JONESBORO - Black-painted footprints walk the course of Main Street, starting at the town square, where the courthouse once stood.

The path leads to a spot about half a mile away where Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas once held the third of their historic debates for U.S. Senate on Sept. 15, 1858.

At the site, visitors can see statues built to commemorate the men and a platform used for reenactments.

Across the street from where the footprints - believed to have been walked by Lincoln himself as he made his way to the debate - sits a storefront now open to give visitors information about the historic debates and the role Jonesboro played.

The Lincoln-Douglas 1858 Debate Information Center, housed inside the historic Rexleben Pharmacy building, celebrated its grand opening on Friday, and will remain open for the remainder of the summer through October.

Mona Diefenbach, one of the center's creators and volunteers, said the information center was established to help give the monument located half a mile away more meaning for visitors.

"We just wanted to create something for the visitor to make it real," she said.

The center houses information about the debates gives a history of Jonesboro's celebration of the event and provides general information about the community and former president.

Among the activities for visitors is a spot to sit and watch the reenactment of the debates C-Span did in 1994. Visitors can also read copies of letters Lincoln sent to Union County residents.

Like the footprint path across the street, the museum has a footprint path of its own, believed to have been walked by Lincoln, which people can walk along.

Center attendees wanting to make a souvenir of their trip can take a picture behind a painted board made to make it appear like they are part of a couple attending the debate.

Following the opening weekend, the center has plans for the Fourth of July and a celebration to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the debates in September, said Richard Diefenbach, Mona's husband and self-described center "go-for."

"It's going to be an exciting summer," he said.

The center is open Saturdays through Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For its opening weekend, it will be open Sunday and Monday, as well.

With a few visitors already coming in on the opening morning, the small center fills up quickly.

Mona Diefenbach said the center's location was only temporary, and in the future she'd like to see it move to another, larger location.

"We're a small place, but we've got a lot of information crammed in," she said.

laura.chapman@thesouthern.com

351-5816