Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park
For over a century people from around the world have come to rural Central Kentucky to honor the humble beginnings of our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. His early life on Kentucky's frontier shaped his character and prepared him to lead the nation through Civil War. Visit our country's first memorial to Lincoln, built with donations from young and old, and the site of his childhood home.
About 1 hours from Louisville/Jefferson County by car.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park is free, and has no associated fees.
Hours
| Birthplace Unit | Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Boyhood Home Unit | Daily · Sunrise to Sunset |
Birthplace Unit: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026 | Hours not published |
| Dec 25, 2026 | Hours not published |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Hours not published |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Visitor Center at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace ↗Passport stamp
The Visitor Center at the Birthplace Unit is open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm eastern time. Inside there are exhibits, including the Lincoln family Bible, a 15 minute long movie, Abraham Lincoln: The Kentucky Years, and the park store. Phone number: 270-358-3137
- Knob Creek Tavern Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Located at the Kentucky Boyhood Home at Knob Creek Unit.
Explore
Things to do
- Picnic at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace
You and your family are able to enjoy the beautiful picnic area and shaded Picnic Pavilion on a first-come first-served basis. While you eat, you may even get a chance to see some of Kentucky's wildlife! Trash and recycling receptacles are provided…
Opens on the Park Service site - View the Lincoln Family Bible5-15 Minutes
Bibles were often the only book that frontier families owned. This Bible, Printed in 1799, belonged to the Lincoln family. Abraham Lincoln recorded his own birth, and other important dates in the bibles pages.
Opens on the Park Service site - Shop at the Birthplace Bookstore5-30 Minutes
Support your National Parks by shopping at Eastern National Bookstores, located at the Birthplace Unit.
Opens on the Park Service site - Watch the Park Film at the Birthplace15-15 Minutes
View the 15 minute orientation film, Abraham Lincoln: The Kentucky Years shown in the Birthplace Unit Visitor Center.
Opens on the Park Service site - Become a Jr. Ranger at the Birthplace
Become a Jr. Ranger!
Opens on the Park Service site - Attend a Ranger Program
Attending a Ranger program is a fun and interactive way to enhance your visit!
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Boundary Oak Trail20-45 Minutes
The Boundary Oak trail is an a short easy trail that leads from the Boundary Oak marker to the Memorial Building.
Opens on the Park Service site - Travel the Pathway of a President10 Minutes
Pathway of a President is an accessible wooden boardwalk that leads from the Visitor Center to the Memorial Building.
Opens on the Park Service site - Shop at the Boyhood Home Bookstore5-30 Minutes
Support your National Parks by shopping at Eastern National Bookstores, located at the Boyhood Home Unit.
Opens on the Park Service site - Birdwatching at the Birthplace Unit5-120 Minutes
Spot some of Kentucky's birds on the Pathway of a President. Many benches are scatted on the path so you are able to sit and enjoy nature.
Opens on the Park Service site - Observe Wildlife at the Birthplace Unit5-60 Minutes
Observe wildlife such as squirrls, deer, turkey, and so much more at the bench on the landing of the Pathway of a President.
Opens on the Park Service site - Become a Jr. Ranger at the Boyhood Home
Explore. Learn. Protect. The Junior Ranger motto is recited by children around the country; each taking an oath of their own to protect parks, continue to learn about parks, and share their own ranger story with friends and family.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- War of the Worlds Broadcast10/1401:00 PM · runs through Oct 31 · freeBoyhood Home Unit at Knob Creek in the Knob Creek Tavern Visitor Center
- A Red, White and Blue Christmas: Birthplace Illumination Event11/2105:00 PM · freeBirthplace Unit
News
- Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park Hosts Sean of the South as Part of Freedom 250 Commemoration ↗2026-07-29
As the nation commemorates America’s 250th anniversary, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park invites visitors to explore the enduring ideals of liberty, equality and self-government through its Freedom…
- Youth Can Make Connections to 250th Anniversary Commemoration Through Building America Challenge ↗2026-07-01
As America commemorates the 250th anniversary of its founding, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park invites visitors to connect with the national commemoration through “Connections” events.
- Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park to Host Naturalization Ceremony on Independence Day ↗2026-06-18
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park will host a special naturalization ceremony on July 4 at 11 a.m. EST as part of the park’s commemoration of Freedom250, the nationwide celebration marking the 250th…
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Joseph Kirkpatrick SpringhouseBuilding · Hodgenville · 1.6 mi
- David H. Smith HouseBuilding · Hodgenville · 3.6 mi
- Hodgenville Christian ChurchBuilding · Hodgenville · 3.8 mi
- Hodgenville Commercial Historic DistrictHistoric district · Hodgenville · 3.8 mi
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Full checklist: 131 birds, 38 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsamerican kestrel · barred owl · black vulture · broad-winged hawk · cooper's hawk · eastern screech-owl · great horned owl · northern harrier · osprey · red-shouldered hawk · red-tailed hawk · sharp-shinned hawk · turkey vulture
Shorebirds & seabirdsamerican woodcock
Gamebirds & dovesWild Turkey · mourning dove · northern bobwhite · rock dove
WoodpeckersPileated Woodpecker · downy woodpecker · hairy woodpecker · northern flicker · red-bellied woodpecker · red-headed woodpecker · yellow-bellied sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftschimney swift · ruby-throated hummingbird
Also on the checklistBlackburnian Warbler · Blue-headed Vireo · Brown Creeper · Carolina Chickadee · Eastern Towhee · Fox Sparrow · Louisana Waterthrush · Philadelphia vireo · Pine siskin · acadian flycatcher · american crow · american goldfinch · american redstart · american robin · baltimore oriole · barn swallow · bay-breasted warbler · black-and-white warbler · black-throated green warbler · blackpoll warbler · blue jay · blue-gray gnatcatcher · blue-winged warbler · brown thrasher · brown-headed cowbird · canada warbler · cape may warbler · carolina wren · cedar waxwing · cerulean warbler · chestnut-sided warbler · chipping sparrow · chuck-will's-widow · common grackle · common nighthawk · common yellowthroat · connecticut warbler · dark-eyed junco · eastern bluebird · eastern kingbird · eastern meadowlark · eastern phoebe · eastern wood-pewee · european starling · evening grosbeak · field sparrow · golden-crowned kinglet · golden-winged warbler · gray catbird · gray-cheeked thrush · great crested flycatcher · hermit thrush · hooded warbler · horned lark · house finch · house sparrow · house wren · indigo bunting · kentucky warbler · least flycatcher · magnolia warbler · mourning warbler · nashville warbler · northern cardinal · northern mockingbird · northern parula · northern rough-winged swallow · orchard oriole · ovenbird · palm warbler · pine warbler · prairie warbler · purple finch · purple martin · red-breasted nuthatch · red-eyed vireo · red-winged blackbird · rose-breasted grosbeak · ruby-crowned kinglet · scarlet tanager · song sparrow · summer tanager · swainson's thrush · swamp sparrow · tennessee warbler · tufted titmouse · veery · warbling vireo · whip-poor-will · white-breasted nuthatch · white-crowned sparrow · white-eyed vireo · white-throated sparrow · wilson's warbler · winter wren · wood thrush · worm-eating warbler · yellow warbler · yellow-bellied flycatcher · yellow-billed cuckoo · yellow-breasted chat · yellow-rumped warbler · yellow-throated vireo · yellow-throated warbler
Small mammalseastern chipmunk · eastern cottontail · eastern fox squirrel · eastern gray squirrel · eastern harvest mouse · eastern mole · golden mouse · house mouse · least shrew · meadow jumping mouse · northern short-tailed shrew · prairie vole · pygmy shrew · smoky shrew · southeastern shrew · southern bog lemming · southern flying squirrel · white-footed mouse · woodland vole
Predatorsbobcat · common gray fox · coyote · long-tailed weasel · mink · raccoon · red fox · striped skunk
Hoofed mammalswhite-tailed deer
Batsbig brown bat · eastern red bat · gray bat · hoary bat · little brown bat · northern bat · silver-haired bat · tri-colored bat
Also on the checklistVirginia opossum · woodchuck
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
There are four distinct seasons in Central Kentucky. However, temperature and weather conditions can vary widely within those seasons. Spring and Fall are generally pleasant with frequent rain showers. Summer is usually hot and humid. Winter is moderately cold with mixed precipitation.
Questions people ask
Does Abraham Lincoln Birthplace charge an entrance fee?
No. Abraham Lincoln Birthplace is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 5:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Abraham Lincoln Birthplace?
212,899 recreation visits in 2025, number 171 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 4G LTE, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Abraham Lincoln Birthplace established?
1916.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace?
There are four distinct seasons in Central Kentucky. However, temperature and weather conditions can vary widely within those seasons.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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