SPRINGFIELD, IL.- On April 19, 2005, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will officially open the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, which reinvents the concept of the presidential museum with state-of-the-art, immersive exhibits that create history that feels like real life. With 40,000 square feet of permanent exhibits -- double the size of any existing presidential museum -- the museum offers a fitting tribute to the man most consider to be America's greatest president. The museum joins the already-open Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library as part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum complex in Springfield.

The governor invites the public to celebrate the museum's arrival by attending a series of opening events beginning April 16 and culminating in a public dedication ceremony on Tuesday, April 19 at 11 a.m., which will be led by the governor and attended by other prominent state and national leaders.

"This world-class institution will help us all learn about and appreciate Illinois' most famous son and our shared national history," said Blagojevich. "The new museum will inform, engage, and inspire the state's residents and visitors alike -- and raise the national profile of both Springfield and Illinois."

To ensure that Lincoln's life and teachings remain a part of our lives, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) teamed with design firm BRC Imagination Arts and a distinguished panel of renowned historians to develop the new 100,000-square-foot museum. Employing 21st-century technology to make the 19th century live again, the museum design combines scholarship with showmanship that will both inform and astound.