Hotel Info:
We have a block of rooms reserved at the Route 66 Hotel, which is where the wedding reception will be held. Please mention the wedding when booking to get the $59/night room rate. If you need a suite, please ask for Marc Evans when you contact the hotel. Click on The Wedding Day for more information about the Route 66 Hotel.
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If the hotel becomes booked, here are some alternate options:
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Baymont Inn and Suites Springfield
5871 South 6th St.
217-529-6655
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Ramada Limited Springfield South
5970 South 6th Street
217-529-1410
For information on additional hotels in Springfield, please click on the Convention & Visitors' Bureau link below.
Things to See While in Town:
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum
Things to Do While in Town:
For more information on things to do in the Springfield area, check with the Convention & Visitors' Bureau.
Springfield, IL
109 North Seventh Street
Springfield, IL 62701
1-800-545-7300
Fun Facts About Springfield, Illinois
The Horseshoe Sandwich (a Melissa Favorite!)
The horseshoe sandwich originated in Springfield, Illinois sometime in the early 20th century. Local lore names the inventor as a chef at Wayne's Red Coach Inn, although this is subject to debate. You can get horseshoe sandwiches at most Springfield restaurants, at some restaurants in central Illinois, and at a few restaurants in other parts of the state. Horseshoes are not generally served outside of Illinois.
A traditional horseshoe sandwich consists of:
2 pieces of Texas toast (thick sliced bread, lightly toasted)
2 hamburger patties (cooked to preference, usually medium)
a mound of french fries (preferably skinny fries)
cover the whole thing with cheese sauce (preferably Welsh rarebit)
How Springfield Became the Capital
The original capital of Illinois was Kaskaskia. In 1820, it was moved to Vandalia, but thanks to the political efforts of a group called "The Long Nine," Springfield finally captured the prize. Led by Abraham Lincoln, the group was called "The Long Nine" because the nine delegates to the legislature from Sangamon County who fought for Springfield were all over 6' in height.
Historical Puzzle
Imagine a building, the outside of which consists of 3,300 stones, weighing from 500-2,000 pounds each. Now imagine taking that building apart, numbering all of those stones, moving them to a safe storage place, reconstructing the inside of a magnificent, historically significant building. Then imagine putting all of those stones back in their original places, like a giant upright puzzle. Well, that's what architects did to restore the beautiful Old State Capitol to its original splendor.
Lincoln's Tomb
The marble inside the tomb comes from four foreign countries: France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, and from the states of Missouri, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Utah and Arkansas. The granite of the exterior of the tomb is from Quincy, Massachusetts.
How Lincoln Found New Salem
Lincoln's decision to live in New Salem came about as a result of piloting a flatboat down the Sangamon River. The heavily laden boat became stranded on the mill dam at New Salem. Lincoln was responsible for freeing the vessel by ordering it unloaded, drilling a hole in the bow to let out the water and then plugging the hole, which permitted the boat to float free. He was so impressed with New Salem during his brief stay, he decided to come back to live. So after delivering the produce to New Orleans, Lincoln took a boat to St. Louis and then walked back to New Salem.
Dana-Thomas House
Frank Lloyd Wright, architect of the Dana-Thomas House, was originally commissioned to restructure Susan Lawrence Dana's thirty year old brick house. Early photos of the remodeling show the foundation of the prairie-style house rising around the family home. However, as the work progressed, this new architectural style took over. When the home was completed in 1904, the only remaining sign of the family home was a Victorian sitting room with fireplace, which exists in the home today.
Lincoln's Totem Pole
Picture a 50-foot totem pole topped by an eight-foot carved statue of Abraham Lincoln. If you can't picture this incredible artifact, come to Springfield and see for yourself. Called the Proud Raven pole after the people who carved it, this giant edifice guards the entrance to the Illinois State Museum. It was carved around 1883 by a chief of the Raven clan in Alaska, to honor the fact that a member of his family was the first to see a white man. As model for the white man, the carver used an available picture of President Lincoln.