Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Historic Site map and highlights

Abraham  Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in southern Kentucky, south  of Louisville. Detailed guide of  Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National  Historic Site in southern Kentucky.     

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in southern Kentucky, south of Louisville     

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was  born on Sinking Spring Farm on February 12, 1809, and today nearly  one-third of the farm is preserved at this National Historic Site. The  memorial overlooks Sinking Spring, the water source for the original  348-acre property. In 1911 the Lincoln Farm Association added a  neoclassical-style shrine for the symbolic birthplace cabin, and in 2001  the park added the Abraham Lincoln Boyhood Home at Knob Creek, which  preserves the site of Lincoln's home from ages 2 to 7. The park was  authorized July 17, 1916 and designated as a national historical site on  September 8, 1959.     

WHAT TO SEE & DO     

Hiking, picnicking, touring the grounds, viewing 18-minute  video. Facilities: Visitor center, outdoor interpretive exhibits and  signs, movie, self-guided tours, hiking trails. Bookstore, covered  picnic tables with fire grills, picnic tables. Programs & Events:  Self-guided tours, daily interpretive talks. Musical tribute to Dr.  Martin Luther King, Jr. (Sun. before holiday in Jan. at 2),  wreath-laying ceremony at symbolic birthplace cabin (Feb. 12, 1:30),  founding of the National Park Service (Aug. 25), U.S. Constitution Week  (Sept. 17). Tips & Hints: Go July-Aug. for the best weather; visit  Dec. and Jan. to avoid crowds.     

FOOD, LODGING & SUPPLIES     

Camping: None at site. In Elizabethtown: KOA (209 Tunnel Hill  Rd., tel. 270/737-7600; 800/562-7605 reservations; 70 sites, 3 cabins;  $15-$27, $40 cabins; flush toilets, showers, hook-ups). S Hotels: None  in park. In Elizabethtown: Best Western Cardinal Inn (642 E. Dixie Ave.,  at Exit 91, off 1-65, tel. 270/765-6139; 47 rooms; $75). X Restaurants:  None in park. In Hodgenville: Joel Rays (2579 Lincoln Farm Rd./U.S. 31  E, tel. 270/358-3545; $5). 6 Groceries: None in park. In Hodgenville:  Save-A-Lot Foodstore (102 S. Lincoln Dr., tel. 270/358-3108).     

FEES, HOURS, & REGULATIONS     

Entrance fee: Free. No unleashed pets. No bikes, horses, or  motorized equipment on trails. No hunting. Park and visitor center open  Memorial Day-Labor Day, daily 8-6:45; Labor Day-Memorial Day, daily  8-4:45. Knob Creek open Apr.-Oct., daily 8:30-4:30.     

HOW TO GET THERE     

3 mi south of Hodgenville, on U.S. 31 E via Rte. 61. Closest airport: Louisville (55 mi).     

CONTACTS     

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site (2995 Lincoln  Farm Rd., Hodgenville, KY 42748, tel. 270/358-3137, fax 270/358-3874,).  LaRue County Chamber of Commerce (58 Lincoln Sq., Box 176, Hodgenville,  KY 42748, tel. 270/358-3411, fax 270/358—8978, ).