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"When we opened the doors
to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum just six months ago, we
brought Lincoln's story to life," Blagojevich said. "Since that
beautiful April morning, hundreds of thousands of people from around
the world have come to this world-class museum to learn about a man
born in the most common of surroundings, yet destined to become the
most uncommon of leaders. Here, visitors learn Lincoln's story like
never before and leave with a greater appreciation of America's 16th
president."
"The overwhelming success of the last six months is due to the
hard work and huge standards of a whole lot of people whose names
you never read in the press," said Richard Norton Smith, executive
director of the library and museum. "Ticket takers, custodial crews,
library assistants and hundreds of wonderful volunteers -- they
are the ALPLM for our visitors."
The 400,000 visitors are not just from right here in Illinois,
but from almost every state in the nation. Overseas guests have come
from Germany, England, Australia and Japan, to name a few. School
children also make up a significant portion of visitors. Many
schools have crossed state lines to expand their knowledge of
Lincoln.
A look back reveals a host of events that helped shape and define
the first six months of the museum. They include the spectacular
"Blood on the Moon" exhibit about the Lincoln assassination, a
two-day scholarly conference featuring the world's foremost Lincoln
scholars, raising over $50,000 for Hurricane Katrina victims, and
the first in a series of "Evenings to Remember," this one tapping
the memories of former Illinois Gov. Jim Thompson.
[to top of second column in this article]
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 Also reaching a milestone is the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
Library, which opened its doors to the public a year ago, on Oct.
14, 2004. During that time, over 80,000 people have visited the
library -- roughly 20 times the number in its last full year beneath
the Old State Capitol.
Looking ahead, the museum anticipates as many as 600,000 visitors
by the one-year mark, April 19, 2006. Upcoming events that are sure
to prove popular include the Nov. 25 debut of a new, temporary
exhibit, "Christmas at the White House"; the inaugural Jim Edgar
Lecture Series, featuring David McCullough; the inaugural Governor's
Conference Series in November, examining the life and legacy of
Adlai Stevenson; plus a blockbuster temporary exhibit on America's
first ladies, opening in May 2006.
[Abraham Presidential
Library and Museum news release]
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