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New walking tour explores Lincoln romance
Lincoln Presidential Library launches tour of sites from the Lincolns’ courtship and marriage
 

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[July 06, 2015]  SPRINGFIELD – The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is offering a new way to explore historic Springfield and learn about the unlikely romance between Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd.

The “Abe and Mary: Quite Contrary” walking tour takes visitors through downtown Springfield, past the spots where a rough young lawyer and a Southern belle fell for one another, where they broke up but reunited and married, and where they lived happily until leaving for Washington.

The free tour will be offered every Tuesday at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. this summer. It covers 1.5 miles and takes about an hour. Guests should wear comfortable shoes, bring water and dress appropriately for the weather, which can be quite hot.

The tour begins at the Lincoln Presidential Museum (212 N. Sixth Street), where you are encouraged – but not required – to visit the section about Lincoln’s life before the presidency. The tour ends at the First Presbyterian Church (Seventh Street and Capitol Avenue), but guests are welcome to accompany the guides back to the museum.

“Essentially, we take visitors back to the 1830s-1850s and show them parts of Springfield that helped define Abraham and Mary’s relationship,” said one of the guides, Trevor Thompson. “By the end of the tour, visitors are able to see how Springfield’s most famous couple were ‘quite contrary,’ yet quite similar in their aspirations.”

To make a free reservation for the tour, visit www.presidentlincoln.illinois.gov  and click on the “Abe & Mary: Quite Contrary” button.

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The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum holds an unparalleled collection of Lincoln documents, photographs, artifacts and art. It also has some 12 million items pertaining to all aspects of Illinois history, making the library one of the nation’s leading institutions for genealogy and history research.

The museum is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. For information on all our events, visit www.TenYearsLincoln.com.

[Chris Wills, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum]


 

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