Springfield, IL

Answer 1

The city of Springfield is the Illinois state capital, and covers an area of about 60 nearly flat square miles. The area was originally settled in the early 1800s, about the time that Illinois became a state. Springfield is best known as the birthplace of President Abraham Lincoln and site of his presidential library and museum. All around Springfield and central Illinois is the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, consisting of restored sites where president Lincoln lived and traveled from 1837 to 1861 when he was elected President.

Hoogland Center for the Arts in downtown Springfield hosts the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, the Springfield Ballet Company, and the Springfield Theater Center. The Springfield Opera performs outdoor Broadway shows during the summer. The oldest drive-through window is still operating in Springfield, which also claims to have invented the Corn Dog. Historic old route 66 goes through Springfield, and Carpenter Park is the largest of several city parks.