More like, I had an Origami Owl Jewelry Bar scheduled in-the-middle-of-nowhere-Illinois. The hostess cancelled, and we didn't want to cancel our overnight getaway that we planned because we didn't want to disappoint Little Man.
Whew!
We planned on driving to Quincy, IL for this Jewelry Bar and getting a hotel, with an indoor pool. When our plans changed, we looked for a getaway that would be the same distance from home {about two hours}. Springfield, IL stuck out when I did a quick search. Sounded like fun. And it was.
We left home Saturday morning, getting on the road around 11 {our goal was 9 am, so 11 was about right}. The ride was quick, because we still got St. Louis radio stations for much of the drive. ;) We pulled in and parked at the Abraham Lincoln Presidental Museum a bit after 1 pm.
The museum is pretty new, I believe it was dedicated in 2006 {I could be very wrong on this} It had a very new, modern feel to it. Looking at the dedication plaque inside, it turns out that the architectural firm my Uncle works for worked on the buildings! Very exciting. I wish I has snapped a photo of it.
The layout of the museum was inviting and easy to navigate. In a way, it reminded me a bit of the American Adventure Rotunda in Epcot at Walt Disney World! We finished the entire museum, and saw both film presentations in about three-ish hours. We really took our time, and stopped for lunch at the Subway located inside. We were parked for a total of four hours {parking was .75/half hour and we were charged $6. It was four hours almost to the minute!}. The museum and exhibits were designed for children fourth grade and up, so it was about perfect for Little Man. He really enjoyed it, and seemed to learn a lot. Our only regret was not stopping at "Mrs Lincoln's Attic", a hands-on play area in the museum. When we walked by, it looked crowded, and for younger kids, but I later found out it is for kids aged 3-12! Oh well, next time.
There will be a next time, because we joined the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation.
Yes we did.
The Museum costs $15/adult and $6/age 5-15 admission. For the price of two visits, we joined the Foundation, which grants us discounts and free/discounted admission to museums around the country.
We plan on adding a little more culture to our lives.
We loved the film presentations, "Lincoln's Eyes" and "Ghosts of the Library". Big Daddy put both on par with Disney productions! Impressive!
The layout of the museum made Lincoln's journey easy to follow. From young boy to lawyer to President, I even learned quite a bit! I especially liked the Civil War exhibits, and "A Soldier's Story". Here, there was an exhibit titled "The Civil War in Four Minutes" and it showed every battle, with a time/calendar and casualty ticker. Very powerful.
My only "complaint" about the Museum wasn't event the Museums fault...there was a Boy Scout Troop there, taking a tour. For a lack of better word, they were obnoxious. Even Little Man commented that his Pack Leaders wouldn't let the boys act that way. Touching things that shouldn't have (alarms were going off!) and general horseplay/lack of respect. Believe me, I am not perfect and Little Man is not a perfect Cub Scout, but these boys acting this way in uniform, at a Presidental Museum, made me sad.
It seemed like Little Man got a lot out of the museum. We walked a bit in downtown Springfield, but being close to 5 pm on a Saturday, there wasn't much open. Next time we visit, we will allow a few days to explore.
I hope that Little Man catches the "history bug". I love American history, and would love to brush up on more, myself.
More information on the Abraham Lincoln Presidental Library and Museum can be found at www.illinois.gov/alplm or www.alplm.org.
I'll post about our experience in Springfield, a great local restaurant and our wonderful hotel.
{love to all}
*disclaimer* all opinions are my own. I receive no compensation or gift for my opinion. We paid for own membership to the Abraham Lincoln Presidental Library Foundation, gas, food and accommodations. We are just a regular family who like to get out and about.