Agencies
Services
15588 History Lane
Petersburg, IL
217/632-4000
Open:
May-October, Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
November-April, Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day & New Year's Day.
There is camping at this site. On-line reservations for camp sits and shelters can be made through the ExploreMoreIL™ website and paying by Visa, MasterCard or Discover.
Teachers in Illinois schools (grades prekindergarten through 12) can apply for grant funds to visit this site on a field trip with their students. Click here for the details.
Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site preserves the site of New Salem village, where young Abraham Lincoln lived for six formative years, from 1831 to 1837. Platted in 1829, the town existed for about twelve years before being abandoned and left to pasture. The centerpiece of Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site is the imaginative recreation of the log village. Built in the 1930s and 1940s as a Civilian Conservation Corps program, the village features twenty-three historically furnished buildings, including several homes, stores, and tradesmen's shops, as well as a tavern, school, wool carding mill, and a saw- and gristmill. Scattered throughout the village are log barns and other outbuildings.
At the entrance to the historical village is a visitor center that houses museum exhibits and a 250-seat auditorium. Adjacent to the visitor center is a 500 seat outdoor theater.
Also located near the visitor center and village entrance is a food concession and small gift shop.
While the village is New Salem’s greatest attraction, most of the site's nearly 700 acres are wooded with hiking trails, picnic areas, and playground equipment. The campground contains eighty electrified and eighty primitive campsites. Two toilet-shower facilities are located in the campground area.
What to expect in visiting Lincoln’s New Salem
Most days the site is open, especially May through October, visitors will meet volunteer and staff historic interpreters demonstrating period activities and engaging about 19th century life and Abraham Lincoln’s New Salem experience. Visits are typically self-guided walking tours throughout the historic village and the 23 log buildings.
Volunteering
Become a part of the Lincoln story at New Salem!
You are invited to join the volunteer family at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site. There are several opportunities to serve:
Historic Interpreter
Historic interpreters wear period clothing in our reconstructed village and interact with visitors from all over the world. Interpreters are educated on the history and significance of the site and trained on how to engage with visitors. Interpreters can pursue a variety of period tasks and skills. No experience is needed!
Visitor Center Services
The Visitor Center Desk is the first impression for many of our visitors. Visitor Center staff greet and orient visitors and groups to the site, operate the orientation film, answer phones, and provide general information about other sites and local amenities. Service at the Visitor Center does not require wearing period clothing.
Support Services
There are also several "behind the scenes" opportunities to serve at the site. Support services include mending and making period clothing, cleaning and assisting in care of historic buildings and collection, general cleanup, light trail maintenance and limited clerical work.
Please email DNR.NewSalem@illinois.gov or call 217-632-4000 to set up a time to visit the site and discuss service opportunities. Volunteer training is delivered through both formal sessions led by site staff and experienced volunteers and "hands on" mentoring by shadowing experienced volunteers, guided readings, and ongoing experiential learning options. You will receive your training progressively and on an individual basis. All training materials are provided, including historical clothing.
All parking lots at Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site are paved asphalt and can be slippery when wet or icy. There are 14 accessible parking spaces in the visitor center parking lot, one located at each of the two shower houses, one at the parking lot near the historic Saw and Grist Mill, and three at the Sangamon Area Picnic Area. Visitor Center parking lot is approximately 30 feet from the nearest sidewalk. There are five ramps available in the visitor center parking lot. All other parking lots are located adjacent to sidewalks with no curbs.
Lincoln’s New Salem features all sidewalks (outside of the Historic Village) that are concrete and concrete slabs. In the historic village, the main walkways are sealed stone, rock, and asphalt that are accessible.
The back entrance to the main site office to Lincolns’ New Salem has a ramp to the basement. We also have an elevator located in the visitor center to gain access to the basement from the main entrance.
All motorized wheelchairs and scooters are permitted in accessible areas at Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site including the two historic buildings that are handicap accessible.
Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site has a boat launch at the Picnic Area off Pritchetville Road. This boat launch is asphalt.
All restrooms at Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site are accessible. Each restroom contains at least one accessible stall. Restrooms are located inside the Visitor Center, in the historic village, and inside the two shower houses at the campground. Vault toilets in the picnic areas are both accessible as well. There is one set of vault toilets located across from the campground adjacent to the group camping area, as well as one set located in the Sangamon Picnic Area.
Shower Houses- The shower houses offers accessible shower stalls for both genders. There are two shower houses located in the front and back of the campground.
Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site offers three accessible campsites: site 67(non-electric), site 57 (50-amp), and site 145 (30-amp). All campsites are asphalt and on even ground. Sites are available for reservation. Visit ExploreMoreIL™ for more details.
Lincoln’s New Salem Visitor Center parking lot (located at 15588 History Lane in Petersburg, IL) is paved with 14 accessible parking spots. We have five ramps leading to the main sidewalk (paved with concrete slab) outside of the Visitor Center. There is no push-button door opener for the entrance to the Visitor Center. Restrooms and water fountains are wheelchair accessible. Auditorium is wheelchair accessible. Ample seating inside Visitor Center via benches. Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site does have braille informational guides and maps available upon request. Many of the objects used by our historic interpreters (either inside the Visitor Center or in the historic buildings) can be touched and smelled to give visitors the full experience of life in the 1830s.
Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic site contains three wheelchair accessible building in the historic village (the Onstot Cooper Shop, second Lincoln-Berry store, and the Rutledge Tavern). All three have a ramp leading to the entrance of the buildings. All three ramps are quite slippery when wet or icy. The other 20 historic buildings contain at minimum one step leading into the historic structure.
All visits at Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic site are self-guided tours. Most visitors spend approximately two hours visiting. There are benches placed throughout the historic village to accommodate those who need a break if needed.
The distance to the end of the historic village at Lincoln’s New Salem and back to the Visitor Center is approximately one mile in length. Main pathway is a sealed rock aggregate that can be slippery when wet or icy.
Accessibility Information
The following are available for the visitor to the site:
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.
