The Memorial Building surrounded by fall colors

Over 200,000 people a year come to walk up the steps of the Memorial Building to visit the site where Abraham Lincoln was born

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace

For over a century people from around the world have come to rural Central Kentucky to honor the humble beginnings of our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. His early life on Kentucky's frontier shaped his character and prepared him to lead the nation

Big South Fork NRRA in Fall

Big South Fork NRRA in Fall

Big South Fork

Encompassing 125,000 acres of the Cumberland Plateau, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area protects the free-flowing Big South Fork of the Cumberland River and its tributaries. The area boasts miles of scenic gorges and sandstone bluffs,

A paved path leads to a gray wooden building with US Flag flying.

Camp Nelson National Monument Visitor Center and Museum

Camp Nelson

The US Army established Camp Nelson as a fortified supply depot in April 1863. Over the next 3 years. the site evolved into a massive recruitment and training center for United States Colored Troops and a refugee camp for their families. It served as

Hensley Settlement

Weathered log cabins greet visitors to Hensley Settlement

Cumberland Gap

Cumberland Gap was the first great gateway to the west. Come follow the path of bison, Native Americans, longhunters, and pioneers. Walk where 300,000 people crossed the Appalachians to settle America. Explore 85 miles of trails and 14,000 acres of w

The View from the Upper River Battery

A commanding view of the Cumberland River from the Upper Artillery Battery

Fort Donelson

Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant was becoming quite famous as he wrote these words following the surrender of Confederate Fort Donelson on Sunday, February 16, 1862. The Union victory at Fort Donelson elated the North, and stunned the South. Within

Small waterfall with brown rocks and green moss

Giant springs is a site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Site located in Great Falls, Montana

Lewis & Clark

The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail winds nearly 4,900 miles through the homelands of more than 60 Tribal nations. It follows the historic outbound and inbound routes of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803-1806 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvani

A cascade of water pours over a rock ledge. Green foliage is in the background.

The sound of falling water welcomes visitors into the natural entrance of Mammoth Cave.

Mammoth Cave

Rolling hills, deep river valleys, and the world's longest known cave system. Mammoth Cave National Park is home to thousands of years of human history and a rich diversity of plant and animal life, earning it the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site

A orange sunset over the white granite headstones in the national cemetery with silhouetted cannon.

A glorious orange sunset back drops the Mill Springs National Cemetery.

Mill Springs Battlefield

The US won a significant victory early in the Civil War at the Battle of Mill Springs. Explore the rolling fields of Kentucky where the battle took place and learn about that state's strategic importance to both sides of the fight.

large white house, green lawn, two trees in front

The museum tells the story of Major Ridge, the influential Ridge family including prominent son John Ridge, Cherokee history, and the Trail of Tears, as well as subsequent history of the home and region.

Trail Of Tears

Remember and commemorate the survival of the Cherokee people, forcefully removed from their homelands in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee to live in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. They traveled by foot, horse, wagon, or steamboat in 1838-1839.