Lincoln Home visitors spent $13.8 million locally in 2015

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Visitors to the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield spent more than $13.8 million at local businesses in 2015.

The (Springfield) State Journal-Register (http://bit.ly/1TyllvJ) reports the figures come from a report released Wednesday by the National Park Service. More than 233,000 people visited the site in 2015, and the report says site attendance is up 18 percent so far this year.

Lincoln Home site superintendent Dale Phillips says the centennial celebration and lower gas prices are factors in the increased visitor totals.

The Lincoln Home was the third most visited site in the Springfield area last year, behind Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

Officials say centennial events will continue at the Lincoln Home throughout the year.

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Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com