Visiting historical places with presidential connections is a great way to help our kids connect with the past. We have been to all the major Lincoln Landmarks in the US and have been working through the list of historic sites that have a connection to President Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln Trail Map lists 15 historic sites in Kentucky that have association with President Abraham Lincoln. We’ve not been to all of them…yet. But one at a time, we’re exploring the Lincoln connections in Kentucky.

This post includes Amazon affiliate links.

Lincoln Connections in Kentucky

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace

2995 Lincoln Farm Rd
Hodgenville, KY 42748
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky (just 15 minutes away from Elizabethtown). We have taken our kids over to his birthplace several times to walk through the museum, view the replica cabin and see the Sinking Spring. It is a great place to learn about Lincoln’s life as well as enjoy being outside in nature.

Built at the location of Lincoln’s birth the solid marble, neoclassical monument houses the symbolic cabin of Lincoln’s birth. Be sure to see the audiovisual presentation in the Visitor Center and the Sinking Spring where the Lincoln’s drew their water. Hours Memorial Day to Labor Day 8am-6:45pm. Picnic area.

There is a small visitors center where you can learn about the home where President Lincoln was born.

Lincoln Boyhood Home – Knob Creek

7120 Bardstown Rd
Hodgenville, KY 42748
Located about 10 miles from the Birthplace you can visit the site of Lincoln’s Boyhood Home at Knob Creek. There is no fee to visit and you have the opportunity to learn about where our President lived for the next few years of his young life.

Click here to see more information about Lincoln Boyhood Home.

Lincoln Homestead State Park

5079 Lincoln Park Rd
Springfield, KY 40069
By accident a few years ago we found the Lincoln Homestead State Park. We were out on a road trip and saw a brown sign. Our kids know that those brown signs are an invitation to get out and explore. We enjoyed walking around learning about the lives of Abraham Lincoln’s mother and grandparents.

You can walk around the property for FREE but if you want to go inside the cabins, you must pay the small admission fee.

Lincoln Homestead State Park features the original home of Lincoln’s mother, as well as replicas of the 1782 cabin and blacksmith shop where his father was reared and learned his trade. You’ll also find the home of Mordecai Lincoln, the favorite uncle of the President, along with split-rail fences and pioneer furniture that portray the rugged pioneer life.

KY Capitol Statue

700 Capital Ave
Frankfort, KY 40601
In the rotunda of the Kentucky Capitol building in Frankfort, KY stands a bronze statue of Lincoln. When I visited the Capitol as a teen, we all took our turn rubbing the boot for good luck. Now that I am visiting with my kids, we’re continuing the tradition.

The traditional boot-rubbing started when legislators took schoolchildren to the Capitol on tours and instructed the kids to rub the boot of the 16th president. Since then, the practice has spread, Buchta said. An estimated two-thirds of the Capitol’s 60,000 annual visitors give the boot a pat.

Visitors rub the left boot because it sticks out over the marble pedestal on which the statue stands. People who can reach the right boot sometimes rub that, too, Buchta said. Natural oils and acids on people’s hands have caused the left boot to turn a shiny gold. The rest of the Lincoln statue, largely untouched — and unreachable — by visitors, is a deep bronze. read more here>

Street Art in Lexington

If you are in Lexington, make sure you check out this amazing street art by Brazilian artist Kobra. It is a 60 foot mural painted on the back of the Kentucky Theatre!
Vine St
Lexington, KY

There are more Lincoln Connections in Kentucky, so we definitely have our work cut out. It’s a neat thing for my family to be able to experience history in such a hands on way. What’s your favorite Lincoln landmark you would like to see on your next visit to Kentucky?

---

Want to visit more Lincoln landmarks? Here is the ultimate Abraham Lincoln landmark road trip.

Follow #williamsonthego for more of our travel adventures!