Happy President’s Day Silly Americans! In honor of President’s Day I bring you one of the more somber of our roadside attractions: Abraham Lincoln’s Tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. Now, I know you may be thinking, “what’s so silly about a tomb?” Well…in front of the beautifully designed granite grave is a giant bronze statue of Lincoln’s head, a reproduction of Gutzon Borglum’s marble bust located in Washington, D.C. And on that giant head is a giant nose: Abraham Lincoln’s Lucky Nose.
This bust at the tomb of Abraham Lincoln sports giant nostrils that are just dying to be touched, and thousands of visitors come to rub Lincoln’s nose for luck each year. I most certainly rubbed that silly nose, and you can tell from the faded bronze schnoz that I’m not alone.
The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book
Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.
Be sure to also check out the full Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site which serves as the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, his wife Mary, and three of their four sons (Edward, William, and Thomas).
I’m sure Lincoln isn’t rolling in that grave at the fact that so many people are rubbing Lincoln’s nose for luck…but, if you try to pick it, that may be another story.
Abraham Lincoln’s Lucky Nose
Location: Lincoln Tomb, Oak Ridge Cemetery, 1500 Monument Avenue, Springfield, IL 62702
Cost: Free to see.
Lincoln’s tomb hours: Open 7 days a week: March–October/9am–5pm; June–August/Tuesdays 7pm–8pm; November–February/9am–4pm (Closed New Year’s Day and day after; Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday; President’s Day; General Election Day; Veterans’ Day; Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day and day after.)
Date: July 15, 2007
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Looking for more Abraham Lincoln roadside attractions? Check out the railsplitter statue, Lincoln on the world’s largest covered wagon, the Lincoln watermelon monument, and the world’s tallest Abraham Lincoln statue!
