Lincoln Presidential Museum

It was raining today so I was glad that I saved the Lincoln Presidential Museum for today and did the outside things yesterday. This is the 7th Presidential Museum I have visited and is by far the best. Of the official Presidential Museums that are part of the National Parks, I have been to the Kennedy, Truman, Clinton, Johnson and Eisenhower. The Jackson and Lincoln Museums are state run. What makes the Lincoln so good is the diorama exhibits that depict his live from childhood to death. I learned a lot that I had either forgotten from school or never knew. An examples is that I didn't know he was re-elected to a second term.

 The Lincoln family standing in front of the White House. 

 Abe as a boy in his log cabin home. He taught himself to read by the fireplace. 

 Lincoln reading this Emancipation of Proclamation speech to his cabinet. The man on the right is a real person but you could not tell it until he would make  subtle move. 

 This painting that covered an entire all was amazing and so life-like. Since I have found out that my Great-Grandfather was in the Civil War, I look at the war differently. 

Lincoln's tomb where he, his wife and three of their four sons are buried. 

The long awaited conference starts at 8 a.m. in the morning. I checked in this afternoon and got my packet so have to figure out tonight what time my classes are and which room they are located in. I will be attending 19 classes/lectures/dinners with speakers/workshops over the next 3 days. I have decided to go home Saturday morning instead of staying for the last 3 classes on Saturday afternoon. By then my brain will be fried anyway and will be past the point of retaining anything more. Plus I want to get home to get unpacked, etc before Darryl arrives on Sunday. I do plan on going back through Hannibal and will stop to take some pictures of Tom Sawyer, etc along the way. A busy 2 weeks....