Lincoln Home National Historic Site: Inside the Only House Abraham Lincoln Ever Owned
The Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois, preserves the house where Abraham Lincoln lived with his wife, Mary Todd, and their children from 1844 until he left for Washington, D.C., in 1861 to become the 16th President of the United States. Visiting this site offers an intimate look into Lincoln’s domestic life before his rise to national prominence.
Park rangers provide guided tours through the house, sharing stories of Lincoln’s early legal career, his growing political ambitions, and family life marked by both joy and tragedy.
Inside, visitors will find original furnishings, personal artifacts, and a sense of warmth that humanizes the man behind the legend. The upstairs bedrooms and modest parlor rooms reveal how the Lincolns lived before the weight of the Civil War transformed his life—and the nation’s.
We visited in the middle of summer on a weekday, during a road trip across the country. After parking, we headed straight to the visitor center to get tickets for the home tour. We had about an hour before our tour, so we checked out a few exhibits in the VC before heading outside to explore the grounds.
The four-block historic neighborhood surrounding the Lincoln Home is meticulously restored to its 1860s appearance, complete with wooden sidewalks, gas-style lamps, and neighboring homes once occupied by Springfield residents who knew the Lincolns personally.
Touring the Abraham and Mary Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Our tour began outside the visitor center with a ranger introduction about the Lincolns and their home. Afterwards, we walked a short distance to the house.
Standing in front of the home was exciting. We’d wanted to visit here for some time. The two-story home looks the same as it did when the Lincolns lived here. It was the only home that Abraham Lincoln ever owned.
Walking inside the home, the first thing you see inside the front door is a chair and a coat rack that belonged to Lincoln.
The Lincolns’ Front and Rear Parlors
Turning to the left, we entered the Parlors. This is where the Lincolns would have entertained guests. All of the furniture, except the rocking chair, is original. Most of which is made out of surprisingly soft horse hair.
Lincoln owned the book Life of Blackhawk on the original bookshelf. Lincoln served as a volunteer in the Illinois Militia during the Black Hawk War.
This room saw many moments of joy. On May 19, 1860, in the parlor, Mr. Lincoln received the Republican Party’s offer to be their candidate for President in the upcoming election.
But it was also used for sorrowful moments for the Lincolns. The funeral for Edward Baker Lincoln, who passed away from tuberculosis in February 1850, was held in the parlor.
In 1887, Robert Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s eldest son, gave the house to the State of Illinois on the condition that it would never charge a fee to visit.
The Dining Room
After the parlor, our tour passed through the dining room, which was where the Lincoln family would eat their meals together.
The dining room was originally one large room with the kitchen in view. A wall was added to reflect Mr. Lincoln’s status as a rising politician. But also because Mary Lincoln felt that a proper Victorian home should have separate rooms for separate purposes.
Mrs. Lincoln enjoyed entertaining family and friends over dinner in this room. She also insisted that it be used by her family, where the boys were expected to practice using good manners.
The Sitting Room in the Lincoln’s House
Next to the dining room, we entered the sitting room. This was where the family fun happened. The boys were generally not permitted in the parlors because of the fancy furniture. So they spent a lot of time in here playing games such as checkers and chess. The game table in the room is original, as is Mary’s sewing table.
It was here the Lincolns would read poetry and literature aloud and discuss current affairs amongst themselves.
From here, we exited back into the entrance hall. The ranger guide jokingly remarked. “Okay. First off, thank you all for not touching anything so far. Secondly, that same rule applies upstairs. However, you are encouraged to use the original handrail as we walk up these steep stairs to the second floor. This railing really is original and was used by Abraham Lincoln.” With a sort of chuckle finished by saying, “This is as close as you can ever get to shaking Lincoln’s hand.” The group got a pretty big laugh out of that.
At the top of the stairs, there is a small foyer where Mary would sew or read in front of the window.
The Lincoln Home Guest Room
To the left, we entered the guest room. All of the furniture in this room is original to the Lincolns. This room was often used by Robert, the eldest Lincoln son, who would stay here when he visited home from boarding school or Harvard.
Abraham Lincoln’s Bedroom
We walked across the hall to Lincoln’s bedroom. The wallpaper is the same as when Lincoln used this room. Looking around the room, the wardrobe, dresser, and desk were original and used by Lincoln. This room was used more for sleeping. Lincoln would write speeches and letters in this room. In fact, it is possible that his famous “House Divided” speech was written on this desk. He delivered the speech at the Illinois Republican State Convention, Springfield, Illinois, on June 16, 1858.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” – Abraham Lincoln
Mary Todd Lincoln’s Bedroom
We walked into Mrs Lincoln’s bedroom next, which was separate but adjoining her husband’s. It was common practice at the time for couples who had the means to sleep in separate bedrooms. The room has a commode, which was rather fancy for that time.
The Boys Room
Across the hall, we entered the Lincoln Boys’ Room. Fun fact about the boys’ room. It’s the only room in the entire house with the original floor.
This room was shared by the two younger boys, Willie and Tad, who were six and nine years old and sharing this room when their dad was elected President. Willie and Tad were able to experience their father’s American Dream. After the presidential election, they took a train all the way to Washington, D.C. to live in the White House as the President’s children.
Sadly, Willie passed away in the White House less than a year after they moved in from Typhoid Fever. Tad was 12 when his father was assassinated, but when he was 18, he died in Chicago from pneumonia. Robert lived a long life and died in 1926, a week before his 83rd birthday.
Helps Room
This is where a young lady who was hired to help around the home would have slept. She would have been responsible for cleaning the house, helping with cooking, and watching the boys.
The Lincoln Home Kitchen
The last room of the tour was the kitchen. The kitchen is roughly the same size as the log cabin in which Lincoln was born. Mary Todd Lincoln grew up in a wealthy household in Lexington, Kentucky. In fact, you can tour the home she lived in as a young woman in downtown Lexington.
Because she grew up well off, most everything had been done for her. Mary had to learn how to cook when she married Abraham. It was something she enjoyed and became very good at. Mary spent a great deal of time in the kitchen preparing meals for the family. The cast-iron stove is original and was used by Mrs. Lincoln.
Lincoln is said to be particularly fond of her corned beef and cabbage. She also baked a white almond cake when they courted, after they were married, and when she was First Lady. Here is the recipe for the cake.
After Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 15, 1865, Mary wrote: “There never existed a more loving and devoted husband.” She never returned to the home she shared with Abraham Lincoln, saying she could not bear to be in a house where she had been so happy.
Visiting Lincoln’s Grave
Mary Todd Lincoln died in Springfield on July 16, 1882. Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln are buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, along with their three youngest sons, Edward, Thomas, and William.
Other Sites to Learn about Abraham Lincoln’s History
See the Gun that killed Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre, Washington, D.C.
Visit Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park in Illinois, the site where Abraham Lincoln first lived in Illinois.
Lincoln’s Tomb in Springfield, Illinois.
Lincoln Homestead State Park in Kentucky, where his parents lived.
Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace National Historical Park in Springfield, Kentucky.
Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Pennsylvania.
Abe Lincoln’s Grandfather’s Grave.
Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site in Washington, D.C.
Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
ThePeterson House Bed Lincoln Died in Washington, D.C.
Lincoln Boyhood Home in Indiana.
Lincoln State Monument in Illinois.
The Lincoln Cottage in Washington, D.C.
