Happy 199th Birthday

SPRINGFIELD - The State of Illinois invites everyone to a special 199th birthday party being celebrated at a number of state-operated historic sites and museums. Abraham Lincoln's Birthday observances are scheduled from February 9 - 15 at the following locations.

Saturday, February 9

Children's crafts, musical performances and formal tea, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield. Children's crafts, music and the chance to meet Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckly, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Museum admission is required. Formal tea with Elizabeth Keckly, Mrs. Lincoln's personal dressmaker, best friend and confidante, 2 p.m., Presidential Library - tickets are $35 each and must be purchased in advance at www.alplm.org or (217) 558-8934.

Lincoln's Birthday Observance, Postville Courthouse State Historic Site, Lincoln. Free. Noon to 4 p.m. Period music, storytelling, a visit by Abe Lincoln, an electronic journey of the Eighth Judicial Circuit, and Lincoln's favorite rocking chair await visitors.

61st Annual Pilgrimage of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, Springfield. Free, 2 p.m. A service at the Tomb will feature a eulogy for Lincoln. Military honors for the 16th President will follow, and uniformed soldiers will give Lincoln the traditional 21-gun salute.

1860 Period Ball, 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Regiment Band, 7 to 10 p.m., Illinois Executive Mansion, Springfield. The band performs in authentic uniforms on period instruments. Re-enactors portraying President and Mrs. Lincoln will appear. Tickets are $35 per person or $60 per couple and must be reserved by calling (217) 652-1696 or visiting www.10thillinoisvolcavalry.com.

Monday, February 11

"Who Won the Lincoln-Douglas Debates?" luncheon, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Dr. Allen C. Guelzo, author of the newest book on the nation's most famous political discourse, will be the featured speaker. Tickets are $20 each, which includes lunch, and may be purchased at www.alplm.org or by calling (217) 558-8934. A book signing by Guelzo will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Presidential Museum Store and is free and open to the public.

Abraham Lincoln Symposium, Old State Capitol State Historic Site, Springfield. Free, 1 p.m. Presenters include Jean H. Baker, author of Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography; Mark E. Neely, Jr., author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Fate of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties; and Douglas L. Wilson, author of Lincoln's Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words.

Illinois Symphony Orchestra's "An American Dream," University of Illinois at Springfield's Sangamon Auditorium, 7 p.m. The joint Abraham Lincoln Association/NAACP-sponsored concert marks the 100th anniversary of both organizations. The concert will also feature writings by Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells and W.E.B. Dubois. For ticket information call Sangamon Auditorium at (217) 206-6160.

Tuesday, February 12 (Lincoln's Birthday)

Lincoln's Birthday celebration, David Davis Mansion State Historic Site, Bloomington, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. The event features hands-on activities and special tours of the home's hidden spaces and is suitable for both adults and children.

Lincoln's Birthday open house, Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site near Charleston, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., free. Volunteers at the site will be engaged in typical daily activities representing 19th century life on the Illinois prairie. Visitors may see activities centered on the hearth including cooking the noon day meal and candle dipping.

74th Annual National Pilgrimage, Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, Springfield, 10:30 a.m. Free. Members of Springfield American Legion Post 32 and dignitaries will place wreaths from Legion posts across the state in the Burial Chamber. The American Legion National Commander will address those gathered for the event at 11 a.m.

"Frederick Douglass & Abraham Lincoln: A Friendship Unique," Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum Union Theater, 11:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. Paid admission to the Museum is required, but no reservations are necessary. Michael Crutcher as Douglass and Fritz Klein as Lincoln will present this live performance about the 16th President and the early civil rights activist. Several other performances are scheduled in the Museum that day. Professor Phineas Phairhead, Practical Phrenologist will set up shop from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Museum Plaza. "Mrs. Wade," whose brother was a guest of the Lincoln's on the night of the assassination, will appear in the Museum's Ford's Theater gallery. The 33rd Illinois Volunteer Regiment Band from Bloomington will perform Civil War music at 1 p.m. in the Museum Plaza.

Abraham Lincoln Symposium, Old State Capitol, Springfield. 1 p.m., free. The second day of the Symposium will feature Brian R. Dirck, Abraham Lincoln and Civil War expert; Brooks D. Simpson, author of books on the Civil War and Reconstruction; and Michael Vorenberg, author of Final Freedom: The Civil War, the Abolition of Slavery, and the Thirteenth Amendment.

"Vandalia's Abraham Lincoln," Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site, 2 p.m., free. Dale Timmerman, president of the Vandalia Historical Society, will present the program. Tom Mathis will have his collection of Lincoln memorabilia on display that day. Timmerman serves as a historian on the Vandalia "Looking for Lincoln" project.

The Abraham Lincoln Association Centennial Banquet, 7 p.m., Springfield's Crowne Plaza Hotel. The featured speaker is Michael Beschloss, who recently authored the best seller, Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789-1989. Beschloss appears frequently on PBS, ABC and C-SPAN and is the NBC News Presidential Historian. Dinner tickets, which are $75 per person, can be obtained by calling (217) 747-5502.

Wednesday, February 13

Illinois Symphony Orchestra's "An American Dream," Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, 7 p.m. The joint Abraham Lincoln Association/NAACP-sponsored concert marks the 100th anniversary of both organizations. The concert will also feature writings by Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells and W.E.B. Dubois. For ticket information call the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts at (309) 434-2777.

Friday, February 15

"Lincoln, Lore, and Legends" Trivia Night, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, Springfield, 7 p.m. Tables that can accommodate between 6 and 10 people are priced at $100 each and may be reserved by calling (217) 558-8934. Prizes will be awarded, a 50/50 drawing will be held, and snacks will be provided. The questions and answers are being provided by historians at the Museum, who are recognized as some of the world's top Lincoln experts.