Wyndham Springfield City Centre is a landmark 30-story skyscraper hotel tower located at 700 East Adams Street in downtown Springfield, Illinois. Completed in 1973 as the Forum 30 Hotel and designed by architect Ferry & Henderson, the 354-foot modernist cylinder stands as the tallest building in Springfield and the tallest habitable structure in Illinois outside the Chicago metropolitan area. Historically housing 365 rooms and suites along with a top-floor panoramic restaurant, the tower permanently suspended hotel operations in early 2025 following decades as downtown Springfield’s primary convention and legislative hospitality hub, though its distinctive curved silhouette remains a defining architectural focal point along the Historic Route 66 corridor and a block from the Bank of Springfield Center.
What to Expect at Wyndham Springfield City Centre
Rising directly opposite the Bank of Springfield Center convention complex, the building’s late-modernist cylindrical tower was engineered to bypass city zoning height caps aimed at protecting views of the Illinois State Capitol dome. Throughout its half-century of operation under the Forum 30, Hilton, and Wyndham Springfield City Centre flags, the property anchored downtown conferences with over 50,000 square feet of ballroom and meeting space, an indoor heated pool and sauna, and pie-shaped guest rooms radiating outward from a central elevator core to maximize floor-to-ceiling views across Sangamon County.
For decades, the tower’s signature attraction was the Pinnacle Club and Nick & Nino’s Steakhouse on the 30th floor, where diners looked out over the Old State Capitol, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, and the surrounding central Illinois prairie. While the interior hotel rooms, lobby lounge, and sky-level dining rooms are currently closed to overnight guests and awaiting municipal redevelopment, architectural enthusiasts and Route 66 travelers still photograph the curved concrete-and-glass facade from Adams and Seventh Streets while walking between Springfield’s Lincoln heritage sites.
- 30-Story Cylindrical Tower: Reaching 354 feet (108 meters) into the central Illinois sky, this 1973 modernist high-rise is the tallest building in Springfield, narrowly edging out the 361-foot-tall Illinois State Capitol dome on overall habitable floor height.
- 30th-Floor Sky Lounge Architecture: The crown of the cylinder housed the historic Top of the Arch and Nick & Nino’s Steakhouse, ringed by wraparound windows that provided 360-degree views up to 30 miles across the prairie.
- Convention & Ballroom Podium: The low-rise base at Seventh and Adams Streets was purpose-built to connect directly with downtown civic events, state legislative gatherings, and trade shows at the adjacent Bank of Springfield Center.
- Radial Guest Room Design: Floors 4 through 29 were laid out in a circular floor plan around central high-speed elevators, giving each of the 365 guest units and parlors wide angled windows overlooking downtown Springfield.
- Proximity to Lincoln Heritage Sites: Situated on the corner of East Adams and South Seventh Streets, the tower sits within a three-block radius of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, the Old State Capitol, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
Wyndham Springfield City Centre at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 700 E Adams St, Springfield, IL 62701 |
| Neighborhood / Area | Downtown Springfield Historic District |
| Operating Hours | Permanently closed to overnight hotel guests (exterior viewable 24 hours daily) |
| Admission / Price Range | $$ (Historical 3-star convention hotel; currently closed for bookings) |
| Recommended Visit Duration | 15 to 20 minutes for exterior architectural viewing |
| Nearest Transit / Parking | Springfield Amtrak Station (4 blocks west); SMTD Transfer Center; metered street parking on Adams St |
| Official Website & Phone | Official Website | +1 217-789-1530 |
Visiting Tips, Getting There & Nearby Pairings
Because the property ceased hotel and restaurant operations in 2025, travelers planning an overnight stay in downtown Springfield should book rooms at the neighboring President Abraham Lincoln Springfield (a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel directly across Seventh Street) or the Mansion View Inn & Suites near the Governor’s Mansion. For skyscraper spotters and architectural photographers, the clearest full-height vantage points of the 30-story cylinder are from the northeast plaza of the Old State Capitol at Sixth and Adams Streets or from the Eighth Street corridor leading toward the Lincoln Home. Morning light illuminates the eastern curve of the tower along Seventh Street, while late afternoon sun highlights the western facade facing the downtown plaza.
Getting to the 700 block of East Adams Street is straightforward without a car: the Springfield Amtrak Station at Third and Washington Streets (served by the Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle lines between Chicago and St. Louis) is a flat 6-minute walk west, and the Sangamon Mass Transit District (SMTD) bus hub sits two blocks away. Wide, level concrete sidewalks with ADA curb cuts wrap the entire block, making exterior viewing effortless for wheelchair users and strollers. Within a 5-minute walk, you can tour the Lincoln Home National Historic Site at Eighth and Jackson Streets, explore the interactive galleries of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum at 212 North Sixth Street, or walk through the Greek Revival halls of the Old State Capitol State Historic Site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you still book a room at Wyndham Springfield City Centre?
No, the hotel permanently closed its guest rooms, restaurants, and convention facilities in early 2025 and is awaiting city-led redevelopment. Travelers seeking downtown convention lodging can stay directly across the street at the President Abraham Lincoln Springfield hotel or at nearby historic inns.
Why is the Wyndham Springfield City Centre building famous?
Built in 1973 as the Forum 30 Hotel, the 30-story, 354-foot cylindrical tower is the tallest skyscraper in Springfield and the tallest habitable building in Illinois outside the Chicago metropolitan area. Its distinctive circular design was an architectural landmark for half a century of Illinois political and civic conventions.
How much time should I budget to see the building?
Since interior access to the lobby and 30th-floor observation dining room is closed, budget 15 to 20 minutes to view and photograph the exterior architecture while walking between the Old State Capitol and the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.
What attractions are within walking distance of 700 East Adams Street?
The building stands one block east of the Old State Capitol, two blocks northwest of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site visitor center, and a 6-minute walk south of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The Bank of Springfield Center arena sits immediately across Ninth and Adams Streets.
When planning your Springfield travel guide or comparing verified hotels and inn in Springfield, pair this stop with standout local spots including Inn At 835 Boutique Hotel, Courtyard Springfield, Wonders Of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium, and President Abraham Lincoln Springfield – a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (nearby).
