It's your birthday!

 Yayyy! We are so excited to have this amazing addition to our city.

And now.…we celebrate!!

After tons of hard work between the City of Springfield and the IL Department of Natural Resources, the Springfield Visitors Center opened its doors in its new location at the historic Lincoln-Herndon Law Office on November 24, 2018!!

Since its opening, there has been 15,706 Visitors come through the door. We have met people from all 50 States as well as a total of 73 Countries!!

How awesome is that?!

Oh and did I mention the view...yep, look out our front windows and you will see an amazing view of the Old State Capitol.

Now let’s talk about all the fun things that have happened since opening…

*On November 24th, our Grand Opening coincided with the Old Capitol Holiday Walks which were kicking off and we welcomed locals and visitors alike, who were out and about doing their holiday shopping. During the Holiday Walks we also hosted a local radio show, Jim Leach with Midwest Family Broadcasting, who showcased the Visitors Center and the incredible addition it will be for Springfield residents and visitors, both domestic and international.

*In December 2018, the Illinois Society of Association Executives took part in the 1^st ever Merriment Mystery Dinner where the guests met at the Visitors Center and received a little package that revealed their secret dining spot! This event was a thank you to our association meeting planners and held on a Holiday Walk evening.

*In May we celebrated National Travel and Tourism Week. A week to share why travel is so important, not only to the city itself but to the ones that are traveling to that city! We hosted Sam Madonia, who is a local radio show host, as well as Cool 93.9. Both did a live broadcast from the window of the Visitors Center and shared all the fun reasons why travel is so important. He also discussed all the fun things there are to see and do in Springfield. The Visit Springfield Team greeted visitors in front of the Visitors Center and gave away Springfield goodies as an added value to their trip.

*In June we kicked off the 10^th year of History Comes Alive. The Visitors Center was the place to have a chance to chat with Abe and Mary, hear stories from William Herndon, Abe’s law partner, and watch the Spirit of Lincoln Youth Leadership Academy recreate history. These events ran a 10 week span from June – August. More than 1,000 programs were delivered to visitors throughout the sites involved.

*The Visitors Center hosted the June Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce event, Good Morning Springfield. This is a fun morning mixer giving local professionals the chance to connect with others and gain exposure for their businesses! Attendance was high and participants were thankful to see the new treasure.

*On July 31^st the Visitor Center welcomed the 10,000^th Visitor from Cincinnati, OH! Boy did we have a surprise for her when she walked through the door with her mom. Thinking they were just picking up some visitor information, balloons, sweet treats and an awesome SWAG bag full of Springfield goodies awaited her. She was excited & promised to share this great story with family and friends.

 At the Visitors Center, it’s not just about helping visitors get from point A to point B, it’s also about making an impression so memorable that visitors keep coming back and tell all of their friends. Recently, a couple from the Netherlands came in and instead of just taking information with them they also took with them a new friendship. Sheila, the main face of the Visitors Center, got to talking with them, and instead of telling them good bye, she became friends with them on Facebook and has a bracelet they created especially for her!

Looking to add a little history to your experience?! While at the Visitors Center you can view a portion of the Lincoln-Herndon Law Office as well as the first Post Office in Springfield! Be sure to check them out when you’re here!

Make this your first stop when visiting Springfield!! Our travel specialists are eagerly waiting to assist. You will leave with all the info you need on how to make your visit to Springfield, IL Always Legendary!!

Make sure you visit our Historic Sites, try our Local Cuisine and stay in one of our amazing Hotels.