Lincoln Memorial Garden and Nature Center

Springfield, Illinois, United States

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Lincoln Memorial Garden and Nature Center in Springfield, Illinois, is a 100-acre woodland and prairie garden designed as a living memorial to Abraham Lincoln, reflecting the natural landscape he would have known in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois.

Conceived in the 1930s by Harriet Knudson and designed by famed landscape architect Jens Jensen, the garden was created on former farmland along the shore of Lake Springfield. It features native plants including oaks, maples, and prairie grasses arranged in naturalistic groupings, with distinctive limestone council rings serving as gathering places inspired by Native American traditions.

The garden includes over five miles of trails, ponds, footbridges, and wooded areas providing habitat for wildlife. It began with volunteer planting by local scouts and community members, with ongoing expansion and restoration work. The Nature Center offers environmental education programs and exhibits, making it a cherished cultural and ecological landmark that honors Lincoln’s legacy through native Midwestern landscapes.