Lincoln Children's Museum
4.7(1.4K)google
4.2(34)yelp
Family
Overview
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum documents the life of the 16th U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln, and the course of the American Civil War. Combining traditional scholarship with 21st-century showmanship techniques, the museum ranks as one of the most visited presidential libraries. Its library, in addition to housing an extensive collection on Lincoln, also houses the collection of the Illinois State Historical Library, founded by the state in 1889.
Practical Info
Mon9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
TueClosed
Wed8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thu9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Fri9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sat9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sun11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Suggested Duration2-4 hours
Best TimeAn interactive indoor wonderland for kids. To maximize play, visit on a non-holiday Wednesday or Thursday afternoon from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. This sweet spot avoids both the morning preschool field trips and the post-school local rush.
Getting ThereCentrally located at 1420 P St in downtown Lincoln. Drive directly into the attached 14th & P Street public parking garage, which offers covered access to the museum. Most StarTran buses pass within two blocks of this central downtown location.
Travel Tips
- Closed every Monday and Tuesday; standard day tickets grant general floor entry but exclude scheduled STEAM lab workshops, which require localized booking at the front desk.
- No free programmatic parking is attached; visitors must park vehicles in the connected municipal P Street Garage to avoid rigid downtown street parking enforcement.
- Specific interactive soft-play forts enforce a strict no-shoes, no-bare-feet safety policy; both adult supervisors and infants must wear grip-bottom socks to enter.
Reviews
Positive
- A massive three-story family paradise! It is packed with creative interactive zones like a simulated astronaut spaceship, Lego building area, and water-play physics tables.
- The fully indoor circular layout is highly practical, making it an absolute sanctuary for families to burn off kids' energy during freezing winters or scorching summers.
- Facilities are frequently maintained, with clean, fully equipped family restrooms and changing tables on every floor, alongside comfortable benches for parents.
- The staff are full of energy and childlike enthusiasm, showing immense patience with toddlers in a well-ordered environment that justifies the ticket value.
Heads up
- On Saturday mornings or school holidays, it plunges into a heavily crowded and chaotic mode, where the noise of crying and screaming can be deafening.
- Some popular scientific equipment, like the water tables and airflow tubes, occasionally experience downtime for maintenance due to constant heavy use by kids.
- Located downtown, it completely lacks its own large free parking lot; families driving in must use paid nearby garages, increasing travel costs.
- While there is a small snack stand inside, it lacks proper, nutritious hot meals for lunch, forcing families staying all day to step out for food.