Last updated: July 6, 2026
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3 Hot Days in August: Commemorating the 1908 Springfield Race Riot
The eastern sky is lurid with the reflection of raging fires.
Image credit: Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Courtesy of the Lincoln Library
The National Park Service is privileged to work alongside the Springfield community. Participating organizations include the Springfield Branch NAACP, Lincoln Library, Springfield African American History Museum, HSHS St. John’s Hospital, Illinois State Museum, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois State Museum Society, Fever River Research, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Center for Lincoln Studies University of Illinois-Springfield, and Sangamon Experience University of Illinois-Springfield.
What's Happening?
There are many ways to experience the commemoration! Explore a variety of programs, presentations, and special events below.
For more information about events at the National Monument, visit the calendar.
For more information about events at the National Monument, visit the calendar.
9:30 AM – 1908 Race Riot Walking Tour by Illinois State Historic Sites
Old State Capitol State Historic Site
1 Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, IL
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The tour begins at the Lincoln statues at the corner of 6th and Adams Streets, by the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices.
12:00 PM – Illinois State Museum
502 S. Spring Street, Springfield, IL
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Presentation by Doris Bailey: “The Springfield 1908 Race Riot: The Aftermath.”
5:00 to 7:30 PM – Lincoln Library
326 S. 7th Street, Springfield, IL
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Opening Reception. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, please visit the Opening Reception Registration Page.
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Presentations begin at 5:30 PM.
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Film screening of “Springfield Had No Shame.”
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Featured speaker Preston Jackson will share his inspiration and creation of the sculptures “Acts of Intolerance” in Union Square Park that pay tribute to the victims of the 1908 Race Riot.
9:30 AM – 1908 Race Riot Walking Tour by Illinois State Historic Sites
Old State Capitol State Historic Site
1 Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, IL
-
The tour begins at the Lincoln statues at the corner of 6th and Adams Streets, by the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices.
12:00 PM – "Joseph James" Presentation by Pastor Tim Good at Trinity Lutheran Church
2nd and Monroe Streets, Springfield, IL
2:00 to 3:00 PM – A Park in Progress: Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Inside Theater 1
426 S. 7th Street, Springfield, IL
- This special 1-hour conversation with a Park Ranger will explore the Monument's purpose as part of a community-driven effort to tell the 1908 story and its early development.
- After the program, you are welcome to stay and chat with rangers while looking at artifacts recovered from African American homes destroyed by rioters.
5:00 to 7:30 PM - 1908 Race Riot Memorial Service at HSHS St. John's Children's Hospital
HSHS Auditorium
800 East Carpenter Street, Springfield, IL
- The memorial service will be followed by a silent march to Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, across the street. All are welcome to participate.
8:00 PM – Candlelight Vigil and Luminaria Observance at Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument
400 North 9th Street, Springfield, IL
Join us for quiet remembrance and reflection at the site of homes destroyed by rioters in 1908. Luminaria will outline the approximate locations of these homes. Park Rangers will be available to answer questions about the site’s archaeology and the people who once called this place home.
A local coalition of partner organizations, the 1908 Alliance, will lead a candlelight vigil beginning at 8:00 pm.
Park at the HSHS St. John's Hospital Women and Children's Clinic parking garage, 500 North 9th Street, Springfield, IL. Then walk south to the National Monument.
You are welcome to drop in anytime during the night to observe the luminaria. Park Rangers will be onsite until 9:00 pm.
9:30 AM – 1908 Race Riot Walking Tour by Illinois State Historic Sites
Old State Capitol State Historic Site
1 Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, IL
-
The tour begins at the Lincoln statues at the corner of 6th and Adams Streets, by the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices.
12:00 PM - "The Aftermath Part 2" at Lincoln Library
326 South 7th Street, Springfield, IL.
Featured Presentations:
- Brian Mitchell, Public Humanities Fellow at UIS, presents “In the Mob’s Wake: An Examination of the Damage Done by Rioters During the Springfield Riot of 1908.”
- Floyd Mansberger, founder of Fever River Research, presents “Historical Archaeology: Giving Voice to the Victims of the 1908 Race Riot and Creation of a National Monument.”
3:00 PM – Closing Reception at the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum
1440 Monument Avenue, Springfield, IL.
7:30 PM - "Outraged: Terror in Springfield 1908" performance by playwright Timothy Crawford
Hoogland Center for the Arts
420 South 6th Street, Springfield, IL
7:30 PM - "Outraged: Terror in Springfield 1908" performance by playwright Timothy Crawford
Hoogland Center for the Arts
420 South 6th Street, Springfield, IL
Hoogland Center for the Arts
420 South 6th Street, Springfield, IL
NPS Photo
Help us illuminate the past!
On Friday August 14, 2026, join us at the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument for a special luminaria observance.Drop by any time after 8:00 pm for quiet remembrance and reflection at the site of homes destroyed by rioters in 1908. Luminaria will outline the approximate locations of these homes. Park Rangers will be onsite until 9:00 pm to talk about the site’s archaeology and what it reveals about the people who called this place home in 1908.
A local coalition of our partner organizations, the 1908 Alliance, will lead a candlelight vigil beginning at 8:00 pm.
The Lincoln Presidential Foundation will offer ready-to-grow seed pots to the first 300 visitors, as keepsakes to remember the people impacted by the riot. They also symbolize the healing and growth possible when we confront a difficult past.
This event is made possible with support from the Lincoln Library, Illinois State Museum, Illinois State Museum Society, and Lincoln Presidential Foundation.