Inside the Visitor Center at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

OPERATING HOURS

The Visitor Center for Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM, except when closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Keep in mind that times can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to get the latest schedule at the official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the park.

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AMENITIES

• Ranger-staffed information desk where you can ask questions, pick up a free park brochure, and get directions to the Boyhood Farm at Knob Creek
• Park film
• Small museum
• Book and souvenir store
• Restrooms

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PARK FILM

Abraham Lincoln: The Kentucky Years, a 15-minute film about the childhood of Abraham Lincoln, is scheduled to play at the top of the hour and at the half hour, but if the crowd is thin and you are the only person at the Visitor Center, the Ranger may start it for you at any time so that you don’t have to wait. The film deals exclusively with the young Abraham Lincoln and how the birth site became a park. You’ll learn more about Abe’s parents and grandparents than him. There is no objectionable material, so the film is suitable for all ages.

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MUSEUM

Lincoln Family museum inside the Visitor Center at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

There is a small museum in the Visitor Center that focuses on the Lincoln family and life on the rural frontier. Information panels about Abraham’s parents and grandparents line the wall, and on the opposite side of the aisle is a mock-up of the interior of a typical log cabin from the early 1800s.

Exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park Visitor Center details the interior of a typical log cabin from the early 1800s

At the far end of the museum is a piece of the Boundary Oak Tree, a tree that sprouted about thirty years before Lincoln’s birth and stood on the property until dying in 1976. You can touch a transparent computer screen that overlays the rings of the tree to access a timeline of history during its life.

Boundary Oak Tree exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park Visitor Center

My favorite artifact is the tombstone of what is believed to have been for Thomas Lincoln Jr., who died in childbirth. Nothing is known about when he was born other than that he was born at Knob Creek. From what I understand, it wasn’t found in an established cemetery, but by luck when somebody was exploring the grounds.

Tombstone that once marked Thomas Lincoln Jr.’s grave at Knob Creek

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

I read everything in the museum in fifteen minutes, which in most cases is something that a typical tourist will not do. However, this museum is so small that you might find yourself reading everything without even realizing it. Factor in the 15-minute film and you won’t spend much more than a half hour at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park Visitor Center.

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