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 Guests came from as far away as South Korea and
Lebanon for the day of music, education and fun. At the end of the
day, 5,251 people had visited, shattering the record of 4,740 that
was set the day the museum first opened its doors. Admission was
free that day, too.
The presidential library has created a “MyLincoln” website featuring
additional Lincoln documents and photographs to supplement the
museum’s exhibits. Guests who want more detail about something they
see at the museum can simply pull out a smartphone or tablet.
“MyLincoln” also features quizzes and information on what Lincoln
was doing on any given day – a guest’s birthday, for instance.
“The launch of MyLincoln is just one of the many ways we’re
celebrating our tenth anniversary. With ten extraordinary years
under our belt, we look forward to the next decade—decades—of
bringing Abraham Lincoln’s remarkable legacy to the world,” said
Carla Knorowski, CEO of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Foundation, the library and museum’s fundraising arm. “We are
grateful to AT&T and all our generous contributors for their
support, not just now and in the past, but in the years to come.
 Anyone anywhere can learn from
www.mylincoln.org, which is supported by AT&T, but it is
designed to enhance the experience of museum guests. The museum’s
gripping exhibits draw people into Lincoln’s story, and “My Lincoln”
offers them a way to ask questions and get answers immediately.
“AT&T is a founding donor and member of the Presidential level of
donors of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, which
benefits the Museum and Library. We congratulate you on celebrating
ten years of sharing Lincoln’s legacy with the world,” said Chris
Warwick, Director of External Affairs, AT&T Illinois. “Through your
interactive resources, you are mobilizing and enhancing the visitor
experience. We look forward to continuing our support.”
The museum also recognized the winners of a student art contest that
drew more than 1,200 entries. The Lincoln Presidential Library
Foundation is donating $200 to the art departments of the schools
that produced the winning students in three age groups.
The winners are: Brooke Spencer of Galesburg in the K-5 group; Reese
Sainburg of Seneca for grades 6-8; Jack Rothmund of Naperville for
grades 9-12. Rothmund requested that his $200 be sent to a Chicago
school whose art department could use the money.
Their work and the entries from the runners-up can be seen at
http://bit.ly/LincolnArtContest. Their work also is on
display in the museum.
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The museum opened its doors on April 19, 2005, completing the Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library and Museum, a state-of-the-art institution dedicated to
helping everyone from children to scholars appreciate Lincoln in new ways.
It holds an unparalleled collection of original Lincoln materials – more than
52,000 items in all, including an original copy of the Gettysburg Address, a
signed copy of the constitutional amendment ending slavery and Lincoln’s
stovepipe hat. The library part of the complex contains 12 million items
pertaining to all aspects of Illinois history and is one of the nation’s top
places for genealogy and history research.
Attendance has surpassed all expectations. Experts predicted 2.4 million
visitors during the first 10 years, and the actual total has been 3.7 million.
Admission was free that first day. To thank the museum’s many supporters and
welcome new ones, admission was also free Sunday.
Visitors got to enjoy three special exhibits – one about Lincoln’s greatest
speeches, another focused on his assassination and funeral, and a third looking
back the museum’s creation.
The day also included a concert of Civil War-era music, appearances by historic
interpreters portraying people from Lincoln’s time and a book-signing with
contributors to “Gettysburg Replies: The World Responds to Abraham Lincoln's
Gettysburg Address.”
For information about anniversary festivities for the rest of the year, visit
www.TenYearsLincoln.com.
[Crhis Wills, Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library & Museum]
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