Lincoln Depot

The Great Western Railroad Depot where Lincoln gave his farewell speech has been restored and serves as a small museum focused on Lincoln's departure from Springfield and the remarkable train journey that carried him to Washington. The route took eleven days and stopped in major cities across the Northeast, where Lincoln made speeches to enormous crowds — essentially a pre-inauguration tour of the states that had elected him.

The depot is at the corner of 10th and Monroe Streets, about six blocks east of the Old State Capitol. The museum inside is compact and focused: exhibits cover Lincoln's Illinois years, the 1860 election, and the symbolic weight of his farewell. A short film plays regularly. Admission is free.

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A story
On the morning of 11 February 1861, Abraham Lincoln stood on the rear platform of a train at this station and delivered what is now called the "Farewell Address to Springfield" — an impromptu speech of 151 words to the 1,000 friends and neighbours who had gathered in the cold to see him off. "I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return," he said. "To His care commending you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell." He never did return, except in death four years later.