Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum |
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| General information | |
| Location | Springfield, Illinois, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°48′12″N 89°38′50″W / 39.8032°N 89.6473°W |
| Named for | Abraham Lincoln |
| Inaugurated | Dedicated in April 2005 |
| Management | The State of Illinois |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | HOK Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Thomas H. Schwartz BRC Imagination Arts, exhibit designer |
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) is a special place in Springfield, Illinois. It helps us learn about the life of Abraham Lincoln, who was the 16th U.S. president. It also teaches us about the American Civil War.
This museum is very popular. It uses modern ways to show history, making it fun and educational. The library part has a huge collection about Lincoln. It also holds the collection of the Illinois State Historical Library, which started in 1889. The ALPLM is managed by the state government of Illinois.
Contents
Discovering Lincoln's Legacy
Exploring Museum Exhibits
The museum has amazing exhibits that bring history to life. You can see life-size scenes of Lincoln's childhood home. There are also parts of the White House and the presidential box at Ford's Theatre. These scenes show important moments from Lincoln's life.
You can also see real items that belonged to Lincoln and his family. These include his original handwritten Gettysburg Address and Emancipation Proclamation. You might also see his glasses, shaving mirror, or Mary Todd Lincoln's music box. Her wedding dress and items from her White House dishes are sometimes on display too.
The main exhibits are split into two parts. "Journey One" covers Lincoln's life before he became president. "Journey Two" focuses on his years as president. There's also the "Treasures Gallery" which shows rare and valuable items. The museum often has new, temporary exhibits as well.
One cool exhibit is "Campaign of 1860." It uses modern TV updates to show how Lincoln's election campaign went. Another exhibit, "The Civil War in Four Minutes," uses a big animated map. It shows how the battle lines changed during the Civil War very quickly. The museum also has two special theater shows: Lincoln's Eyes and Ghosts of the Library.
You can even see a 360-degree online view of Lincoln's actual hat. This is part of the "Under His Hat" project. It helps you discover Lincoln's story using original sources.
Understanding the Library Collection
The Lincoln Presidential Library is a research library. This means it's a place where people can study and learn. It has many books, papers, and items about Lincoln's life. It also covers the American Civil War.
Besides Lincoln, the library has a huge collection about the history of Illinois. This collection comes from the Illinois State Historical Library, which started in 1889. The library is open to everyone. However, its very rare items cannot be taken out. There's a special reading room for visitors to use.
How the Museum is Managed
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is an independent state agency. This means it's run by the state of Illinois. Many people have helped lead the museum and library over the years.
Richard Norton Smith was the first executive director. He had led other presidential libraries before. Later, Eileen R. Mackevich became director in 2010. She worked to raise money and get more international visitors.
In 2021, Christina Shutt became the fifth executive director. She is the first person of color to hold this important job. Before this, she led a museum about African-American culture in Arkansas.
Lura Lynn Ryan, who was the First Lady of Illinois, helped a lot with fundraising. She raised a lot of money to help build the library. She even organized a program where Illinois schoolchildren collected pennies for the project.
The Buildings and Their Design
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is in downtown Springfield, Illinois. It's close to many other places important to Lincoln's history. The library opened in 2004, and the museum opened in 2005.
The ALPLM is made up of three separate buildings. The museum and the library buildings are across a street from each other. They are connected by a special walkway above the street. Both buildings have a round entrance area called a rotunda. These rotundas look like the dome of the Old State Capitol State Historic Site. Lincoln served as a legislator in that building. The architectural firm HOK designed these buildings.
The third building used to be the Springfield Union Station. Now, it has an exhibit called "Lincoln: History to Hollywood." This exhibit shows movie sets, props, and costumes from the 2012 film Lincoln. The movie was directed by Steven Spielberg. Spielberg himself loaned these items to the museum.
Making History Exciting
The museum's way of showing history has caused some discussion. It uses a lot of special effects and recreations. Some people think this makes history too much like entertainment. However, most visitors love it! The museum has had many more visitors than expected. This has also helped the local economy.
Many experts believe the museum does a great job. They say it helps more people learn about history. It makes complex historical topics easier to understand. The museum's gift shop also sells many history books. This shows that visitors become more interested in learning about Abraham Lincoln. The goal is to make people want to learn more, and it seems to be working!
Popularity and Achievements
Since it opened in 2005, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum has been very popular. It is one of the most visited state-controlled presidential museums in America. In just six months, it made about $1 million. It welcomed its one millionth visitor in less than two years. By 2012, three million people had visited.
The museum's popularity grew even more after the Steven Spielberg movie Lincoln came out. The museum displayed items from the film, which brought in many new visitors.
The ALPLM has also won important awards. It received a Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement. This award is given for amazing themed entertainment. It also won an award from The Lincoln Group of New York. This group honors those who help people study and appreciate Abraham Lincoln.
See also
In Spanish: Biblioteca y Museo Presidencial de Abraham Lincoln para niños
- Abraham Lincoln Association
- Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park
- Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
- Lincoln Home National Historic Site
- Lincoln Memorial
- Lincoln's New Salem
- Lincoln's Tomb
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, where Lincoln was shot by Booth, and the nearby Petersen House, where he died
- Presidential memorials in the United States
