413 S. Eighth St. (Cross Street: S. Jackson St.)
Springfield, IL 62701
217-492-4241, ext. 2
TTY 217-492-4244
www.nps.gov/liho/
The only home that Mr. Lincoln ever owned is the centerpiece of an historic site run by the National Park Service. The four-block pedestrian zone that makes up Mr. Lincoln's Neighborhood contains twelve structures that have been restored to their 1860 appearance. Three can be visited by the public—the Lincoln Home (guided tour only) and the Dean and Arnold Houses, which have exhibits. The latter has a ramp at the rear while the Lincoln and Dean properties have platform lifts that cleverly recess into the ground. The second story of the Lincoln Home is not accessible but one can view an orientation video with a virtual tour of the house at the modern Visitor Center. A new video, "Abraham Lincoln: A Journey to Greatness," is also screened on the hour and half hour. To visit the Lincoln Home, one must first pick up a free tour ticket.
The National Park Service accommodates visitors with disabilities in a variety of ways from loans of wheelchairs and portable assistive listening devices to provision of a sign language interpreter. Those with vision loss can request a personal escort for the tour and borrow a tactile map with Braille information. The most recent innovation is a "History Link" cell phone tour of "Mr. Lincoln's 1860 Neighborhood" covering 11 sites in all. Even after hours, visitors can now hear detailed information on this historic site and the people who lived here.