What's open and what's closed in and around the Springfield area for Thanksgiving

Steven Spearie, Springfield State Journal- Register
·2 min read

Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, Nov. 23 and is a federal holiday.

Government buildings and courts as well as schools are closed Thursday and Friday.

There is no mail delivery Thursday and post offices are closed. They will reopen Friday.

Government buildings

Federal buildings and courts, state of Illinois offices and courts and the Sangamon County building and courts will all be closed Thursday and Friday.

The Municipal Building, along with Lincoln Library and the administrative offices of Oak Ridge Cemetery, will be closed Thursday and Friday. Lincoln Library will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday and reopen at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Oscar Mercado, of Palatine, Ill., celebrates his graduation next the Colonnade at the University of Illinois Springfield.
Oscar Mercado, of Palatine, Ill., celebrates his graduation next the Colonnade at the University of Illinois Springfield.

Schools

Springfield School District 186 administrative offices are closed Thursday and Friday and there are no classes. Other area schools are also out of session Thursday and Friday.

The University of Illinois Springfield, Blackburn College and Lincoln Land Community College are in recess from Wednesday through Friday. Classes will not be in session at Midwest Technical Institute in Springfield Thursday and Friday.

Public transportation

Sangamon Mass Transit District buses will not be in service Thursday but will run regular routes Friday.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has one of five copies of the Gettysburg Address handwritten by Lincoln. It will be on display at the ALPLM's Treasures Gallery through Nov. 28.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has one of five copies of the Gettysburg Address handwritten by Lincoln. It will be on display at the ALPLM's Treasures Gallery through Nov. 28.

Tourist sites

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is closed on Thursday but open regular hours on Friday (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

On display in the ALPLM's Treasures Gallery through Nov. 28 is an original copy of the Gettysburg Address, written by Lincoln. Visitors also have the option of paying just $5 to see the document without touring the rest of the museum.

Buckle up and drive sober

The Sangamon County Sheriff's Office is joining with the Illinois State Police and local law enforcement to ensure holiday travelers are buckled up and driving sober.

Persons celebrating with alcohol or other impairing substances should call a taxi, use public transportation, get a ride from a family member or friend or use a ride-share service. Drivers should make sure all riders are wearing seatbelts.

The goals of the "Click It or Ticket" and "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaigns, which run through Nov. 27, are to reduce motor vehicle crashes, injuries and fatalities.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com, X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: What's open and what's closed for Thanksgiving