On Friday, November 13, 2026, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum’s Union Theater in Springfield, Illinois, will host a free special screening of “AFTER IKE: A Journey That Changed America,” a 60-minute documentary retracing Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 3,251-mile 1919 military convoy from Washington to San Francisco, NPR Illinois reported. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with a welcome reception, the film begins at 7:00 p.m., and a filmmaker Q&A follows; advance registration is required.
The screening arrives eight days from now and lands one week before the Route 66 Independent Film Festival opens at the Hoogland Center for the Arts — a pairing that marks the festival’s 25th anniversary, according to NPR Illinois.
What to Know Before You Go
- Admission is free, but advance registration is required through the ALPLM ticketing page.
- The evening runs 6:00 p.m. reception, 7:00 p.m. film, then a Q&A with the filmmakers.
- The documentary runs 60 minutes and draws on a 2022 journey in which co-creator Dr. Gregory F. Maassen cycled 4,685 miles along the convoy’s route.
A 3,251-Mile Convoy That Redrew the Map of America
The film’s anchor is history: in 1919, Eisenhower took part in the Transcontinental Military Motor Convoy along the Lincoln Highway, a grueling 3,251-mile trip from Washington to San Francisco. NPR Illinois reports that the experience shaped his later vision for U.S. highways — a vision that profoundly affected small-town America and communities of color. The documentary spends its 60 minutes on the convoy’s challenges and its transformative effects.
In 2022, Dr. Gregory F. Maassen embarked on a 4,685-mile cycling journey tracing the 1919 convoy’s route on an e-bike, spending four months on the road, raising nearly $180,000 for charity, and filming segments for the film — literally following in Eisenhower’s footsteps.
Who Made After Ike — and What They Bring to the Table
Two filmmakers stand behind the project. Dr. Gregory F. Maassen is a multimedia strategist, videographer, and award-winning filmmaker with more than 23 years of international experience with the IFC/World Bank and USAID, a master’s in TV and Film Production from American University, a Fulbright scholarship, and a Ph.D. in business administration; he founded Wandel Guides LLC, the documentary’s production company. Michael S. Owen is a retired U.S. Ambassador whose 30-year Foreign Service career took him across Africa and Asia; he has driven the Lincoln Highway several times and published stories in literary journals. The documentary is based on Owen’s book After Ike, which details the convoy and its role in Eisenhower’s thinking about mobility in the United States.
But the math tells a different story about scale: the original convoy covered 3,251 miles in 1919, while Maassen’s modern retracing stretched to 4,685 miles — a reminder that the route itself has changed as much as the machines on it.
After Ike by the Numbers
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1919 convoy distance (Washington to San Francisco) | 3,251 miles | NPR Illinois |
| Maassen’s 2022 e-bike retracing | 4,685 miles over four months | NPR Illinois |
| Charity raised during the 2022 journey | Nearly $180,000 | NPR Illinois |
| Documentary runtime | 60 minutes | NPR Illinois |
| Admission | Free, advance registration required | happeningnext.com |
Free Tickets, a 6 p.m. Reception, and a Q&a on November 13
The practical details matter for anyone planning the night. happeningnext.com reports that the screening is free to attend but requires advance registration, with a ticket link published on the ALPLM ticketing site. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with a welcome reception, the film begins at 7:00 p.m., and a Q&A session with the filmmakers follows immediately after the screening. The event page is hosted at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, 212 N. 6th St., Springfield, IL.
The collaboration itself is the story’s frame: the library partnered with the Route 66 Film Festival for the festival’s 25th anniversary, and this screening doubles as a lead-in to the festival’s run at the Hoogland Center for the Arts beginning the following week.
Why a 1919 Convoy Still Matters Now
NPR Illinois notes that Eisenhower’s 1919 journey shaped his vision for U.S. highways, and that vision in turn profoundly impacted small-town America and communities of color. The documentary treats the convoy’s challenges and transformative effects as living history, and the filmmakers’ own road trip — Maassen’s four months and 4,685 miles on an e-bike — connects the 1919 route to the present-day Lincoln Highway corridor.
The next dated event on record is the screening itself: Friday, November 13, 2026, at the ALPLM Union Theater, with the Route 66 Independent Film Festival following at the Hoogland Center for the Arts the week after.
