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 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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