Springfield Museums
• A WorldWeb.com Travel Guide to Museums in Springfield, IL, Illinois.
The Museum of Funeral Customs explores how the American culture deals with death through mourning rituals, funerals and art, and how society has changed since the 1870s. There are permanent and temporary exhibits to be found here. This museum is located at the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield. The hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm and Sundays from 1pm to 4pm.
For a collection of military artifacts, including the artificial leg of General Santa Anna, people can visit the Illinois State Military Museum. Other pieces range from vehicles, to clothing, to photos, to weapons collected from the days gone by. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 1pm to 4:30pm, and is located at Camp Lincoln in Springfield.
Through the displays of various military aircraft visitors can learn about the brave souls who flew and maintained these machines. This museum is found at Springfield's Capital Airport. It is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum commemorates the former president and features documents relating to Lincoln and the time in which he lived.
Springfield's portion of the Illinois State Museum holds assorted collections of artifacts, fossilized plants and animals, art, rocks and more to show the evolution of change in this area. Different programs are available through the museum. There is a gift shop that sells homemade pieces by local artists, educational toys and games, books and gifts.
Illinois Fire Museum
From antique pumpers to fire fighting equipment, the Illinois Fire Museum has it. Visitors can admire the fire scene photos and the collection of badges. There are interactive programs for children to teach them about fire safety skills. The musueum is found in the Old Firehouse Building #7 on the Illinois State Fairgrounds and is open Monday to Friday from 1pm to 4pm.
