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 President Abraham Lincoln grew up at before moving to Indiana and the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial site.
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park
Contents
- 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 log cabin is enshrined inside the neo classical 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.
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP is managed by the National Park Service.
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.
National Parks near Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP
Mammoth Cave National Park - 40 miles
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial - 133 miles
William Howard Taft National Historic Site - 158 miles
Stones River National Battlefield - 161 miles
Fort Donelson National Battlefield - 167 miles
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park - 174 miles
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park - 180 miles
Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area - 190 miles
Check out the other great Kentucky National Parks and neighboring National Parks in Tennessee and National Parks in Missouri along with
National Parks in West Virginia
National Parks dedicated to Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. These sites preserve not only places of his early life but also the work he did during the civil war.
Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site, Washington, DC
Lincoln Park, Capitol Hill Parks, National Capital Parks-East, Washington, DC
Lincoln Boyhood Home National Memorial, IN
Lincoln Home National Historic Site, IL
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