Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors the 3,009 Illinois residents who were killed or listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War. Dedicated in 1988, the Memorial includes the names of the dead or missing carved in black granite walls that radiate from the central eternal flame. Supporting the flame are five vertical gray granite walls, each representing a branch of the armed services.
The Black Sheep Cafe is an all ages music venue in Springfield, Illinois. The Black Sheep opened for its first shows in September 2005, and since then has become a notable venue in the Springfield, Illinois music scene. The venue is a drug and alcohol free space and is also entirely volunteer-ran. The Black Sheep hosts many shows each month, and a few big annual events including Black Sheep Fest and Dumb Fest in the summer.
Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 116,250 at the 2010 U.S. Census, which makes it the state's sixth most-populous city, the second largest outside of the Chicago metropolitan area (after Rockford), and the largest in central Illinois. As of 2019, the city's population was estimated to have decreased to 114,230, with just over 211,700 residents living in the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Sangamon County and the adjacent Menard County.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum documents the life of the 16th U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln, and the course of the American Civil War. Combining traditional scholarship with 21st-century showmanship techniques, the museum ranks as one of the most visited presidential libraries. Its library, in addition to housing an extensive collection on Lincoln, also houses the collection of the Illinois State Historical Library, founded by the state in 1889. The library and museum is located in the state capital of Springfield, Illinois, and is overseen as an agency of state government. It is not affiliated with the U.S. National Archives and its system of libraries.
Sangamon County is located in the center of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 197,465. Its county seat and largest city is Springfield, the state capital.
Oak Ridge Cemetery is a cemetery located in Springfield, Illinois, in the United States.
The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) is a public university in Springfield, Illinois, United States. The university was established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly and became a part of the University of Illinois system on July 1, 1995. As a public liberal arts college, and the newest campus in the University of Illinois system, UIS is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. UIS is also part of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the American Council on Education. The campus' main repository, Brookens Library, holds a collection of nearly 800,000 books and serials in addition to accessible resources at the University of Illinois Chicago and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campuses.
The Old State Capitol State Historic Site, in Springfield, Illinois, is the fifth capitol building built for the U.S. state of Illinois. It was built in the Greek Revival style in 1837–1840, and served as the state house from 1840 to 1876. It is the site of candidacy announcements by Abraham Lincoln in 1858 and Barack Obama in 2007. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, primarily for its association with Lincoln and his political rival Stephen Douglas.
Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (IATA: SPI, ICAO: KSPI, FAA LID: SPI) is a civil-military airport in Sangamon County, Illinois, three miles (6 km) northwest of downtown Springfield. It is owned by the Springfield Airport Authority (SAA).
The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court, the highest court of the State of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the five appellate judicial districts of the state: three justices from the First District (Cook County) and one from each of the other four districts. Each justice is elected for a term of ten years and the chief justice is elected by the court from its members for a three-year term.
The Lincoln Tomb is the final resting place of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, and three of their four sons, Edward, William, and Thomas. It is located in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. Constructed of granite, the tomb has a single-story rectangular base, surmounted by an obelisk, with a semicircular receiving room entrance-way, on one end, and semicircular crypt or burial-room opposite.
Christ Episcopal Church is an Episcopal church located in Springfield, Illinois. The Richardsonian Romanesque church is built in rusticated stone and features stained glass windows and a rounded chancel; the Illinois State Register described it as "one of the most beautiful churches ever built in Springfield". The church was built in 1888 and partly sponsored by businessmen George H. Webster and Charles Ridgely, who stipulated in their donation that the church must always conduct a low church service; the church is now the only low church in the Episcopal Diocese of Springfield. A parish house was added to the church in 1914, and a Sunday school building was added in 1950.
The Dana–Thomas House (also known as the Susan Lawrence Dana House and Dana House) is a home in Prairie School style designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Built 1902–04 for patron Susan Lawrence Dana, it is located along East Lawrence Avenue in Springfield, Illinois. The home reflects the mutual affection of the patron and the architect for organic architecture, the relatively flat landscape of the U.S. state of Illinois, and the Japanese aesthetic as expressed in Japanese prints.
The Henson Robinson Zoo is a private nonprofit zoo owned and operated by the Springfield Park District. The zoo was built in 1968–1970 on the eastern shore of Lake Springfield to serve the population of Central Illinois, and opened in 1970. As of 2018, the zoo housed more than 300 animal specimens representing more than 80 species. The zoo charges an admission fee.
The Illinois State Museum features the life, land, people and art of the State of Illinois. The headquarters museum is located on Spring and Edwards Streets, one block southwest of the Illinois State Capitol, in Springfield. There are three satellite locations: Dickson Mounds in Lewistown, the Lockport Gallery in Lockport, and the ISM's Research and Collections Center in Springfield.
Lanphier High School, in the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois, Springfield, is a public high school affiliated with Springfield Public School District 186. It is also the home of the John Marshall Club, a club with open membership dedicated to uniting the community and spreading the knowledge of former supreme court justice, John Marshall.
Lincoln Depot is located in Springfield, Illinois. It is so called because Abraham Lincoln's bittersweet 1861 Farewell Address to Springfield was delivered here as he boarded the train to Washington D.C. at the beginning of his presidency.
Memorial Medical Center (MMC) is a 500-bed non-profit teaching hospital located in Springfield, Illinois. Founded in 1897, Memorial Medical Center is one of two hospitals in the Springfield metropolitan area. It also is home to the Memorial Center for Learning and Innovation, a 72,000 square foot educational learning center. MMC is accredited by The Joint Commission and is recognized as a Magnet hospital. In 2016, the hospital was the first within Illinois to be awarded the AHA-McKesson Quest for Quality for leadership and innovation in quality improvement and safety in patient care by the American Hospital Association.
Springfield station is a brick railroad depot in Springfield, Illinois, the state capital. It is at mile 185 on Amtrak's Illinois and Missouri Route. As of 2007, it is served by five daily round trips each way: the daily Texas Eagle, and four daily Lincoln Service frequencies.
IJS The Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in Central Illinois, anchored by the city of Springfield. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 201,437 (though a July 1, 2009 estimate placed the population at 208,182).
Springfield High School (SHS) is a public secondary school located in Springfield, Illinois, United States. It is the oldest of the three high schools in Springfield Public Schools District 186 (the other two being Southeast High School and Lanphier High School). The school draws mainly from the west side of Springfield.
Springfield Southeast High School (SSHS or Southeast High School to natives) is a public high school located in Springfield, Illinois. Southeast is the youngest high school serving Springfield Public Schools District 186, the oldest and second oldest being Springfield High School and Lanphier High School respectively. True to its name, this school feeds from the southeast area of Springfield.
Springfield Township is located in Sangamon County, Illinois. It is made up of unincorporated areas bordering on the city of Springfield, which should not be confused with the township. As of the 2010 census, its population was 6,245 and it contained 3,099 housing units.
Springfield Union Station in Springfield, Illinois, is a former train station and now part of the complex of buildings that together form the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is located at 500 East Madison Street (5th & Madison) in downtown Springfield, adjacent to the Lincoln Presidential Library.
Ursuline Academy was a Catholic high school in Springfield, Illinois that operated from 1857 until 2007. In its final years, it was affiliated with Springfield College in Illinois (SCI). Ursuline Academy billed itself as a college preparatory school. One offshoot of its partnership with SCI was a program which allowed high school students to simultaneously receive high school and college credit for courses.
The Vachel Lindsay House is a historic house museum at 603 South 5th Street in Springfield, Illinois. Built in 1848, it was the birthplace and lifelong home of poet Vachel Lindsay (1879–1931). It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1971. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency operates the house as a historic house museum and offers tours of the home that emphasize Vachel Lindsay's poetry and art. It is open seasonally.
The World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial is the official memorial of the U.S. state of Illinois maintained in honor of veterans of the war, as well as those bereaved during the course of the conflict. 987,000 Illinois residents served in uniform during the war, and 22,000 gave up their lives during the campaigns. Planning for the memorial began in 1999, and the memorial was dedicated in 2004. The memorial is in Oak Ridge Cemetery, located on the north side of Springfield, Illinois, the state capital.
The Lincoln Colored Home, also known as the Lincoln Colored Old Folks and Orphans Home, was opened March 8, 1898 and remained in operation in Springfield, Illinois until 1933. It was one of the first orphanages for African American children in the United States. The actual building is still standing and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
The Wyndham Springfield City Centre is the tallest skyscraper in Springfield, Illinois. It was the tallest Hilton Hotel in the state of Illinois as well.
The George M. Brinkerhoff House is a historic house located at 1500 North 5th Street in Springfield, Illinois. Businessman George M. Brinkerhoff commissioned the house in 1869; it was completed the following year. Architect Elijah E. Myers designed the Italian Villa style house. The 2 1⁄2-story brick house features a Gothic-inspired tower on its southwest corner; the tower was originally four stories tall but was shortened in 1960. The house's design includes angled porches, brick quoins on the corners, bracketed eaves, a dentillated cornice, and Myers' signature ornamental rope trim. After Brinkerhoff died in 1928, Springfield College bought the house to serve as its main building.
The Central Springfield Historic District is a 12-acre (4.9 ha) historic district in downtown Springfield. The district encompasses Springfield's oldest commercial district and is centered on the Old State Capitol. While the area was platted in 1822, only two buildings in the district predate the 1850s: the Old State Capitol and the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, both built in 1837. The majority of the district's buildings were constructed during Springfield's population boom in the 1860s and its subsequent growth in the latter half of the 19th century. These buildings included hotels, drug stores, groceries, clothing stores, and dry goods stores; some of the stores built in this period are still in operation. The businesses are also significant examples of 19th-century brick commercial architecture, including the Romanesque Pierick-Sommer Building and several works by prominent Springfield architects Helmle & Helmle.
The Elijah Iles House is a historic house at 628 S. 7th Street in Springfield, Illinois. Built circa 1837, the house has survived nearly intact for 182 years and is the oldest such structure in Springfield. Iles, who moved to Springfield in 1821, was one of the city's earliest settlers. He ran the first store in Sangamon County and helped persuade the county to locate the county seat in Springfield. His house has a Greek Revival design inspired by Southern architecture. It is one of the few Greek Revival residences in Central Illinois. A timber framed structure on a raised brick foundation, it has three levels: a ground-level basement, the main floor, and a finished attic which provided sleeping quarters.
The Strawbridge-Shepherd House is a historic house located at 5255 Shepherd Road in Springfield, Illinois. Saddle and harness maker Thomas Strawbridge built the house for himself circa 1845. The original house was a two-story Greek Revival structure, a popular design choice at the time; it is one of the best-preserved Greek Revival houses in the Springfield area. Key Greek Revival elements of the house include its wide cornice trim resembling an entablature and the pilasters, sidelights, and transom around the front door. An addition from circa 1865 gave the house an "L" shape and added a new kitchen. Civil War veteran Charles M. Shepherd purchased the house in 1883. Shepard made several additions and modifications to the house; many of these added Queen Anne elements, such as the two porches with decorative spindlework.
The Town House is a historic apartment building located at 718 S. 7th Street in Springfield, Illinois. The high-rise building is composed of an 11-story section and a 13-story section joined by a 14-story connector. Built in 1958, the International Style building was designed by Chicago architectural firm Shaw, Metz and Dolio. Springfield's Franklin Life Insurance Company underwrote the building; while it was originally intended to serve as employee housing, it quickly became a desirable residence for the general public as well. The building was the first high-rise luxury apartment complex in Springfield and was likely inspired by the earlier Hickox Apartments, a 1920s complex which set standards for luxury apartments in Springfield. It attempted to bring the more urban lifestyle of large Midwestern cities to comparatively smaller Springfield, and early residents boasted of their access to downtown and reduced housework. Shortly after its construction, however, the national trend of dispersed suburban homes made its way to Springfield; as a result, the Town House was the only luxury high-rise apartment ever built in the city.