State Historic Sites at Springfield, IL

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State Historic Sites at Springfield, IL Dana-Thomas House, Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, War Memorials, Lincoln Tomb, Old State Capitol and Vachel Lindsay Home State Historic Sites.

We're looking forward to our first session of WonderClubs, which begins just one week from today! WonderClubs is a free...
10/16/2026

We're looking forward to our first session of WonderClubs, which begins just one week from today! WonderClubs is a free science club for students in grades Pre-K through 5th grade, which will be held at the Old State Capitol on select Thursdays from 4:00-5:00 pm this fall. Each week will feature different fun projects for students to try. You can learn more and sign up your young scientist to join our club at https://WonderclubsOSC.eventbrite.com

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois State Museum Visit Springfield The Old State Capitol Foundation My Heart's Downtown Springfield, IL Downtown Springfield Heritage Foundation Downtown Springfield LIVE Calendar

We hope you're planning to join us this Saturday for the final week of our autumn History Comes Alive programs! We have...
10/14/2026

We hope you're planning to join us this Saturday for the final week of our autumn History Comes Alive programs! We have an important scheduling note to pass along: The following programs will be relocated to the Visit Springfield Visitor Center inside the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices building (at the corner of Sixth and Adams, just across the plaza from the Old State Capitol).

Saturday, October 17 - Visitor Center/Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices
➡️5:00 pm: Custodian of Freedom: William H. Butler
➡️5:30 pm: One Amazing Week: John Jones & The Fight for Equality
➡️6:00 pm: Frederick Douglass, Abolitionist & Orator

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois State Museum The Old State Capitol Foundation My Heart's Downtown Springfield, IL Downtown Springfield Heritage Foundation Downtown Springfield, Inc. Downtown Springfield LIVE Calendar

We're looking forward to another great weekend at our historic sites! Ways you can experience historic sites this weeke...
10/14/2026

We're looking forward to another great weekend at our historic sites! Ways you can experience historic sites this weekend include:

Friday, October 16:
🐢10:00 am -1:00 pm: Zoo Booth at Springfield Historic Sites
❤️5:30-7:00 pm: Date Night and Evening Tours of the Dana-Thomas House

Saturday, October 17:
🎨10:00 am - noon: Blacklight Painting with Studio on 6th, the Original Art Co-op - reservations required at https://allpaintshop.com
🎩History Comes Alive Fall Programs - see schedule at https://www.visitspringfieldillinois.com/Landing/HCASeasonal.aspx

Sunday, October 18:
☕️2:00-4:00 pm: Paint-A-Pot with Ceramics Made by Rosie (reservations required at https://www.ceramicsmadebyrosie.com/paintapot

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois State Museum Visit Springfield Dana-Thomas House Foundation The Old State Capitol Foundation My Heart's Downtown Springfield, IL Downtown Springfield Heritage Foundation Downtown Springfield, Inc. Downtown Springfield LIVE Calendar Looking For Lincoln

This morning we discovered these two monsters under Susan Lawrence Dana's bed at the Dana-Thomas House. No worries, they...
10/13/2026

This morning we discovered these two monsters under Susan Lawrence Dana's bed at the Dana-Thomas House. No worries, they are very friendly monsters who are here to wish Mrs. Dana a Happy Birthday and invite children ages 4-15 and their stuffed animals to join us for our first-ever Teddy Bear Sleepover at the Dana-Thomas House, coming this November. Children and their stuffed animals (accompanied by a responsible adult) will enjoy a special craft, snack, and tour of the house together - and then after the humans go home, the stuffed toys will stay for their own night of adventures in our historic house museum. Children and their parents will pick up their stuffed animals from the Sumac Shop Gift Shop the following day, along with a book containing photos of their plush friend's overnight adventures. Reservations are required as space is limited; please visit https://DTHTeddyBearSleepover.eventbrite.com for full details and to reserve a spot for your child.

Special thanks to the Dana-Thomas House Foundation for their support of this program.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois State Museum Visit Springfield The Old State Capitol Foundation My Heart's Downtown Springfield, IL Downtown Springfield LIVE Calendar Downtown Springfield Heritage Foundation

Happy Birthday, Susan Lawrence Dana! The original owner of the Dana-Thomas House was born on this day in 1862. We look...
10/13/2026

Happy Birthday, Susan Lawrence Dana! The original owner of the Dana-Thomas House was born on this day in 1862. We look forward to celebrating by viewing all of your amazing entries into the First Annual Susan Lawrence Dana Lego Brick Building Competition. Entries are due TODAY (Tuesday, October 13) so be sure to submit your entries soon! Guidelines and entry form are available at https://bit.ly/4xG2o2v The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is not affiliated with the Lego Group and this event is not authorized, sponsored or endorsed by the Lego Group. For more information about the competition, email [email protected].

Image: A lego minifigure representing Susan Lawrence Dana holds a Lego parrot while standing next to a birthday cake made of building bricks, in front of a (non-Lego) model of the house made by Estle Grady.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois State Museum Visit Springfield Dana-Thomas House Foundation Downtown Springfield Heritage Foundation My Heart's Downtown Springfield, IL Downtown Springfield LIVE Calendar

We are delighted to welcome Greg and Sam to the house this morning!Greg and Sam
10/13/2026

We are delighted to welcome Greg and Sam to the house this morning!

Greg and Sam

We still have a few spots open for this week's edition of Game Night at the Dana-Thomas House - bring your favorite game...
10/12/2026

We still have a few spots open for this week's edition of Game Night at the Dana-Thomas House - bring your favorite game, your favorite snacks and nonalcoholic drinks, and some of your favorite people and enjoy an evening together in our Frank Lloyd Wright designed home. Reservations are recommended so we can be sure to set up a table for you - visit https://DTHGameNights.eventbrite.com to view upcoming dates and reserve your spot!

Images: Groups of adults sit around tables enjoying games together at the Dana-Thomas House.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois State Museum Visit Springfield Dana-Thomas House Foundation My Heart's Downtown Springfield, IL Downtown Springfield LIVE Calendar Downtown Springfield Heritage Foundation

Join us at Lincoln Library, The Public Library of Springfield, IL this Wednesday for History In Film, as we discuss the ...
10/12/2026

Join us at Lincoln Library, The Public Library of Springfield, IL this Wednesday for History In Film, as we discuss the history of Halloween and watch a classic horror film. There are two sessions, and each session features a different film:

🎬1:00 pm – Join us for a 1931 film about a vampire who emigrates from Transylvania to England https://www.lincolnlibrary.info/event/history-film-33452
🎬5:00 pm – Join us for a 1931 film about a scientist who builds a creature from various body parts https://www.lincolnlibrary.info/event/history-film-frankenstein-33451
This program is open to everyone and no reservations are needed. See you at the library!

Image: Copies of Vachel Lindsay's works "The Art of the Moving Picture" and "The Golden Book of Springfield" sit on a wooden desk, with an antique typewriter in the background.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois State Museum Visit Springfield My Heart's Downtown Springfield, IL Downtown Springfield Heritage Foundation

We've already received some great entries for the First Annual Susan Lawrence Dana Lego Brick Building Competition - and...
10/12/2026

We've already received some great entries for the First Annual Susan Lawrence Dana Lego Brick Building Competition - and there is still time for you to submit your entry and join the fun! Don't forget that entries are due TOMORROW (Tuesday, October 13), which is also Mrs. Dana's birthday. Check out the guidelines and submit your entry at https://bit.ly/4xG2o2v

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is not affiliated with the Lego Group and this event is not authorized, sponsored or endorsed by the Lego Group. For more information about the competition, email [email protected].

Image: A Lego minifigure representing Susan Lawrence Dana stands in front of a Lego model of the Dana-Thomas House designed and built by Terry L. Taylor of Springfield and donated to the site in 2010.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois State Museum Visit Springfield My Heart's Downtown Springfield, IL Dana-Thomas House Foundation Downtown Springfield, Inc. Downtown Springfield Heritage Foundation Downtown Springfield LIVE Calendar

Need a place to read a spooky story or work on your handmade Halloween costume? Bring your book or project to Read, Ref...
10/11/2026

Need a place to read a spooky story or work on your handmade Halloween costume? Bring your book or project to Read, Reflect and Create Night at the Dana-Thomas House! Each Monday evening, we set up tables for you to enjoy your reading, journaling, or creative project in the same house where Susan Lawrence Dana and her mother read and crafted together over 100 years ago. Reservations are recommended at https://dthreadreflectcreatenight.eventbrite.com so that we can be sure to set up a table for you!

➡️Does the book pictured here look interesting to you? Consider joining us on Saturday, October 17 at 4:15 pm at the Old State Capitol for History Nights at the Old State Capitol, where our theme will be "Stories of Yokai (Japanese Ghosts)."

Image: A copy of Lafcadio Hearn's "In Ghostly Japan" sits on a Victorian-era chair in the Dana-Thomas House.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois State Museum Visit Springfield Dana-Thomas House Foundation My Heart's Downtown Springfield, IL Downtown Springfield Heritage Foundation

Address

1 Old State Capitol Plz
Springfield, IL
62701

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+12177826776

Website

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