The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area partners with the National Park Service and its Passport to Your National Parks program, and the Charleston City Hall is one of the venues where visitors can record their visits to NPS sites by stamping their passport with a rubber cancellation stamp. “It was in his heart,” Pamperin said.Ĭharleston is one of the six official Gateway Communities designated by Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition. 31, 1861, on his final visit to Coles County before leaving by train for his inauguration. Lincoln visited his stepsister, Matilda Moore, at her home southwest of Charleston Jan. He spent time here as a president-elect, literally right before he went to Washington, D.C.” “He had a lot of family and friends in Charleston. “He spent a lot of time visiting his family,” Pamperin said, adding that Abe Lincoln was 21 the first time. The Lincoln Log Cabin Historic Site was the 1840s home of the 16 th president’s father and stepmother, Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln. The Lincoln Douglas Debate Museum is Illinois’ only museum that depicts all Lincoln versus Stephen Douglas debates through film, audio selections, artifacts and photos. “Lincoln in Charleston is a pretty big deal,” Pamperin said. “We are really trying to expand those offerings because we are a college community.”Ībraham Lincoln traveled to Charleston as he rode the Circuit of the Eighth Judicial District from 1847 to 1857. “Charleston is becoming a biking destination,” Pamperin said. Next year, Charleston will be one of the host cities for Ride Illinois’ Grand Illinois Bike Tour, in which 25 states were represented last year. Last year over 250 bicyclists rode in the event that starts and ends downtown. June’s Tour de Charleston lets bike enthusiasts tour the city on 12.5-, 25- and 50-mile rides. “It’s very family-friendly,” Pamperin said. Downtown storefronts are decorated, and some have live window displays. In December, Christmas in the Heart of Charleston brings a holiday parade, carriage rides, refreshments, window displays, entertainment, photos with Santa and live reindeer. July’s Red, White and Blue Days is usually highlighted by a free concert by a nationally-known performer (last year it was Lonestar), parade, bell-ringing ceremony, children’s games and all-you-can-eat ice cream. EIU’s Family Weekend typically features a concert, and homecoming week includes activities like an all-you-can-eat breakfast, 2.5-kilometer race, parade and football game. The 10,000-seat O’Brien Field hosts Panther football and outdoor track.Įach spring, EIU and Charleston host an outdoor festival called Celebration: A Festival of the Arts that includes a weekend of live music, festival-style foods and an art fair with everything from blacksmithing to watercolor. Also in the complex is Ray Padovan Pool, home to EIU swimming. Within the same complex is Lantz Indoor Fieldhouse, home of Panther indoor track and field and the indoor practice facility for all teams. The 5,400-seat Lantz Arena is home to EIU basketball and volleyball. “They used to do a lot of school tours in it.” “It was originally a steam tunnel, and now they use it to transport prisoners in the winter, especially,” Ratliff said. There are occasionally tours of the underground tunnel system from the Coles County courthouse to the jail. “They’re representations of different things from the city’s culture and past,” Pamperin said. There are seven murals around Charleston’s downtown square, painted in 1998. Along with exhibits, there are outdoor sculptures and a gift shop, and it hosts classes and lectures. Its permanent collection includes Illinois folk art and contemporary art. “It’s reasonably priced, and they have international acts and lots of different things,” Tourism Director Diane Ratliff said.ĮIU’s Tarble Arts Center showcases visual arts. “We’re really proud of our cultural arts center,” City Planner Steve Pamperin said. Upcoming performances include country group Farewell Angelina, the 60 th annual EIU Jazz Festival opening concert, the Step Afrika! Company, Kate Tombaugh’s one-woman show “It Just Takes One,“ cellist-violinist duo The OK Factor and alt-folk sibling band The Hunts. Within is a 300-seat theatre, a studio theater, a 600-seat concert hall, a 180-seat recital hall, a 150-seat lecture hall and several corridor art galleries. The facility, designed by award-winning architect Antoine Predock, hosts music, theatre, art and humanities events. From Champaign it’s about an hour’s drive as you take Interstate 57 south, get off at Exit 192 and take Illinois 130 east.Įastern Illinois University’s Doudna Fine Arts Center is celebrating its 10 th season since the building’s reopening. Whether you enjoy culture, festivals, history or nature, Charleston has something for you.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |