Cognitive/Learning

Visitor Center

• Visitor center is a one-room lobby area. If entering through entrance nearest to visitor parking lot, visitor center information desk is on the left (west wall). The visitor center can get very busy, crowded, and noisy during seasons of high operation, particularly in the spring and summer.

• Restrooms: Men’s and Women’s restrooms are located on the north wall of the visitor center.

• Exhibits: Several small exhibits and displays are scattered around the visitor center. Most are behind protective cases, however there is a tactile exhibit which visitors are welcome to touch located on the north side of the visitor center near the restrooms.

• Noises and Quiet Spaces: The visitor center does have a PA system which is used to announce the closing of the visitor center at the end of the day and also may be used during emergencies. In the case of an emergency, the fire alarm is also quite loud.

• Benches and Places of Rest: Several benches and seating are available inside the visitor center as places of rest. Picnic tables and benches are also located outside the visitor center.

• Park Films and Theaters: Located on the south side of the visitor center. Theaters dim while films play and soft lights return after films end. Doors to theater swill automatically open at start and end of film, but can also be opened manually or by a push-button opener. Films include narration, talking, and other noises and sounds. Films are captioned and audio description options are available upon request.

Lincoln Home Tour

• Tours of the Lincoln Home are ranger-led and last approximately 25 minutes.

• The tour starts in the visitor center where the group meets with the tour ranger, and then continues out of the visitor center and through the site, about one block east, to arrive the Lincoln Home. Ranger will lead group room by room through the house, entering through the front door, through the first floor rooms, up the stairs to the second floor, through the second floor, down the back stairs to the kitchen, and exit out the back door into the backyard. In total, the group will go through seven rooms and a couple of hallways/throughways.

• Visitors in the Lincoln Home are asked not to touch or lean on the walls, doors, or doorframes and not touch any of the artifacts. A protective railing has been installed in some of the rooms which visitors are welcome to touch or lean against. Visitors are also asked to not step off the blue carpet. Stepping off the blue carpet or moving past the protective railings may set off the security alarm, which can be loud and startling. If one sets off the alarm, stepping off the blue carpet and staying within the protected areas should cause the alarm to stop.

• Stairs in the Lincoln Home are relatively steep, although handrails are available for use.

• During December, sometimes scents such as pine, vanilla, or other Christmas-holiday associated scents may be present in certain rooms in the Lincoln Home.

• Food, drink, and gum may not be consumed inside the Lincoln Home tour. Such items must be kept in sealed containers during the tour or thrown away before entering the Lincoln Home.

 

The sensory kit can be checked out from the Visitor Center front desk

NPS

Sensory Kit

To create a more enjoyable and accessible experience for those with a sensory processing disorder, we have created a kit containing tools to help these individuals enrich their experience at Lincoln Home National Historic Site. Kits are available for check-out at the Visitor Center front desk.
The kit includes:

• Noise Reducing Earmuffs

• Sunglasses and Solar Shields

• Fidget tools

• Nonverbal Communication Cards

• Map of the Site

Visual story cards to help prepare individuals for what will happen from the moment they walk into the Visitor Center to the time they decide the leave the site are included in the sensory kit.
These visual story cards are able to be downloaded from this site as a Word document.