Attractions and Places To See around Southern View - Top 9

nice place

The Sangamon Valley Trail is an 11.5 mile long multi-use trail, starting in the southwest of Springfield, close to Centennial Park. Its construction was split into a southern (opened to the public in 2011) and northern part (opened to the public in 2017). The trail is partly shaded and includes some bridges and a lot of nice nature.

This bridge, crossing Lake Springfield, runs parallel to the Iron Bridge a little further to the east. In contrast to Iron Bridge, this bridge is for walking and biking only, and no cars can cross here. The bridge is part of the Interurban Trail (Illinois) and offers a nice view.

Today's sixth Illinois State Capitol was built between 1868 and 1888. The cost of construction was $4,500,000. The building was given a cruciform floor plan. It is 81.70 m wide and 116 m long. The zinc-covered central dome tower rises above the crossing. At 350 feet (110 m) tall, it is the tallest non-skyscraper State Capitol, towering even over the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. (88m). A City of Springfield policy states that no city building may be taller than the State Capitol. The interior of the dome features a frieze at the base depicting Illinois' history. It is made of plaster, but the painting makes it look like bronze. The stained glass skylight features the historic Illinois seal. During construction, a future installation of elevators was taken into account. The Illinois Congress meets in the Capitol. It is bicameral (Illinois House of Representatives/118 members and Illinois Senate/59 members) In the surrounding green area there are several monuments, e.g. for Abraham Lincoln, who was involved in moving the capital to Springfield.

The entire neighborhood surrounding the Lincoln home is an authentically designed open-air museum, with no cars and free entry. The last factor alone shows the importance of this man. However, you must obtain tickets to visit the residential building at the nearby Visitor Center and be at the meeting point at the time printed on it. The guides are all volunteers who put their heart and soul into giving an insight into the daily life and neighborly relationships of this later First Family.

The house was built in 1839 and Abraham Lincoln bought it in 1844. It was the only house he had ever owned. The home has been restored to its 1860's appearance. It is located in a small historic neighborhood in Springfield. Lincoln lived in the home with his wife, Mary, and their three sons, Robert, Willie, and Tad, for a total of 17 years. The fourth son Eddie was born here. Eddie died at his parents' home at the age of four.

The Mahan gas station on Route 66 in Springfield, Illinois was converted from a working Texaco and later Marathon station into a museum by owner Bill Shea and his wife Helen. The museum contained an eclectic mix of vintage gas station memorabilia collected over the past fifty years, including the original gas pumps, wooden phone booths, signs, photographs, and other memorabilia reminiscent of old Route 66 gas stations. As of February 2000, the former Mahan station was the oldest gas station in Illinois. It was then moved 21 miles to its current location at Fulgenzi's. It has since been fully restored. The museum's guest book contains entries from visitors from across Europe and Asia and has become a destination for international travelers exploring the Mother Road. Bill Shea and his business were inducted into the Route 66 Hall of Fame in 1993 because of his commitment to preserving the history of Route 66 and gas station memorabilia, as well as his longstanding quality service to customers. The entire Shea family was inducted in 2002. Bill Shea died in December 2013 and the gas station was sold. The museum contents were auctioned off in 2015. From 2015 the old gas station building was used as Fulgenzi's Pizza & Pasta.