Overview
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is a United States National Memorial in Southwestern Indiana.
3 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 89°F; winter lows dip to about 28°F. Wettest: May and Apr. (climate data from nearby Louisville)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- OWB Owensboro Daviess County Airport, Owensboro — 28 mi away. Directions
- EVV Evansville Regional Airport, Evansville — 30 mi away. Directions
- SDF Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Louisville — 69 mi away (major hub). Directions
I-64 heads east-west just north of Lincoln, City. US-231 heads north-south through Lincoln City.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Food for you
Lincoln City, Santa Claus, and Dale all feature various restaurants, but there are no dining areas are in the park.
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
This memorial preserves the site of the farm where Abraham Lincoln spent 14 years of his childhood.
History
Abraham Lincoln's family moved to Indiana in 1816 and stayed in the state until moving to Illinois in 1830. Lincoln lived in this memorial's area from age 7-21. These years molded his body and mind into an intellectual of a man. The experiences that he had here shaped his life, all the way until his assassination in 1865.
The park consists of a visitors center, Lincoln's mothers gravesite, and the Lincoln Living Historical Farm.
Landscape
The park is in a very well forested area. Plenty of hiking trails offer accessibility to the forest. All of the buildings and landmarks were made to meld into the environment, to mix harmoniously with their surroundings, not to disturb them.
Flora and fauna
The area has been restored since the inception of the park in the 1920s, which declined in the late 1800s with the railway extensions and peoples taming of their environments.
Flora in the park include Japanese dogwoods, tulip poplar trees, maples, sweet gums, oaks, hickories, Japanese honeysuckle, and Japanese knotweed.
Fauna in the park include Scarlet tanagers, bluebirds, blue-tailed skinks, gray squirrels, chipmunks, red foxes, coyotes, snakes, owls, whitetail deer, raccoons, opossums, shrews, deer mouse, white-footed mouse, house mouse, bats, eastern box turtle, and countless birds.
Climate
Located in Southern Indiana, near Evansville, the area experiences all four distinct seasons. Moderate winters, and hot and steamy summers, with nice spring and fall.
Get in
By car
I-64 heads east-west just north of Lincoln, City. US-231 heads north-south through Lincoln City.
By plane
- Evansville Regional Airport 7801 Bussing Dr. +1 812 421-4401.
Fees and permits
Admission to the grounds, farm, and visitor center is free.
Get around
Most of the area is accessible by walking from the main center.
See
- The tallest flagpole in Indiana at the first trail.
- A 15-minute film about the park in the visitor center.
- Cabin Memorial Site which is a bronze casting of an actual cabin foundation that symbolizes the cabin Lincoln lived in.
- The pioneer cemetery including the burial place of Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln.
- Lincoln Spring which was the main source for fresh water when the Lincoln's lived here.
Do
- Visit the visitor center which features information, a film, bookstore and exhibits, as well as the memorial made from Indiana limestone.
- Have a picnic at any of the many picnic areas throughout the park.
- Hike the trails that lead to other parts of the memorial park and beautiful grounds.
- Experience the living history of the Lincoln family. During warm months the area is filled with costumed re-inactors farming, cooking, and educating visitors about the history and life of those who inhabited the area in the 1820s.
Buy
The visitor center features a bookstore and gift shop.
Eat
Lincoln City, Santa Claus, and Dale all feature various restaurants, but there are no dining areas are in the park.
Drink
See above.
Sleep
Lodging
There are plenty of chains to suit your stay in the area, below is a list of more unique and interesting lodging options.
Camping
Backcountry
Stay safe
Stay on designated trails. There is a nearby railroad that runs just near the trails of the living history museum, so watch out.
Go next
- Santa Claus (Indiana) is between the park and Ferdinand.
Nearby
Santa Claus
City / town · 11 listings · 4 mi away
Ferdinand
City / town · 7 listings · 10 mi away
Jasper
City / town · 36 listings · 19 mi away
Owensboro
City / town · 28 listings · 25 mi away
Evansville
City / town · 45 listings · 32 mi away
Henderson
City / town · 15 listings · 37 mi away
Brandenburg
City / town · 15 listings · 46 mi away
Hartford
City / town · 30 listings · 46 mi away
My experience
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