City of Lincoln, Illinois

The Heritage in Flight Museum, located at the Logan County Airport, is dedicated to preserving aviation history. The museum features a wide range of aviation and military exhibits representing every major military conflict. Housed in an authentic World War II barracks relocated from Camp Ellis, the museum showcases artifacts generously donated by veterans and their families.

Tours are available by appointment — contact the museum to schedule your visit.

Designated on December 24, 1985, Downtown Lincoln proudly holds a place on the National Register of Historic Places. The district is roughly enclosed by Kickapoo, Sangamon, Pekin, Chicago, Delavan, Broadway, and Pulaski Streets, with the stately Logan County Courthouse—built in 1905—standing prominently at its heart.

As you enter Lincoln heading south on Kickapoo Street, you’ll be welcomed by the Downtown Welcome Garden and the iconic Route 66 sign—a perfect spot to stop and snap a photo!

At this very point, you're not only traveling along a segment of historic Route 66 (1926–1930), but also walking in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln himself, who once journeyed these roads as a traveling attorney on the 8th Judicial Circuit.

Kickapoo Town/Chautauqua Historical Markers

The Heritage in Flight Museum, located at the Logan County Airport, is dedicated to preserving aviation history. The museum features a wide range of aviation and military exhibits representing every major military conflict. Housed in an authentic World War II barracks relocated from Camp Ellis, the museum showcases artifacts generously donated by veterans and their families.

Tours are available by appointment — contact the museum to schedule your visit.

Langston Hughes, the internationally acclaimed African American author, attended Central School for eighth grade, where he wrote his first poem in 1916 for his graduation.

Built in 1902, the Lincoln Public Library is a Carnegie Library that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The Logan County Genealogical and Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich genealogical and historical heritage of Logan County—honoring the lives of its past residents and the events that shaped the community.

The Society offers a library filled with research materials specific to Logan County, along with a selection of publications available for purchase.

The Niebuhr family, a prominent lineage of theologians, once called Lincoln home. Four members of the family became distinguished professors in the field of Christian studies.

Reinhold Niebuhr, best known as the author of the Serenity Prayer—a reflection widely used in military and recovery programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous—was featured on the cover of Time magazine and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

His brother, H. Richard Niebuhr, was a respected authority on theological ethics and church history. He served as a professor at Yale University for 31 years. H. Richard’s son, Richard R. Niebuhr, continued the family legacy, teaching theology at Harvard University.

Journey through local and global history with fascinating Odd Fellows artifacts.

Renowned author and editor William Maxwell spent his early childhood in this Lincoln home from 1910 to 1920. Growing up in this small Midwestern town deeply influenced his writing. Maxwell frequently reflected on the people and community of Lincoln in his works, capturing the spirit and character of his hometown. Over his career, Maxwell wrote 14 works of fiction and memoir. His most acclaimed novel, So Long, See You Tomorrow, won the American Book Award in 1980 and remains a classic of American literature.

Please note: The Maxwell home is a private residence and not open to the public. Several members of Maxwell’s family, including his mother and grandparents, are buried at Old Union Cemetery in Lincoln.