Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

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Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 on a farm his parents had bought a few months earlier in rural Central Kentucky. The family lived at this farm for Abraham Lincoln’s first two years of life before moving to a different farm where they lived for five years before moving to Indiana. The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park encompasses both of these farm sites.

The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP consists of two units encompassing both farm sites that Abraham Lincoln grew up at before moving to Indiana and the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial site.

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

Top things to do at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

Visit the visitor center

The visitor center has a small museum with exhibits detailing the early years of Abraham Lincoln’s Life.

One of the coolest exhibits is the Lincoln Family Bible from 1799. This is the Bible that Abraham Lincoln recorded his own birthday and important dates for his family.

Watch the park movie – Abraham Lincoln: The Kentucky Years

The park movie Abraham Lincoln: The Kentucky Years is a 15 minute captioned film that is played every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour

Become a Junior Ranger

The Junior Ranger program is broken down by age groups. Depending on the age of the participant you need to complete specific pages in the booklet. One cool thing about the Junior Ranger program is this park is one of only two that have a gold Junior Ranger pin!

Visit the Birthplace Unit

The Birthplace Unit includes 116 acres of the Lincoln family’s Sinking Spring Farm. The early 19th century Kentucky cabin is enshrined inside the Memorial Building at the site of his birth. The visitor center is located at the birthplace unit of the park.

There is an accessible path from the visitor center to the top of the memorial if you do not want to walk up the stairs.

Visit the Boyhood Home Unit at Knob Creek

The Lincoln family lived on 30 rented acres of the Knob Creek Farm from the time Abraham was two until he was seven years old when the family left for Indiana.

Walk one of the park trails

Boundary Oak Trail is .3 miles located in the Visitor Center area

Big Sink Trail is one mile long and located in the picnic area on the east side of US 31E.

Things to know when planning a visit to Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

The site is located in the Eastern Time Zone

Mosquitoes, ticks, and poison ivy are common from mid-spring through mid-fall.

Ranger-led tours are available from Memorial Day until Labor Day.

All park facilities and exhibits are accessible.

The nearest airport is in Louisville, KY

There is no public transportation in or near the park

The nearest lodging or camping is located in Elizabethtown, KY about 12 miles from the park or Bardstown, KY about 30 miles from the park.

Park Address

2995 Lincoln Farm Road
Hodgenville, KY 42748

The Birthplace Unit is located approximately 3 miles south of Hodgenville, Kentucky on U.S. 31E and KY 61.

The Boyhood Home Unit at Knob Creek is located 8 miles north of Hodgenville along U.S. 31E.

Phone – (270) 358-3137

Park hours

The Visitor Center, Memorial Building and grounds of the Birthplace Unit are open daily 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. (ET)

The park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day

Park Fees – There is no entrance fee to visit Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP

Established as Abraham Lincoln National Park July 17, 1916; transferred from War Dept. Aug. 10, 1933; re-designated Aug. 11, 1939; renamed and re-designated Sept. 8, 1959; re-designated a national historical park March 30, 2009.