Lincoln's Birthday celebration February 12 at David Davis Mansion

BLOOMINGTON - A Lincoln's Birthday celebration featuring hands-on activities and special tours of the home's hidden spaces will be held Tuesday, February 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the David Davis Mansion State Historic Site in Bloomington. The event is free and open to the public, and is suitable for both adults and children. The site is normally closed on Tuesdays, but will be open for this event.

The Mansion's Lincoln-related interpretation will be highlighted during the February 12 tours, which begin every half hour. Visitors may see areas of the Mansion that are not normally shown to the public - inside Sarah's refrigerator, dining room knife boxes, the kitchen oven, the secret drawer in the master bedroom dresser, and more. Hands-on activities for children will be featured, along with funny stories about Abraham Lincoln and Judge David Davis.

This Lincoln's Birthday event is part of an ongoing series of new Davis Mansion exhibits and programs examining the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and David Davis in leading America through the Civil War and, in Davis' case, Reconstruction.

The David Davis Mansion State Historic Site, located at 1000 E. Monroe in Bloomington, is administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (www.Illinois-History.gov). The mansion was built in 1872 for U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Davis and his wife, Sarah. The elegant Victorian home contains many original furnishings, and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.