort Smith, he dedicated himself to helping families impacted and displaced by the Civil War. His efforts resulted in hundreds of children receiving help and permanent places to live through Springfield's Home for the Friendless. Reverend Springer continued to teach and assist those in need until his death in 1892.

By 1917, Reverend Springer's early home next to the Lincolns had been encased in brick and siding. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a series of families made their homes on his original lot and additions were made to the original structure. By the mid-1990s, restoration on the home began and the original structure was freed, moved back to its original spot, and restored to its 1860s appearance.

Alt Text:
Image 1: A photo of Reverend Francis Springer standing in dress clothes with his hand on the back of a chair.
Image 2: A one-story, gray house that is the restored original structure Reverend Springer lived in near the Lincoln Home.

Image Credits:
1: William Furry
2: NPS

07/05/2026

Join us for a live reading of the Declaration of Independence!
The Declaration’s promise of freedom and equality have special meaning here in central Illinois. For Abraham Lincoln, its words promised that “the weight would be lifted from the shoulders of all men.” For formerly enslaved people like Free Frank and Free Lucy McWorter, it was a promise they struggled to make real for their children and community at New Philadelphia.

When: Wednesday July 8, at 5:00 pm central time.
You can join us at either of two locations!

Lincoln Tomb Oak Ridge Cemetery, 1500 Monument Ave, Springfield, Illinois 62701.
Park Rangers and Illinois Department of Natural Resources staff will have activities beginning at 3:00 pm. They will read the Declaration aloud at 5:00 pm.

New Philadelphia National Historic Site 29766 306 Lane, Barry, Illinois 62312.
Rangers will read the Declaration aloud. Then explore New Philadelphia descendants’ reflections on how New Philadelphia can inspire us to make the Declaration’s ideals real for all people.

Accessibility: if you have specific accessibility needs, like ASL interpretation, please contact us. Call us at 217-492-4241 or email [email protected].

This event is part of the "Sharing the Spirit of America" celebration, initiated by the Hawai'i America250 Commission.

Alt text: A park ranger stands in a meadow and holds up a reproduction copy of the Declaration of Independence.

07/04/2026

Happy Fourth of July! Today signifies the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in the United States, and this year marks the 250th anniversary! Abraham Lincoln spoke of the Declaration of Independence during an impromptu speech he gave at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on February 22, 1861, for George Washington's birthday. In his speech, Lincoln stated, "I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence." On this day, we celebrate the founding of America and those sentiments embodied in its founding documents.

Alt Text: The two-story tan colored Lincoln Home with patriotic bunting across the front and trees in the background.

Image Credit: NPS

06/05/2026

Thank goodness it's Factual Friday! As a treat for making it through another week, it's time to answer another popular question we get at the Lincoln Home. This week we're diving into the question, "Where did Abraham Lincoln's family come from?"

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. Before the Lincolns found themselves in Kentucky, generations of Lincolns moved west across the country in search of more land and opportunity.

Samuel Lincoln arrived in America from England in 1637, settling in Hingham, Massachusetts. Like many colonial families, the Lincolns were farmers. Samuel's descendants moved in search of better farmland in New Jersey, then Pennsylvania, and eventually Virginia. In 1768, John Lincoln moved his family to Virginia and one of his sons, Abraham, settled in the Shenandoah Valley. This Abraham was the grandfather of President Abraham Lincoln.

By 1782, Abraham had moved his family to the Kentucky frontier. Abraham had five children, one of them was Thomas Lincoln, President Abraham Lincoln's father. Lincoln's ancestors followed a similar path many European settlers followed, traveling west to find opportunity and success on the American frontier.

Alt Text:
Image 1: A black and white photo of Thomas Lincoln, President Lincoln's father, sitting in a suit.
Image 2: The symbolic, wooden log cabin at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park in Hodgenville, Kentucky.

Image Credits:
1: Library of Congress
2: NPS

06/02/2026

TUESDAY, June 2, 2026: Due to continued problems with the air-conditioning system, tours inside the Lincoln Home have been cancelled for the day. The Visitor Center is open until 5:00. Staff will provide ranger talks using images of the Lincoln Home interior in the Visitor Center theater.

06/01/2026

MONDAY, June 1, 2026: Due to high internal temperatures inside the Lincoln Home, tours have been cancelled for the rest of the day.

05/31/2026

Last month, Lincoln Home hosted an animal adoption event with the Animal Protective League (APL) and a B.A.R.K. Ranger event with Looking for Lincoln. We are happy to report that some furry friends found their forever homes! Thank you to everyone who came out to see and play with all the cute cats and dogs and a huge thanks to the APL and Looking for Lincoln for their support. We were also able to swear in many new B.A.R.K. Rangers who learned about the importance of recreating responsibly outdoors. Please enjoy these adorable animal pictures from the event, we certainly did!

Alt Text:
1: A park ranger standing in front of the Lincoln Home and holding a tiny tabby kitten.
2: A park ranger crouching next to a black dog with trees and greenery in the background.
3: A man smiling and holding a B.A.R.K. Ranger badge and certificate with a black dog next to him.
4: Two people and a small tan and white dog sitting behind a table advertising the B.A.R.K. Ranger program.
5: Two small tabby kittens in a kennel.

Image Credits: NPS


Looking For Lincoln Animal Protective League