Journey Two
The White House Years

Lying in State is an immersive scene. It is a nearly full-scale recreation of the Representatives Hall in Springfield's Old State Capitol, recreating the exact moment in May, 1865 as Lincoln lies in state, complete with all the lavish trappings of Victorian-era mourning. Having walked through Lincoln's life, you will now file past the closed casket as though you too are paying your last respects.




Holding on to Lincoln Lincoln may have been a polarizing figure during his presidency, but his death created a vast emotional response in a country whose people suddenly wanted to "get close" to Lincoln and to "hold on" to the security and leadership he represented. As a result, they collected and saved as souvenirs some of the objects he had touched, some fascinating, others strange. Here you can see some of these objects and read their stories.


Early Concept Sketch © BRC

As you can see, our primary objective in The Journey is not to fully explain all of the issues that confronted Lincoln but to inspire in the ordinary visitor a deep sense of personal connection and empathy with the man.