When people think of where to go to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary this year, their initial thoughts may take them to the East Coast, where historic events such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War took place.
In the Midwest, Illinois 250—the statewide initiative celebrating the country’s semiquincentenntial—may look different compared to celebrations across the East Coast, but the state’s capital has its own piece of American history to offer as the Land of Lincoln, where the country’s 16th president resided for 24 years.
Springfield, Illinois is home to several historic sites centered around Abraham Lincoln including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Lincoln Home National Historic Site and Lincoln Tomb—where guests are encouraged to rub the nose of the former president’s statue for good luck.
“We know that, with [Illinois] 250, people will be coming with a renewed interest in Lincoln,” said Terry Truman, sales manager at Visit Springfield.
Illinois’ capital city is heightening its historic appeal, drawing business and leisure travelers alike to the Land of Lincoln ahead of America’s 250th anniversary. Here’s how groups can be a part of the celebration.
A Meetings Must See
Unique to Springfield, Truman suggested that the top visitor experience is the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
The museum serves as an offsite venue for 500 guests, and planners have numerous possibilities to host unique events in this space.
“You can do things such as lunches that are on a bigger scale,” Truman said. “Certainly, if it’s a smaller meeting, there’s sometimes [the opportunity for groups to] incorporate something that’s a little more hands-on, they can have a historian come and talk and bring in an artifact. You can do a whole program around that, or you can do a reception in the evening once the museum closes.”
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Truman said the Illinois State Capitol building can also be used as a unique offsite venue.
“We’re always incorporating history into how we’re portraying our area,” he said.
Other event spots in Springfield include the Bank of Springfield Center—the city’s convention center that boasts more than 65,000 square feet of space. The Bank of Springfield Center is connected to one of the destination’s largest meeting hotels, Crowne Plaza. The property features 70,000 square feet of flexible space across 30 meeting rooms.
Crowne Plaza completed a renovation to its third-floor meeting space in February. Those meeting spaces include boardrooms and smaller breakout rooms.
Another meetings hotel, President Abraham Lincoln Springfield, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel—deemed “PAL” by the DMO—has 310 guest accommodations, 17 meeting rooms and 14,277 square feet of space.
“Springfield has so much to offer, whether it’s venue-wise or the history aspect,” Truman said. “[We have] many of the things that you’re going to find in a first-tier city; however, you’re not going to be paying first-tier prices.”
And with those aspects combined with the anniversary antics, Truman added that 2026 is gearing up to be a big year for groups.
Route 66’s Centennial Celebration
Route 66’s centennial celebration is also fueling the state capital’s “Americana” celebrations.
“There’s nothing more Americana than Route 66 in Illinois,” Truman said. “It’s definitely a cultural thing for us.”
From Chicago to Santa Monica, the U.S. highway spans nearly 2,400 miles. Known as the iconic “Mother Road,” it crosses through eight states.
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Route 66 is celebrated each year during the International Mother Road Festival, a highway celebration that features classic cars, live music and a Friday night cruise, and this year, the festival is a hot commodity. Within the first week of registration opening, the event saw 200 cars sign up. The festival is anticipating close to 1,000 vehicles this year, with a capacity of 1,200.
The 25th annual International Mother Road Festival celebrates the cars, music and nostalgia of Route 66, and it’s all happening September 25 to 27 in the heart of downtown Springfield.
Another official Route 66 centennial activity is the Great Race. The Great Race debuted in 1983 when pre-World War II automobiles raced across the United States. This year, the race takes off from Springfield on June 20 and will conclude just over a week later on June 28 in Pasadena, California. These old-time cars will take the Great Race one community at a time, stopping along the way at the National Route 66 Museum in Oklahoma, Convention Center Tucumcari in New Mexico, Aquarius Resort in Nevada and more.
For a destination that celebrates a major highway route, Springfield also makes sure it is an easy destination to get around.
“By car, nothing’s farther than 15 minutes away from any point in the city, but certainly a lot of these [semiquincentenntial and centennial celebrations] are in the downtown area, so people can walk to those,” Truman said. “In the summer, we have a trolley that goes around and can pick people up.”
He also added that Springfield is located within a five-hour drive from 20% of the country’s population.
In tune with the Route 66 centennial, the DMO is also celebrating 100 years.
“We have over 100 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry, which I would say is unique,” Truman said.
“As you can tell, there’s a lot going on in Springfield.”
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Springfield’s Special Events for America250
Springfield, Illinois, is commemorating the 250th anniversary of the country’s independence through programs, exhibits and other projects that focus on three themes— We the People, Power of Place and Doing History.
Here are some of the special history-focused events that cater to the anniversary festivities.
- Flag Lowering Ceremony: The event takes place every Tuesday evening in the summer at Lincoln’s tomb, and each night, one of the participants gets to take the flag home as a keepsake.
- History Comes Alive: A cast of historical reenactors perform Lincoln’s iconic speeches in the original locations he delivered them. Plus, an acapella ensemble, the Lincoln Troubadours, perform the president’s favorite songs from the Civil War era.
- History Cooks: Located in the same neighborhood as Lincoln’s Home National Historic Site, History Cooks is a food demo that features “presidential foods.” These dishes by a local chef tell stories of past presidents and connect guests to history through food.
- Lincoln Presidential Half-Marathon: A 13.1-mile run where Lincoln once walked takes participants through Abraham Lincoln historic sites. Beginning at the State Capitol building, it’s off to the races April 11.
- Route 66 Submerged: A Sunken Road. A Story Resurfaced: A 45-minute boat tour at Lake Springfield Marina uncovers part of the original Route 66 that is underwater. The journey blends history, nature and narrative storytelling by locals, offering a fresh perspective on Route 66. The tours run twice a week—Mondays and Fridays—beginning June 1 and concluding October 2.
