Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum

The kids have spring break this week and we planned a trip to go visit Clinton's cousin Kelly, her family, and her dad (Uncle Virg). On the way down there, we thought we would stop by the famous Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield Illinois. It was fantastic. The two movies that they showed were brief, entertaining, and used various senses. I felt that it brought the history of Abraham Lincoln to life.

The first film that we saw was Lincoln's Eyes in the Union Theater there. This is what is said about the theater and film:

"A multi-venue special effects theater featuring, at various times: "Lincoln's Eyes" – a spectacular look at the life and times of Lincoln; and a live performance theater with programmed theatrical productions as well as seminars, lectures and special programs.

"Lincoln's Eyes – Most of the time, the Union Theater will present "Lincoln's Eyes," a full theatrical special effects spectacular giving a broad overview of Lincoln's life. "Lincoln's Eyes" focuses on the personal and political dramas and key issues of Lincoln's presidency, especially slavery. The story is told by an artist, who explains that while he was painting Lincoln’s portrait, struggled to understand all the things he saw in Lincoln's eyes: sorrow, resolve, hope, vision, forgiveness, and more. As he explains, he tells us a bit about Lincoln's life. You discover that Lincoln had the courage to do what he felt was right, even when it was him, on his family, and on the nation. He led our country through its worst national crisis difficult with vision, courage, persistence, political genius, and integrity.

"The state-of-the-art theater itself puts on quite a show. The system of layered digital projection screens, theatrical spectacle and special effects in the seating area immerse you in the experience. During a dramatic battle sequence, for example, the entire room seems to resound with war."

The second film we saw was Ghosts of the Library. This is what is said about the theater and film:

"Holavision®
Here the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will present something that other presidential libraries have mysteriously not chosen to explain. We will explain what a presidential library is!

"You gather in a Pre-Show room where you see a video that welcomes you and takes you on a very brief video tour of the Library. Historic items from Illinois's past are also on view. The doors now open and you enter the Holavision® Theater for "Ghosts of the Library."

"Ghosts of the Library is a dramatic and magical special effects presentation that uses Holavision® to capture the exciting sense of discovery that scholars and curators feel as they approach a great research collection. Holavision® is a proprietary BRC Imagination Arts-owned technology that allows the storyteller to appear to control history around him. In addition, Holavision® permits the magical "fade away" or disappearance of the on-stage actor, with astonishing impact to audiences of all ages. The ghosts of Lincoln and his contemporaries momentarily appear and disappear, their transparent images drifting through the "Library." A quill rises from a library table and begins to write in the air, in Lincoln's handwriting.

"The seating area provides the view (through a large high-security window) into the "Library," as you hear about the activities, the detective work, and the discoveries waiting to be made in a great presidential archive.

"In a mysterious way, these original objects connect us to the people and events of history and make them real. It is almost as if we can momentarily see their world, as though they were here."

The kids toured other rooms inside the museum, played dress-up, visited the White House, etc. It was an all-around good visit.