More state historic sites begin daily operations         

[MAY 31, 2006]  SPRINGFIELD -- More state historic sites resumed daily operations beginning Memorial Day weekend, an expansion that will run through Labor Day to attract more visitors to Illinois and generate additional tourism dollars for many communities.

On Monday, sites in Bishop Hill, Bement, Cahokia, Galesburg, Chicago, Galena, Prairie du Rocher, Ellis Grove, Brimfield and Vandalia resumed daily operations for the first time in nearly four years. They join several other state historic sites that resumed seven-day-per-week operations April 17.

"Governor Blagojevich made it a budget priority to open our historic sites to visitors every day of the week during the busy tourism season," said Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Director Robert Coomer. "The fiscal year 2007 budget signed by the governor ... will allow us to have a similar schedule during next year's tourism season as well. This will bring more visitors to these communities, who will buy meals, shop, purchase gasoline and in many cases seek overnight accommodations."

Historic sites resuming daily operations this week and continuing through Sept. 4:

• Bishop Hill Museum, Colony Church and Bjorklund Hotel, Bishop Hill

• Bryant Cottage, Bement

• Cahokia Courthouse, Cahokia

• Carl Sandburg Birthplace, Galesburg

• Stephen A. Douglas Tomb, Chicago

• Ulysses S. Grant Home, Galena

• Fort de Chartres, Prairie du Rocher

• Fort Kaskaskia, Ellis Grove

• Pierre Menard Home, Ellis Grove

• Jubilee College, Brimfield

• Vandalia Statehouse, Vandalia

The following state-operated historic sites resumed daily operations beginning April 17 and will be open through Labor Day, Sept. 4:

• Apple River Fort, Elizabeth

• Black Hawk, Rock Island

• Cahokia Mounds, Collinsville

• Lewis and Clark, Hartford (open seven days through September 2006 for Lewis and Clark Bicentennial events)

• Lincoln Log Cabin, near Charleston

• Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, Springfield

• Old State Capitol, Springfield

• Lincoln's New Salem, Petersburg

Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site in Springfield has always been open seven days per week and will retain that schedule.

An additional $500,000 appropriated to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency during fiscal 2006 allows the agency to hire seasonal workers to open the sites an extra two days per week.

[Illinois Historic Preservation Agency news release]