How to get here
How do I get to Edwards Place?
Edwards Place is on the Springfield Art Association campus at 700 North 4th Street, Springfield, IL 62702. You can access our parking lot from 4th Street or 5th Street.
From 4th Street, driving: There are two entrances to the parking lot from 4th Street. To park closest to the house, park as close to the south end of the lot as you are able. There are handicapped spaces just outside the house to the west. The museum faces the south and has a circle drive in front of it. To purchase your tickets, enter in the office that is in a red brick building to the east of the museum (there is a neon OPEN sign at that building's entrance).
From 5th Street, driving: There is one entrance at the north end of the parking lot. To park closest to the house, drive toward the west end of the lot and turn left to get into the southern lot near the museum. See above for entrance information.
Walking: If you are coming from the train station, you are able to walk to Edwards Place, which is just north of the downtown area. Follow the entrance instructions from above. Edwards Place is also walkable from other area museums, like Kidzeum or the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
Are there nearby hotels?
The closest hotel to Edwards Place is Carpenter Street Hotel, but there are many hotels in the downtown area that are close enough to walk to/from. Please contact Visit Springfield for the most up-to-date information about area lodging.
Your Visit
When is Edwards Place open?
Edwards Place is open for guided tours Tuesdays-Saturdays at 1PM and 2PM.
Edwards Place has open houses during the year, in which the museum is open for self-guided tours. These events include the Edwards Place Fine Art Fair weekend (3rd Saturday and Sunday in September) and the Holiday Open House (1st weekend in December).
Edwards Place is closed on all major national holidays, January-February, and December 24-December 31.
I don't want to take a guided tour. Can I tour the house on my own (self-guided tour)?
Edwards Place is only open for self-guided tours during specific special events (see above answer). Because each room is open without being roped off, or having specific paths for guests to follow, we require that tours be guided for the security of the house and its contents.
I am not able to come during the regular tour times. Can I come another time?
We understand that your schedule may not allow for a visit during our regular tour times - so we have two other ways you can come on a tour outside those times.
Private tours have no minimum attendee number, and must be booked at least 7 days out by calling our curator, Sarah, at 217-523-2631. These tours must be paid for at the time of reservation and are non-refundable.
Group tours are for groups of 10 or more and must be booked at least 14 days out by calling Sarah.
How much does it cost to take a tour?
The regular price for tours is $5. We do not provide discounts from this price. Children 10 and under are free.
For group tours, adults are $5 and children are $2 (to account for the higher numbers on the tour).
What is your policy on food/drink?
We do not allow food or drink in the house during house tours - this includes chewing gum. There is an office attached to the museum where you can leave any of your food or drinks during your tour time.
Is photography allowed?
Yes! We love photos - tag us in your social posts. We just ask that you avoid using flash.
For professional photographers: we charge a $50 fee for those using Edwards Place for professional photography purposes.
Can I touch that artifact?
Please never touch anything in the museum without first getting permission from your tour interpreter. We do have certain things in our "education collection" that are okay to be handled by visitors, and furniture that is ok to sit on, but these allowances will be conveyed to you by your tour interpreter. Furniture that cannot be sat in will be marked by a ribbon or rope. Please do not open drawers or doors or change in any way the appearance of the museum.
Special Events and Classes
Where can I sign up for an event?
Please visit this page to sign up for one of our events. You can also call our main line at the Springfield Art Association to sign up at 217-523-2631.
What is your policy for refunds on special events and classes? (This is different from our camp refund policy, which is in a below section.)
Refunds will be issued to tickets at 95% until 2 weeks before the date of the event. After that point, there will be no refunds to tickets purchased. No credits can be given for canceled tickets.
I didn't receive a confirmation for my ticket purchase!
Unfortunately, a lot of our emails go to your SPAM folder. Please check this folder to see if the confirmation was sent there by your email provider. If not, please call our office at 217-523-2631. We are able to resend your confirmation via email.
What are the details for the event I'm attending?
After your confirmation, you may not get another email from us until about a week before the event or class. At that time, our curator Sarah will send you an email with more detailed information about what to expect, such as dress code, parking, length of the event, supplies needed, and more. If you have further questions, you will have her email and phone number to reach her.
Camp Edwards Place
What age group does my camper belong in?
Enroll your camper in the grade that they will be entering the following autumn, not in the grade they are completing currently.
Do I enter my name or my camper's name?
Please enter your own name when registering for anything on our website. With camps, and some other events/classes, there will be fields to enter the participant's information. This is where it's appropriate to enter your camper's name.
What is the camp refund policy?
Refunds will be issued at 90% of original purchase price until April 1, 2025.
Refunds will be issued at 75% of original purchase price until May 6, 2025.
Refunds will be issued at 50% of original purchase price until May 20, 2025.
Refunds will continue to be made at the 50% rate, so long as you cancel within two weeks of the camp start date. Cancellations made less than two weeks in advance will not be eligible for a refund. For example: If you cancel your camp that begins July 18th on July 2nd, you'll receive 50% tuition back. If you cancel your July 18th camp on July 5th, you will not receive a refund.
Changes to your camper's schedule (moving to different time slot, camp theme, etc.) can be made with a cost of $10 per transfer.
Camp Edwards Place does not issue credits.
Where is Camp Edwards Place held?
All Camp Edwards Place camps are held in the historic house, or on the grounds near the house - except for History Detectives, which takes place at various historical sites across Springfield.
Some camps are only held in the 2nd floor classroom of Edwards Place. All of these camps are noted in their description, as they are not handicap accessible. We also have several camps that take place on the first floor of Edwards Place, which is handicap accessible.
Will I get a confirmation email about camp?
​You should receive an emailed receipt after enrolling your child in camp [check your SPAM folder if you don't get it in your inbox]. That is the last communication about your camps that you'll receive until the week before the camp. At that time, you will get a reminder of the upcoming camp, with important information.
Is there a waitlist for camps that are full?
If you click register on a camp that is full, the next page will say 'sold out'. We will then get the purchase button changed to say waitlist, where you can add your camper. All waitlist buttons link to the same list. If the camp you want does not yet have a waitlist button, you can use any other waitlist button to enter the camp you'd like. If and when a camp spot opens, our office will call you. We do our very best to ensure that each camp is filled, so we will be diligent about making calls from this list, should a spot open for your camper. Sometimes cancellations are not made until last minute. Please have patience.
Membership
Are there memberships for Edwards Place?
Edwards Place is part of the Springfield Art Association, a 501(c)3 non-profit. Our memberships are through that parent organization. Your membership gets you many benefits to both Edwards Place and the SAA! These benefits and sign up can be found at this page. Your membership helps to preserve and interpret Edwards Place!
How do I get an online profile?
After you become a member, you can create an online profile on SAA's website shop. If you're unsure of which email address you have registered with as a member, or wondering if you have a log-in at all, you can call the SAA office at 217-523-2631.
Do I have to be a member to take a class or come to an event?
No. As a non-member, you have access to everything we offer at SAA and Edwards Place. Membership offers you benefits like discounts on classes, early registration, and helps supports our organization and its programs.
Rentals
Do I have to be a member to rent Edwards Place?
No, but the discount equals $100 for members, so it is worth it to become a member for the added benefits.
Are deposits refundable?
No, but the deposits goes toward the rental fee, and is not an added fee.
Can I choose my own caterer?
Yes! We have suggestions of caterers that we like to work with for our own events if you should need it, but you are welcome to hire any caterer, provided they have the proper insurance coverage.
About Edwards Place History
Didn't Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd get married in Edwards Place?
No! Don't worry; this is an incredibly common misconception. We are often confused with Edwards House, which was owned by Ninian Wirt Edwards (Benjamin Edwards' brother - Benjamin owned Edwards Place). Lincoln and Todd courted and later married in Ninian's house. That house was torn down more than 100 years ago to allow for the construction of a state building. Edwards Place contains some furniture from that house within its parlors.
But Mary Lincoln did spend her later years at Edwards Place before passing away?
She did not! Once again, this is a common confusion regarding the relationship between Benjamin's and Ninian's houses.
I don't understand the relationship between Edwards Place and the Springfield Art Association - please help!
After Helen Edwards passed away, Edwards Place was passed into the hands of Alice Edwards Ferguson, her daughter, who lived nearby. Alice was generous and a devotee of the arts, and when a small club called the Amateur Art Study Club came to her to ask to use the home, she graciously donated the house to the organization, leading to its incorporation as the Springfield Art Association in 1913 - making the SAA one of the top 10 oldest visual art associations in the country! Alice remained active with the SAA during her lifetime, and her nieces and nephew afterward. The house operated as gallery and headquarters until the mid-20th century, when a gallery was added (then, later, studios and an office) and the house became a historic house museum.
Why should I care about the history of Edwards Place?
There are many reasons why Edwards Place is special - it is the oldest house in Springfield on its original foundation, having been built in 1833; its owner, Benjamin Edwards, was an active member of Springfield society, having been the first in Illinois to graduate from Yale and being the son of our 3rd governor, Ninian Edwards; Abraham Lincoln would have frequented the home, as it was the cultural and political center of Springfield in its heyday in the mid-19th century.
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Moreover, Edwards Place has been restored to its former glory and offers a unique view of its time period, Lincoln's Springfield. We strive to make the museum appear much as the Edwards' would have done, and have minimized things in the house that would take away from it looking as if someone lives there. When one enters Edwards Place, one steps through a portal into a time in which Springfield was on a main stage in American history.
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For locals, this house and its occupants played an important part in the development of our area in central Illinois. Our museum is a hidden gem and our staff and tour interpreters have a passion for its history that we would love to share with you during a tour, class, rental, or event!