Visit the Statue · Springfield Angel of Hope

Plan your visit

Where to find the Angel.

The Angel of Hope and Memorial Wall sit within Washington Park Botanical Garden, on land the City of Springfield set aside for this purpose. The garden's address is 1740 West Fayette Avenue. Park in the Botanical Garden lot off Fayette and follow the path past the conservatory; the Angel stands in a quiet clearing behind the gardens, set back from the main walkway.

The site is open during the Botanical Garden's regular public hours, every day the garden is open. There is no admission, no gate, and no caretaker on site — the Angel is simply there, the way she has been since October 4, 2008. The walkway approaching the wall is paved and level, and benches are nearby for anyone who needs to rest or stay a while.

Many people come alone. Many come with children, with parents, with a friend. There is no wrong way, and no wrong time. If you are coming for the first time and would like to know what to expect, the description below may help.

Get in touch before you come

Directions

1740 W. Fayette Avenue, Springfield, IL

What you'll find when you arrive

A bronze Angel, and a wall of names.

The Angel herself is bronze, four feet three inches tall, with a wingspan of five feet two inches. She stands behind a low Memorial Wall that now carries the names of more than a thousand area children — children lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant and childhood death. The original wall reached capacity in 2016, and the community expanded the site in October 2017 with two additional walls, new landscaping, and a wider walkway.

Visitors often come quietly. Some read the names aloud. Some trace a particular name with their fingers. Some leave a small stone, a flower, or a candle, and some simply sit on a bench for a while before walking back out into the garden. There is no script, and no one watching.

If your child's name is not yet on the wall, or if you would like to add a name in memory of a child you love, you are welcome to do so. The process is simple, and the wall is meant to keep growing.

Add a name to the wall

Come in any weather. Bring a candle if you need to. Leave a stone on the wall. Stay as long as you need.

— Springfield Angel of Hope

If you'd like to come with others

Two gatherings each year at the Angel.

Twice a year, the community gathers at the statue together. The Candlelight Remembrance Ceremony is held every December 6 at 7 p.m., rain or shine — a tradition since 2008. A Walk to Remember takes place on the first Saturday of October, during National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, with proceeds shared with St. John's SHARE and Memorial's Pastoral Care.

You are welcome to come to either, or to neither. Many people prefer to visit on their own. Both are simply offered.

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