Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is a stage show featuring an Audio-Animatronic representation of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln. Originally created by Walt Disney for the State of Illinois pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair, the show opened at Disneyland Park in 1965. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln has undergone several changes with advances in Audio-Animatronics technology and has been on a few hiatuses over the decades.
Until April 2024, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was an element of the Disneyland attraction The Disneyland Story Presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, which opened in December 2009. The attraction reopened on July 17, 2025 as Walt Disney—A Magical Life, a new show featuring an Audio-Animatronic figure of Walt Disney. After the initial run of Walt Disney—A Magical Life, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln plays in rotation with it.
Background
Walt Disney had a lifelong fascination with Abraham Lincoln. On Lincoln's Birthday when he was a boy in Chicago, Disney dressed up as Lincoln in a makeshift costume and recited the Gettysburg Address to all the classes in his elementary school.Isbouts, Jean-Pierre (dir.). Walt: The Man Behind the Myth. Walt Disney Family Foundation Films, 2001.
In 1957, as Disneyland became more successful, Walt Disney proposed an expansion of the park's Main Street, U.S.A. that celebrated America's colonial era. Called Liberty Street, it would have been a representation of Colonial Boston on the eve of the American Revolution (which coincided with Disney's film adaptation of Johnny Tremain). One of the centerpiece attractions would have been "The Hall of the Presidents of the United States"—a stage show featuring an immersive film presentation and lifelike figures of every U.S. president.
The Liberty Street concept for Disneyland was eventually abandoned, but work continued on the "Hall of Presidents" concept for many years (a similar area using many of the concepts from Liberty Street would eventually open as Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom Park in 1971). Disney asked director James Algar to work on the show concept and story. Algar would eventually become the show's lead director and producer.
Although the presidents were originally conceived as wax figures, Disney now became more ambitious and wanted the president figures to move and talk. But technical limitations of the time made it impossible without a huge amount of funding for research and development. Disney, Algar, and the rest of the team prepared an extensive presentation to entice corporate sponsors to back the project.
New York World's Fair
History In 1961, Walt Disney saw potential in having the "Hall of Presidents" as a centerpiece attraction in a pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair and retitled the concept "One Nation Under God." However, every corporation he and his team pitched the show to turned them down—either for financial or content reasons (companies thought the show didn't convey their own message).
Disney thought the team needed a tangible example of the potential of the show and asked his Imagineers to work on a mock-up figure of one president. They concentrated their efforts on Disney's favorite: Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln figure's face was created by Disney animator turned sculptor Blaine Gibson using a copy of a life mask of Lincoln made by Leonard Volk in Chicago in 1860. By the summer of 1961, the figure had been developed enough to stand from a sitting position.
In April 1962, Robert Moses, president of the 1964 New York World's Fair Corporation, visited the Walt Disney Studio to see how Disney's two (at the time) fair projects were coming along. Moses saw the Lincoln mock-up, and the Imagineers got the figure to stand and extend its hand to Moses. Astonished at the possibilities, Moses told Disney that he had to have the presidents show at the fair. Despite knowing that the figure was years from completion, Disney told Moses it would be ready—but only with Lincoln.
Moses brokered a deal with Disney and the state of Illinois, who came into the fair late, to host Lincoln figure. On November 19, 1963, the 100th anniversary of Lincoln delivering his Gettysburg Address, Illinois legislators, along with Moses and Disney, announced that they would make the figure the focus of their pavilion.
With funding secured, work on the figure was fast-tracked and James Algar led the team developing the show. Other Imagineers involved included Bob Gurr, Roger Broggie, Sam McKim, and Marc Davis.Martin, Stacia. Liner notes. Walt Disney and the 1964 World's Fair. D000263302. Walt Disney Records, 2009. Actor Royal Dano was hired personally by Walt Disney to voice Lincoln. Disney had seen Dano in an episode of the anthology TV series Omnibus playing Lincoln and noted the actor's resemblance to the 16th president. Voiceover veteran Paul Frees provided narration and other incidental voices. Disney composer Norman "Buddy" Baker created the show's score.
In the lead-up to the show's opening, members of the press, as well as Lincoln scholars and historians, were trepidatious about the idea. Others were openly hostile—mocking the project as the "winkin', blinkin' Lincoln." Making things worse was the failed press preview of the show on April 20, 1964. The Lincoln figure refused to cooperate despite the continuous efforts of the Imagineers and Disney cancelled the preview show himself.
Despite the setbacks, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opened on April 22, 1964 with the State of Illinois pavilion. After watching the show, the press' perception turned completely around, with many praising the show as an outstanding tribute to Lincoln. A reporter from the New York Herald Tribune said, "'Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln' was an instant success. What was re-created was a man, real to all outward appearances."Disneyland "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" operational manual. University of Disneyland, 1965.
The show was a hit with fairgoers as well. 2.5 million visitors watched the show in the first season alone. Because of its lifelike movements, some members of the audience even believed that the Lincoln figure was an actor.
The attraction closed at the end of the fair's first season on October 18, 1964, and reopened for the second and final season from April 21, 1965, to October 17, 1965. At the end of the fair, the State of Illinois pavilion was completely demolished, along with most of the world's fair buildings.
World's fair presentation
Exterior The 35,000-square-foot curvilinear pavilion (designed by architectural firm SOM) was covered in 252,000 red/brown bricks made in Danville, Illinois."Press information: Illinois 'Land of Lincoln' Pavilion." World's Fair Photos. State of Illinois, 1964. The exterior walls had two quotes from Lincoln in metallic lettering, along with a large portrait of the president and a relief sculpt of the state itself.
Standing outside the entrance was a new statue of a young Lincoln on horseback created by Anna Hyatt Huntington, along with the a copy of the Gutzon Borglum bust of Lincoln on display at the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield (complete with "shiny nose").
Pre-show Once inside the pavilion, guests entered the Lincoln exhibit, featuring Lincoln-related artifacts and documents from public and private collections all over the world."Illinois Pavilion Information, New York World's Fair 1964-1965." State of Illinois. World's Fair Photos. 1964. Retrieved October 17, 2024. Every known photograph of Lincoln was also on display. The centerpiece was the Edward Everett copy of the Gettysburg Address, handwritten by Lincoln, which is owned by the state of Illinois. The manuscript was in its own special alcove and under the guard of Illinois State Troopers.
A film presentation played before the theater doors opened to the main show. Presented on a panoramic screen, the film was a brief introduction to Illinois, a short biography of Lincoln's life, and an explanation of Lincoln's connection to the state."Preshow: The Illinois Story." Walt Disney and the 1964 World's Fair. Walt Disney Records, 2009.
Lincoln Theater Guests then entered the 500-seat Lincoln Theater for the main show. After a brief film presentation about the origins of the United States and Lincoln's connection to the country's legacy, the screen disappeared and the curtains opened to reveal the Audio-Animatronic figure of Abraham Lincoln sitting in a chair, flanked by the flags of the United States and Illinois."Script from 1964 version of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln". World's Fair Photos. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
The figure then stood up and gave an address consisting of excerpts from speeches Lincoln gave before and during his presidency. Lincoln's speech touched upon the nature of liberty, how the love of liberty sustains the United States, and the duty Americans have to preserve the spirit of liberty for themselves and subsequent generations."Main Show: Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln." Walt Disney and the 1964 World's Fair. Walt Disney Records, 2009.
The show concluded with the curtains at the back of the stage opening to reveal the rotunda of the United States Capitol building and a star-filled sky. Toward the end of Lincoln's speech, the night sky gradually turned into a sunrise effect. Lincoln then sat back down and the sunrise created an abstract image of the American flag in the sky background. A choral rendition of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" accompanied the finale using a unique surround sound effect to simulate a choir procession gradually filling the auditorium.
Post-show After the show, visitors moved into the Illinois Exhibit Hall, showcasing the state's modern amenities and industry in a series of displays. Also in the post show was a historical reference library, featuring a collection of books and research materials on Illinois and Lincoln. Visitors then made their way out of the building to the special exhibits garden area, which included a replica of the Lincoln-Berry General Store in New Salem, Illinois, as well as a tourist information desk.
Disneyland
Original version (1965–1973) The first Disneyland version of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opened on July 18, 1965, as part of the 10th anniversary celebration ("Tencennial") of the park, in the Opera House on Main Street, U.S.A. When it opened, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln required an "E" coupon for adult admission (guests had to pay for each attraction at the time). It was eventually downgraded to a "D" coupon. However, a free child's ticket was included with every child ticket book.
The original attraction in New York was still operating for three months after the Disneyland version opened—marking the first time a Disney attraction performed simultaneously in two different locations.
The state of Illinois did not continue the attraction's sponsorship over to Disneyland. The Lincoln Savings and Loan Association agreed to sponsor the attraction beginning in 1966.
Pre-show Like the Illinois pavilion, the pre-show in the Opera House was devoted entirely to Lincoln. Guests were greeted at the entrance lobby by a 16-foot-long limestone model of the U.S. Capitol, created by sculptor George Lloyd in 1935. Walt Disney purchased the model from Lloyd in 1955 for display at Disneyland.
The second portion of the pre-show was a new short film called "The Lincoln Story," which was presented on a 28-foot-long screen. Using many of the elements from the world's fair pre-show film, this new film eliminated all the references to Illinois.
Theater presentation The show in the main theater was a duplicate of the world's fair presentation, even in a theater with the same capacity as the New York version. Lincoln, however, was a more advanced Audio-Animatronic figure than the one performing in New York—with 48 different body movements and 17 head movements and facial cues.