Ranger Programs and Guided ToursThe 2024 spring program schedule will be in effect from March 18th until May 24th. Summer program schedule will be announced in May. Please check with a Park Ranger upon your arrival to discover the programs and guided tours are being offered during your visit. Spring Program Schedule
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| Walk Around the Sinking Spring Farm Tour | 2:15 p.m. ET |
| I, Too, Am a Kentuckian ♿ | 11:15 a.m. ET |
| Sink Into Science | Saturday/Sunday only 10:15 a.m. ET |
| Making a Memorial | Saturday/Sunday only 12:45 p.m. ET |
| Little Abe’s Adventures | Saturday/Sunday only 3:15 p.m. ET |
| Additional Programs | Additional Programs may be available. Inquire at the Birthplace Unit Visitor Center for details. |
Boyhood Home at Knob Creek Unit
| Lincoln and the Kentucky Frontier | April & May only, Saturday/Sunday only 12:00 & 2:00 ET |
On Demand Tours on the NPS App -- available anytime
| Audio Tour: The Man from the Sinking Spring | Available on the NPS App — Birthplace Unit — tour lasts about 45 minutes, 222 stairs. |
| Audio Tour: Pathway of a President ♿ | Available on the NPS App — Birthplace Unit — tour lasts about 45 minutes, 0 stairs. |
| Boyhood at Knob Creek | Available on the NPS App — Knob Creek Unit — tour lasts about 45 minutes. |
Descriptions of Spring Programs 2024
March 18th 2024—May 24th 2024
(1 hour, 1/2 mile, 162 stairs, 60 additional optional stairs): This classic Abraham Lincoln Birthplace tour travels from the visitor center up the stairs of the memorial building. Learn about the features of the First Lincoln Memorial, and view the symbolic birth cabin. This tour is for someone looking for a general overview of the park, and an introduction to the first two years of Lincoln’s life on the farm. Tour departs from the Birthplace Unit Visitor Center.
(1 hour, 1/2 mile, 0 stairs): Visitors will travel from the visitor center to the Memorial Building. See the First Lincoln Memorial, Symbolic Cabin, and imagine yourself in historic landscape of the Sinking Spring Farm. Using the wheelchair accessible wooden boardwalk, this 1/4-mile round trip provides visitors an opportunity to visit the First Lincoln Memorial on a guided program. This tour is ideal for anyone with difficulty walking long distances or negotiating stairs. Tour departs from the Birthplace Unit Visitor Center.
(1 hour, 3/4 mile, 8 stairs): View the landscape of the Sinking Spring Farm in greater detail on this nature focused hike as you travel the Boundary Oak Trail. Surround yourself in nature in the place that shaped the Lincoln family’s life on the Kentucky frontier. This guided hike travels on various trail types including loose gravel, compacted dirt, and wooden boardwalks. Tour departs from behind the Memorial Building.
This trail is rated moderate, sturdy shoes, drinking water, and bug spray recommended.
This trail is rated moderate, sturdy shoes, drinking water, and bug spray recommended.
(15 minutes): Explore the place, people, and lifeways that shaped Lincoln during his first seven years of life on the Kentucky frontier. This program is ideal for visitors of all ages who are interested in learning more about the Lincoln family’s life in Kentucky. This talk meets at the Knob Creek Tavern Visitor Center.
(30 minutes, 60 stairs): Travel down the steps into a sinkhole and explore the science of Kentucky’s karst system. This talk discusses the Sinking Spring, geology, how caves are made, and more. The program meets at the Sinking Spring, located at the bottom of the stairs of the Memorial Building.
(drop in programing): Take part in this interactive activity about the making of the First Lincoln Memorial, the first national memorial built to honor Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. This program is drop in, meaning you can stop by and stay for as long as you would like. This program meets at the bottom of the stairs of the Memorial Building.
(30 minutes): Science, history, nature, and more! The children’s program will explore one of the many topics relating to the park in the form of an interactive activity or game. This program is open to families with children of all ages, however programing is designed for K-5th graders in mind. This program meets at the side porch of the Birthplace Visitor Center.
(20 minutes): Take part in our Jr. Ranger ceremony, where children are invited to gather and recite the Jr. Ranger oath and be recognized for becoming Jr. Rangers. Children who have already received their Jr. Ranger badge are still welcome to attend the formal ceremony and take part in the fun! There are no requirements for children to be able to attend. This program meets at the bottom of the stairs of the Memorial Building.
Special Events
Join us at both the Birthplace Unit and Kentucky Boyhood Home at Knob Creek Unit for our special events! To check out all of the events throughout the year, visit the Park Calendar. For questions about these events please contact us.
Last updated: February 29, 2024