Agencies
Services
Vachel Lindsay Home
603 South 5th Street, Springfield
217/782-6776
Open: Tour times by appointment only.
Site Holiday Closings:
New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lincoln's Birthday, President's Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Site Holiday Openings:
Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day.
In the heart of our country stands the home of Vachel Lindsay - poet, illustrator, and pioneering film critic. From this lifelong base, Lindsay travelled America, thrilling early twentieth-century audiences with his powerful spoken-word performances. In his lifetime, Lindsay rose to international fame. Today, his words continue to inspire people of all ages.
We invite you to see and experience the Vachel Lindsay Home by joining us for a 30-minute guided tour of the site.
Below you can view a performance of Lindsay's poem General Booth Enters into Heaven performed by actor Kevin Purcell.
Reservations are required due to limited tour capacity and can be made on this page. If you need assistance making your reservation online, please call us at 217-524-0901 or email dnr.historicspringfield@illinois.gov
There is no charge for the tour, but donations to support the historic site are appreciated.
Arrival
Please report to the front door of the house at 603 S. Fifth Street 5-10 minutes before your reserved tour time to check in and begin your tour. Guests without a reservation may also stop by the front door to inquire about tour availability.
Tour Policies
- Please be sure to reserve a ticket for all members of your party.
- Pets are not allowed inside the Vachel Lindsay Home. Service animals are welcome. Please note we do not have a pet boarding facility on-site and we do not allow pets to be left outside unattended.
Parking
Metered street parking is available along Fifth Street in front of the house. Please note meters are enforced Monday-Friday only; it is not necessary to pay the meters on the weekends.
Vachel Lindsay Home guests are also welcome to use the free parking lot for the Dana-Thomas House located at 4th and Lawrence Streets. It is approximately three blocks from the Lindsay Home.
Photography Policy
Photography, video and other recording are permitted throughout the site, both indoors and out, with the exception of drone photography.
IDNR Information
Justin Blandford, Superintendent
Office of Land Management, Historic Sites Division
dnr.historicspringfield@illinois.gov
217-524-3971
Social Media
Instagram: @statehistoricsitesspringfield
Visit the Vachel Lindsay Home Association's website.
NOTE ANDROID USERS ONLY: The donation payment processing function in the Illinois History mobile application for Android devices is currently down. Donations are still being processed through the web site at https://dnrhistoric.illinois.gov/experience/sites.html.We apologize for the inconvenience.
