Journey One
The Pre-Presidential Years

In New Salem, you'll see Lincoln as an awkward young man apparently in love with Ann Rutledge. Did this really happen? Historians may never know for certain, but this romantic idea remains an enduring part of the Lincoln legend.




Life in Springfield - Home Life, Work Life, Political Life is a large gallery presenting Lincoln's life in Springfield, Illinois, including his courtship of Mary Todd, his home life, his legal and political careers, his law practice, the Lincoln-Douglas debates and a large case of original objects from his campaign.



The Permissive Parent, is an immersive scene letting you enter the Lincoln-Herndon law office. Lincoln is stretched out on the couch and is blissfully reading a newspaper while his boys, Willie and Tad, run riot.