McLean County Times

The Lincoln Heritage Museum at Lincoln College has a new special exhibit opening February 12 titled, “Clouds and Darkness Surround Us: The Ill-Fated Life of Mary Lincoln.” The new exhibit highlights Mary Lincoln and features many items owned by Mrs. Lincoln and the Lincoln family including a lock of Abraham Lincoln’s hair, Mary Lincoln’s jewelry, mourning fan, handbag, and a dinner bell from the Lincoln home in Springfield, among other items.

Lincoln Heritage Museum is offering free admission and extended hours Saturday, February 12.

"This November will be the Lincoln’s 180th wedding anniversary, so we chose to focus the Museum's 2022 special exhibit on Mrs. Lincoln,” said Olivia Partlow, Director of Lincoln Heritage Museum. “Mary Lincoln's life was very tragic and still misunderstood. We are excited to tell her story in full using artifacts exclusively from the Lincoln College collection."

As part of the new exhibit, visitors are able to view and take photos with the courting couch that Abraham and Mary Lincoln sat on together while courting at the Edwards Home in Springfield, a unique experience for visitors during Valentine’s Day.

Lincoln Heritage Museum will also display a new exhibit on Lincoln College’s youngest and longest serving president, Archelaus Ewing Turner, beginning February 12. The exhibit features Lincoln College memorabilia from the 1920s.

The exhibit, Always Remember: Commemorating 9/11 After 20 Years” will still be available for viewing. Opening in September 2021, the exhibit features a piece of steel beam from Tower 1 of the World Trade Center, an American Airlines flight attendant uniform worn in New York City on September 11, items from first anniversary commemorations, and more

Lincoln Heritage Museum will observe extended hours Saturday, February 12, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The exhibits will continue to be open to the public until the end of December 2022.  For museum hours and any additional information, contact the Lincoln Heritage Museum at (217) 735-7399 or visit http://museum.lincolncollege.edu.