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© Abraham Lincoln Online

Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site

Oak Ridge Cemetery
Springfield, Illinois

Take a Virtual Tour

SPECIAL EVENTS
February 12 Wreath-Laying Ceremony
June - August Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Flag-Lowering Ceremony

Shortly after President Lincoln's assassination, Henry Ward Beecher, pastor of Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, New York, paid a tribute which speaks prophetically of this historic Lincoln site:

A similar sentiment was voiced by Dr. Phineas D. Gurley, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. Gurley, who ministered to the Lincoln family during the presidential years, mentioned the Lincoln tomb during his funeral sermon at the White House on April 19, 1865:

Oak Ridge Cemetery was dedicated on May 24, 1860, five years before Lincoln's death, just outside the town where Lincoln lived most of his adult life. It is likely that he attended the ceremonies and heard his friend James Conkling deliver the main address.

When Lincoln died in 1865, his Illinois friends immediately sought permission to bury him in Springfield. The committee which arranged his Springfield funeral also formed an association to build this tomb, which was dedicated in 1874. In 1895 the association deeded the tomb and surrounding grounds to the State of Illinois.

Lincoln's body first arrived in the cemetery's public receiving vault on the hill below the present tomb. The coffin of his son William, who died in the White House, also rested there. Both had traveled nearly 1,700 miles in a special railroad car by a circuitous route from Washington, D.C.

The 117-foot tall granite tomb contains the bodies of Lincoln, his wife Mary, and three of his four sons -- Edward, William and Thomas (Tad). Robert, the oldest son, planned to be buried in this tomb with his parents and brothers. When his own son, Abraham Lincoln II ("Jack") died in 1890, he brought the body to the Lincoln tomb. However, his wife, Mary Harlan Lincoln, chose a gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery instead, where Robert was buried in 1928 and Jack was moved in 1930.

Like other Lincoln sites, the tomb attracts visitors from all over the world, some of whom bring floral tributes. As you drive up, you will see towering oak trees against a gently rolling landscape.

Designed by Vermont sculptor Larkin Mead, the tomb features famous Lincoln statuary. It's worth a visit just to see the sculpture, both inside and out. Visitors often stop to rub the nose of this evocative bronze bust at the entrance. It's the work of Gutzon Borglum, who is most famous for his rendition of Lincoln at Mount Rushmore. You can see the original marble bust in the the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

A red marble marker stands above the area where Lincoln's coffin lies. His body actually rests below the floor in a steel and concrete-reinforced vault. This change was made in 1899 when the monument needed reconstruction, partly to deter grave robbers, because an attempt on the body had been made in 1876.

Visiting Information

The Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It isclosed on major holidays. If you visit at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays from June through August, you can see a flag-lowering ceremony enacted by volunteers in Civil War uniforms.

The tomb's interior and restrooms are handicapped accessible. Groups of 25 or more should make reservations. Call 217/782-2717 or write: Site Manager, Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, IL 62702.

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