SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, March 17 - The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will present a series of free Walk, Hike and Bike History guided walking tours in March in observance of Women's History Month.

Follow the path of suffragists and reflect on the stories of Illinois women who paved the way for a better future. Building a Better World walking tours will highlight women who lived across several generations and came from different corners of the state, but all shared the sentiment expressed by Illinois' first female State Senator, Florence Fifer Bohrer: "It is possible to build a better world."

The free walking tours will start at 2 p.m. March 25, March 26, March 31, April 1 and April 2.

This one hour, 1.5 mile walking tour begins in the courtyard of the Dana-Thomas House, built as a platform from which to pursue equal rights, and concludes at the Illinois State Capitol, where Illinois became the first state east of the Mississippi to secure presidential suffrage for women. Landmarks on the tour include the Dana-Thomas House, the Vachel Lindsay Home, the Illinois Governor's Mansion, the Illinois State Supreme Court, and the east lawn of Illinois State Capitol.

Stories in between the stops will feature additional women who lived in other parts of Illinois. Guests will be encouraged to share stories of women they know, past or present, who positively influenced their own lives.

Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made online at historicspringfield.dnr.illinois.gov. Call 217-524-3971 to request additional days and times. Group inquires are welcome.

A full schedule of 2022 Walk, Hike and Bike History tours will be announced in April and continue through mid-November.