(CNN) -- Audiences will be getting a new look at Abraham Lincoln this weekend with the wide release of director Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," and they'll be seeing a lot of America, too. 

The film, which recreates the former president's life through the crucible of the Civil War, was filmed at several historic locations. Lincoln's life took him through a number of states before and during the war, which gave Spielberg and his crew a wide geographic canvas. 

It was while shooting "War of the Worlds" in Rockbridge County, Virginia, that Spielberg began discussing returning to the state, said Andy Edmunds, interim director of the Virginia Film Office. Edmunds worked with production designer Rick Carter for nine years, helping him scout locations across the state. 

Yet there is so much more to Lincoln than the movie that bears his name. 

For history and film buffs looking to explore Lincoln's life, here are five locales that go beyond a trek to the National Mall. 

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City Point: Hopewell, Virginia 

One of Spielberg's Virginia stops was City Point, now Hopewell, which served as Ulysses S. Grant's headquarters during the Siege of Petersburg. 

Lincoln spent two weeks there in 1865 with his family, traveling aboard the war ship River Queen, which filmmakers replicated in full, said Rita McClenny, chief executive officer of the Virginia Tourism Board. 

From there, Lincoln watched the fall of Petersburg, later visiting the city, which was also shot on location, Edmunds said. 

Indeed, many pivotal wartime decisions "were made on Virginia soil," McClenny said. 
Who was at the helm of "Lincoln"?
Audiences will be getting a new look at Abraham Lincoln this weekend with the wide release of director Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln,"