As Springfield prepares for the re-enactment of Abraham Lincoln's funeral in May, officials say the 150th anniversary could be an economic windfall for the city.
An exhibition called "Remembering Lincoln" opens Sunday at the Illinois State Museum, beginning a celebration that leads up to a May 1-3 tribute and re-enactment of Lincoln's funeral.
A visitors bureau official says that hotel rooms are already being booked for that weekend. An official vendor for the Lincoln Funeral Coalition has memorabilia such as commemorative flags and T-shirts that read "Abraham Lincoln Farewell Tour."
Springfield hosted a 200th anniversary celebration for Lincoln's birthday in 2009. Visitors included President Barack Obama, and shop owners said business boomed. Lincoln was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in 1865.
