Lincoln's New Salem

Lincoln's New Salem is an open-air museum in Menard County, Illinois, recreating a complete 1830s village. The site spreads over a wooded ridge above the Sangamon River and consists of 23 reconstructed log buildings, shops, and workshops arranged around a central village square.

The original village of New Salem was founded in 1829 along the Sangamon River and abandoned around 1840 after residents moved to nearby Petersburg. Reconstruction began in the 1930s with help from the Civilian Conservation Corps and opened as a state historic site in 1966.

The reconstructed buildings carry names like Rutledge Tavern and Onstot Cooper Shop, recalling the original inhabitants and their trades. Visitors see furnishings from the period, including handmade furniture and tools that show how people in the 1830s worked and lived.

The grounds are open year-round with free admission, though operating hours vary by season. Most buildings have low doorframes and uneven wooden floors, so sturdy footwear is advisable.

Some of the logs used in the reconstructed buildings came from structures dismantled elsewhere in the region that date to the same period. The Sangamon River today carries less water than it did in the 1830s, when steamboats attempted to navigate the waterway.

Location: Menard County

Inception: 1828

Website: http://illinois.gov/ihpa/Experience/Sites/Central/Pages/New-Salem.aspx

GPS coordinates: 39.97370,-89.83970

Latest update: December 20, 2025 13:17