SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois soon will give visitors a chance to donate online to free-admission historic sites such as Abraham Lincoln's Tomb and the Old State Capitol.
Such sites have relied on suggested donations from visitors but they haven't had a way to pay online.
The new electronic payment system is expected to be operating in a couple of weeks.
The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency collected more than $494,000 in donations at 22 historic sites last year.
Ryan Prehn of the agency tells the newspaper that Illinois is behind other nearby states in offering an electronic payment option. He says the online donations will go toward outstanding maintenance. Illinois has gone years without a capital budget for infrastructure improvements.