Presidential Sightseeing

White House and D. C,

If you want to see the life of a president then come to Springfield IL.
You can camp at the New Salem State Historical Site. Camping is $20/night with electric in a wooded area. New Salem is about 15 miles NW of Springfield and where Lincoln grew up. On site is the reconstructed village of New Salem. It's not like the tourist traps that reconstruct sites. This is historically accurate and you'll feel like you're back almost 200 years ago. It's the log homes and businesses set where they were when Lincoln lived there. Best of all the village is free. You can walk thru it any time day or night. We particularly enjoy evenings as the deer and turkey often come out. These are not penned animals. You can stay at New Salem campground while you explore other Lincoln sites in and around Springfield.
After seeing how Lincoln lived in his youth then travel to Springfield to see his home, where he worked in his law office, where he first held public office in the Old State Capitol, and where he attended church. All of these are free and open to the public.
Then visit the Lincoln Presidential Museum. It's not free but well worth the admission. Plan to spend most of the day at the Museum if you take your time to see the exhibits. The Museum is not like other presidential museums which are often stuffy, formal exhibits where kids soon get bored. Parts of the Museum's displays were created by the animators from Disney.
Then after seeing and learning about the life of Lincoln complete your visit to Lincoln's Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery. It's the 2nd most visited cemetery in the US. Do the tour inside the tomb. During the summer, I believe it's every Monday evening, the Civil War Re-enactors do the lowering of the flag and present the flag to someone in the audience.
While you're in the area of Oak Ridge Cemetery drive a couple of blocks west to the IL Military Museum. It's a small museum but full of artifacts related to IL's military. Things such as Santa Anna's wooden leg that was seized by the IL Militia when they raided Santa Anna's camp but he had to escape so quickly he left without his leg. And the target that Lincoln shot when he was testing out the Spencer rifle. It's a very well done museum.

We have stopped at presidents homes, graves and and museums all over the country. We did not enjoy Mount Rushmore which I think is odd as we were both history teachers for a short while. There are some states that have a lot more than others.

I would recommend that you plan on visiting all of the Presidential Libraries.....we want to do all of them, but so far we have done the following: Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan.

Ohio has five president homes plus birthplaces, etc. Definitely don't forget the grave sites. Some are amazing. Plus Ohio has a huge Amish population that's interesting to visit.

Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland has over 100K graves and tons of famous people in it. Some amazing headstones and Mausoleums including Garfield's. His casket is on display draped in the flag.

mikim wrote:
I would recommend that you plan on visiting all of the Presidential Libraries.....we want to do all of them, but so far we have done the following: Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan.

x2 on the Presidential libraries. They are administered by the National Archives, but designed and prepared by the former president's own staff. That, of course, gives them a built-in bias to their version of events, but good history lessons none the less. Every president from Hoover forward has one.

We enjoyed the Adams birthplace and homes with our 10 year old. They're just south of Boston in Quincy. Boston is a great place to take kids!

Washington, DC has lots of Presidential tie-ins, the White House, of course, as well as the Capitol, and the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial & FDR Memorial, plus the Museum of American History, all on the National Mall, not to mention Theodore Roosevelt Island, the Andy Jackson statute in the center Lafayette Park, or even the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Mount Vernon is on the Virginia side, south of Alexandria. Jefferson's home, Monticello, is in Charlottesville, VA, an easy day's drive south. And if the interest in history is broad enough to include the Colonial Era, Williamsburg, VA is a must-see.

Wadcutter wrote:
If you want to see the life of a president then come to Springfield IL.
You can camp at the New Salem State Historical Site. Camping is $20/night with electric in a wooded area. New Salem is about 15 miles NW of Springfield and where Lincoln grew up. On site is the reconstructed village of New Salem. It's not like the tourist traps that reconstruct sites. This is historically accurate and you'll feel like you're back almost 200 years ago. It's the log homes and businesses set where they were when Lincoln lived there. Best of all the village is free. You can walk thru it any time day or night. We particularly enjoy evenings as the deer and turkey often come out. These are not penned animals. You can stay at New Salem campground while you explore other Lincoln sites in and around Springfield.
After seeing how Lincoln lived in his youth then travel to Springfield to see his home, where he worked in his law office, where he first held public office in the Old State Capitol, and where he attended church. All of these are free and open to the public.
Then visit the Lincoln Presidential Museum. It's not free but well worth the admission. Plan to spend most of the day at the Museum if you take your time to see the exhibits. The Museum is not like other presidential museums which are often stuffy, formal exhibits where kids soon get bored. Parts of the Museum's displays were created by the animators from Disney.
Then after seeing and learning about the life of Lincoln complete your visit to Lincoln's Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery. It's the 2nd most visited cemetery in the US. Do the tour inside the tomb. During the summer, I believe it's every Monday evening, the Civil War Re-enactors do the lowering of the flag and present the flag to someone in the audience.
While you're in the area of Oak Ridge Cemetery drive a couple of blocks west to the IL Military Museum. It's a small museum but full of artifacts related to IL's military. Things such as Santa Anna's wooden leg that was seized by the IL Militia when they raided Santa Anna's camp but he had to escape so quickly he left without his leg. And the target that Lincoln shot when he was testing out the Spencer rifle. It's a very well done museum.

I also heartily recommend this itinerary. The "Ghosts of the Library" presentation in the library is worth the drive from wherever you may be. Also, the Lincoln Home National Historic Site preserves several blocks around Lincolns Springfield home.

I visited Springfield 12-15 years ago and was so impressed we went out of our way to go through there a few years ago on one of our trips to/from the east. I would go back again just to see the "Ghosts" presentation one more time.

My wife and I love visiting historical places. Funny, I couldn't stand history in school, but love it now. I kind of agree with downtheavenue regarding mt Rushmore. It's ok as a side trip to somewhere else, but not as a destination.

Gettysburg and Monticello are two of our favorites. As stated, Quincy was pretty interesting. Boston has the freedom trail. Not necessarily presidential, but very cool!