National Memorials · Indiana
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
National Park Service source material · single source. Source dates and reuse information are available beside each field.
Check the official park website for current access, conditions and visitor information.
Introduction
Background: 1
Abraham Lincoln grew from youth to manhood on this southern Indiana soil. Many character and moral traits of one of the world's most respected leaders was formed and nurtured here. Explore Lincoln's boyhood and learn about the boy who would one day become the leader of our nation.
Geography
Designation: 3
National Memorial
State or territory: 4
Indiana
Park Map - Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial: 5
Map scope: Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
Map of the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Indiana. The park is shown in green, surrounding areas in tan, roads in red or white, and the town of Lincoln City in yellow.
History and culture
People: 6
Abraham Lincoln had many people who contributed, in one way or another, to his growth and development, and whose influence helped shape the man that he became.To fully understand Abraham Lincoln and who he was, we have to know who these people were and what contributions they made to his life.
Places: 7
In the fall of 1816, Thomas and Nancy Lincoln packed their belongings and their two children, Sarah, 9, and Abraham, 7, and left their Kentucky home bound for the new frontier of southern Indiana. Arriving at his 160-acre claim near the LIttle Pigeon Creek in December, Thomas quickly set about building a cabin for his family and carving a new life out of the largely unsettled wilderness. In time, he cleared the fields, improved the cabin and outbuildings, and utilized his carpentry skills to establish himself within the community.
History & Culture: 8
Learn about the people and places that played such an important part in Abraham Lincoln's growth and development .
Abraham Lincoln and his family moved from Kentucky to Indiana in 1816 and stayed until 1830 when they moved to Illinois. During this period, Lincoln grew physically and intellectually into a man. The people he knew here and the things he experienced had a profound influence on his life. His sense of honesty, his belief in the importance of education and learning, his respect for hard work, his compassion for his fellow man, and his moral convictions about right and wrong were all born of this place and this time. The time he spent here helped shape the man that went on to lead the country. This site is our most direct tie with that time of his life. Lincoln Boyhood preserves the place where he learned to laugh with his father, cried over the death of his mother, read the books that opened his mind, and triumphed over the adversities of life on the frontier.
Nature
Ecology: 9
Pioneers on the southern Indiana frontier in the early 19th century lived close to the land. They looked to the natural environment for food, clothing, and shelter. Their survival was dependent on the resources they found and their ability to effectively utilize them. But in the process of doing so, they altered the environment as well. They hunted the wild animals and cleared the land. Those who followed them continued to reshape the land and the environment for varying reasons. Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial combines the commemorative and natural landscapes to serve as a useful example of the continuing evolution of the relationship between man and the world around him.
In addition to exploring all the wonderful history of where Abraham Lincoln grew up, Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is also a great place to experience the natural environment where Lincoln was a boy.
Breeding bird surveys were initiated in 2007 to assess changes in species and abundance of birds in the park, and to improve our understanding of breeding birds. Surveys have shown records for 52 different bird species.
Historic places and exhibits
Memorial Visitor Center: 10
The Memorial Visitor Center is closed Noon–1 pm. The park is in the Central Time Zone. The Memorial Visitor Center is closed Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Years Day and Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
Trails and walks
Visiting with your Pet Hiking the park trails with your dog?: 11
With some restrictions, you may bring your pet with you to Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. At all times, pets must be restrained on a leash no longer than six feet in length. Leashes protect dogs from becoming lost and from other hazards. Leashes also help protect park resources, including wildlife and vegetation.
Pets should not be left unattended. Summer sunshine poses a threat to pets left in vehicles.
Service Animals are an exception to these rules and may accompany their owner to all park locations.
Visitor information
Visitation
Sources & field notes
Source records (15)
Select a numbered reference to open a source card. Retrieval dates describe this edition’s source capture, rather than an independent verification or the date of the underlying information.
Background · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Memorial Visitor Center at Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial · NPS/Alexander. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Catalog image date
- 04/13/2018
- Source scope
- Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Public domain:Full Granting Rights
- Rights
- Public domain:Full Granting Rights
Designation · National Park System directory. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.
State or territory · National Park System directory. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.
Park Map - Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial · National Park Service, Harpers Ferry Center. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source scope
- Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
- Download
- Official map PDF ↗
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Public domain; NPS map
- Rights
- Public domain; NPS map
People · People — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source page last updated
- January 15, 2022
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party content may have separate rights.
Places · Places — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source page last updated
- November 2, 2024
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party content may have separate rights.
History & Culture · National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party material may have separate rights. No images copied.
Ecology · Nature & Science — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- February 23, 2023
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS webpage text; U.S. government work generally public domain. Third-party material may have separate rights.
Memorial Visitor Center · National Park Service park structured data. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored U.S. government work is generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Visiting with your Pet Hiking the park trails with your dog? · National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored U.S. government work is generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Physical Address · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Mailing Address · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Telephone · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Recreation visits · National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics. Open source ↗
- Information date
- 2025
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Methodology
- NPS reporting unit; annual total is the sum of 12 monthly recreation visit estimates.
- Reporting unit
- Lincoln Boyhood NMEM
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.