Lincoln Home Historic Furnishings Report

SECTION B: OPERATING PLAN

The Lincoln Home is open year round for public visitation from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with extended hours provided in the summer. There are a minimum of two interpreters stationed in the Home during the hours that it is open to the public, with one interpreter stationed on the first floor and the other on the second floor. These staff members provide security for the artifacts and building, as well as interpreting the Home to the visitors. A Museum Aid cleans the Home and artifacts, thereby increasing the longevity of these historical materials. Lexan barriers topped with a wooden railing restrict visitor movement throughout the Home and permit limited visitor access to the rooms.

Photoelectric alarm units activate an alarm bell should visitors reach or step over the railings. Ultrasonic detectors are also operational during hours that the Home is closed and are connected to the Springfield Police Department. Ionization (smoke) detectors and fixed temperature (heat) detectors activate a fire detection system that is connected to the Springfield Fire Department on a twenty-four hour a day basis.

Visitors to the Lincoln Home will enter the structure through the front door on the west side of the building. The interpreter on the first floor will then direct the visitors from the front hallway of the Home into the formal parlor. The visitors will move along the south side of the formal parlor and rear parlor into the dining room. Visitors will then proceed along the west side of the dining room and move through a doorway into the sitting room. After viewing the sitting room from the north side of the room, visitors will move back into the front hallway.

Visitors will then ascend the stairs to the upper hallway, from which they can view the front guest bedroom through the door of the room. From the upper hallway, they will move into Lincoln's bedroom. Visitors will then progress through Mrs. Lincoln's room. From there, they will proceed into the second floor rear hallway.

While proceeding through the upper rear hallway, visitors have the opportunity to look into the Boys' room and the sewing or maid's room. Viewing would be from the doorways of these rooms. They then descend the rear stairway on the east side of the building and view the kitchen from the south side of the room. After viewing the kitchen, visitors will exit from the rear door of the Home, near the southeast corner of the structure, where they may view the storage room on the back porch.

The Trunk Room will not be furnished but will continue to serve staff and site management needs.