Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

Alerts and conditions

All clear. The managing agency, the National Weather Service and wildfire reporting show no current alerts.

Overview

In August 1908, a large White mob attacked the Black community in Springfield, Illinois. Rioters destroyed homes and businesses and lynched two men. The event led to the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Today, archeological evidence gives a rare glimpse into a community devastated by the race riots of the early 20th century.

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

What to see and do

Browse hiking, biking and paddling routes on AllTrails

Plan your visit

Getting there

Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument is a new national park located in central Springfield, Illinois. No facilities or services are available. The park is currently surrounded by a construction project and visiting is not advised.

Weather

Summers in Illinois are hot and humid. Winters can be cold and windy.

Phone: 217-492-4241

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

Historic photo of two people using a hose to extinguish a burning building.
Destroyed Home at 9th and Madison Streets · Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
A narrow grassy lot surrounded by fence.
View of the Park Today · NPS

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