Guided Tour of the Old State Capitol State Historic Site at Old State Capitol State Historic Site – Springfield, IL

In the heart of our country stands the Old State Capitol, a reconstruction of Illinois' statehouse from 1840 to 1876. During the twentieth century's civil rights movement, its restorers faithfully recreated the building in which John Jones and Frances Gage worked to expand the meaning of freedom and Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous "House Divided" speech.

This 30-minute guided tour will take you through several of the historic rooms, while sharing stories about the role the site played in our state's history and the ways in which it is still making history today. Tours are led by interpretive guides trained by the Illinois State Museum, part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Guided tours are free and reservations are not required for groups less than 15 people, but you can view available times and reserve a spot on this page. Groups of 15 or more are required to reserve their tour in advance through Visit Springfield, our convention and visitors bureau. Please see visitspringfieldillinois.com for group reservations.

No Need to Print Your Ticket

You do not need to print your ticket for this event. We’ll check you in by the name your registration is under—just give your name at the door, and we’ll take care of the rest.

You should receive an email from Eventbrite confirming your reservation. If you don’t see it, please check your spam or junk folder.

If you use the Eventbrite app, you’re welcome to show your mobile ticket, but it’s not required.

The site is also open daily for self-guided tours and walk-in visitors. Current site hourse include:

Sunday and Monday: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Tuesday-Friday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Saturday: 9:00 am - 7:00 pm