Nestled amongst the cornfields of Hodgenville, Kentucky is the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park. The site features a memorial building which houses the a replica of the cabin the 16th president was born in.
For over a century, patriots and history buffs have flocked to rural Kentucky to honor the legacy of Abraham Lincoln and to marvel at his humble beginnings. Since I’m a huge Lincoln fan and an even bigger nerd, we made a point of stopping by on our summer road trip. Within less than a year we visited both his birthplace, the Ford’s Theater, the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and the Petersen House (where he died).
Seeing Lincoln’s humble beginning was pretty incredible and made my little nerd heart so happy. We enjoyed our time walking around the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, exploring the trails, and visiting the spring where Lincoln took his first sips of water.
The Lincoln's Sinking Spring History
It is believed that Sinking Spring was one of the main reason Thomas Lincoln chose this site to establish his family home. The spring would provide the family with fresh water and the fertile farmland would allow the family to grow crops.
In the late fall of 1808, Thomas and Nancy Lincoln settled on the Sinking Spring Farm. Two months later, on February 12, 1809, they welcome a son- Abraham Lincoln- in a one room log cabin. The Lincoln’s lived in this cabin until Abraham was two years old. At that time, the family moved to the Knob Creek Farm where they would remain for five years before settling in Indiana.
The original log cabin was dismantled before 1865. Local legend tells us that a New York Businessman by the name of Alfred W. Dennett purchased the Lincoln farm in 1894 and used the logs to construct a cabin similar to the original birthplace cabin. Soon, the cabin was dismantled and re-erected for a traveling expedition.
Years later, the Lincoln Farm Association acquired these logs and used them to re-build the cabin seen in the Memorial building.
I was hell-bent on drink some water from the spring, but found that it was fenced off when we got there. Instead, I stood there envying a toad that somehow found his way into the spring.
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace: The First Lincoln Memorial
The Memorial Building at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park was constructed between 1909 and 1911 to commemorate the accomplishments, life, and legacy of one of America’s favorite presidents. The building, houses the Symbolic Birth Cabin- a replica of the humble cabin Lincoln was born in.
The Greek and Roman inspired Memorial Building is constructed of Tennessee marble and Connecticut pink granite. The fifty-six steps leading up to the building represent the fifty-six years of Lincoln’s life. The sixteen windows, sixteen fence poles, and the sixteen rosettes on the ceiling symbolize that he was the sixteenth president.
On the centennial of his birth, the cornerstone of the memorial was laid by President Theodore Roosevelt. Two years later, in 1911, the building was dedicated by President W. Howard Taft.
Visitor Center Museum
The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Memorial National Historical Site’s Visitor Center Museum is a must-see. The collection includes relics from Lincoln’s early-life including the family Bible and a table built by his father, Thomas. Junior Rangers, and history buffs alike, can view tools that the family would have used to tend to their farm.
Speaking of Junior Rangers, don’t forget to pick up your kiddos Junior Ranger Badge while you’re at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Memorial National Historical Site!
Visiting Lincoln's Birthplace
The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park is open from 9 AM until 5 PM EST. The Memorial Building closes at 4:30.
The park is closed on New Years Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
The physical address is:
2995 Lincoln Farm Road
Hodgenville, KY 42748
Our Kentucky Itinerary
Check out our full itinerary to see how we spent 4 days exploring the Bluegrass State with our kiddos!
Our trip included visits to:
- The National Corvette Museum
- Mammoth Cave National Park
- Lost River Cave
- Kentucky Stonehenge
- Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park
- Yogi’s Jellystone Park at Mammoth Cave
- Aviation Heritage Museum
- and much, much more!
If you need help planning your road trip, we’ve got you covered! Learn how to plan a road trip the whole family will love, see our road trip essentials, check out our car packing tricks, or listen to our family-friendly playlist!
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While we were in the area, we also visited Mammoth Cave National Park, and the National Corvette Museum, and stayed at Jellystone Mammoth Cave.
