(CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Capital Development Board have announced an $8 million has been allocated for improvements to Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site. This funding, part of Governor JB Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan, will be used to repair up to 23 log village buildings and update the outdoor theater.

This funding is in addition to nearly $3 million in improvements already completed or underway at New Salem under the Pritzker. These include a roof replacement and new HVAC controls at the visitor center, stairway construction between the village and the grist mill, a bridge replacement on the Mentor Graham Trail, and a planned major road and bridge improvement project.

Lincoln’s New Salem, one of 56 state historic sites managed by IDNR, attracted 374,418 visitors in 2024 and 359,950 visitors in 2023.

Built in the 1930s and 1940s as a Civilian Conservation Corps program, New Salem village features 23 historically furnished buildings, including homes, stores, tradesmen’s shops, a tavern, school, wool carding mill, sawmill, and gristmill. The village is part of a 700-acre park with hiking trails, a campground, picnic areas, and playground equipment.

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