Kentucky Official Visitor's Guide - 2017 Kentucky Official Visitor's Guide
Historic Best Bets
2016-12-11 01:23:45
Daniel Boone and Abraham Lincoln once walked here. Dig into their legacies and those of other significant historical figures.
Perryville Battlefield State Park, Perryville.
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, Hodgenville
Narrating the humble beginnings of one of American’s most beloved presidents are an early 19th century cabin symbolizing the one Abe Lincoln was born in and his boyhood home at Knob Creek. Here, where Lincoln lived from ages 2 to 7, is where his character, ideals and principles were shaped.
Big South Fork Scenic Railway, Stearns
Dig into coal-mining history with a ride into the heart of Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area and Barthell Coal Mining Camp. Before your journey, enjoy live music at the historic depot. Afterward, tour exhibits at McCreary County Museum, housed in the 1907 Stearns Coal and Lumber Company corporate headquarters.
606-376-5730 www.mccrearymuseum.com
Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park, Nicholasville
During the Civil War, this National Historic Landmark and part of the Underground Railroad, was the second-largest depot and permanent encampment in the state. As the third-largest recruitment camp for African- Americans in the U.S., eight regiments of U.S. Colored Troops were founded here. A living history re-enactment takes place in September.
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Middlesboro
Dr. Thomas Walker explored this area in 1750, but 20 years later the more high-profile Daniel Boone came through. The Cumberland Gap, that rugged passage through the southern Appalachian Mountains, led into the vast wilderness of “Kentake” — the name Native Americans had given it, meaning “meadowland.”
Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond
Named for Daniel Boone, this park memorializes the frontiersman who lived here in a thriving fort from 1775 to 1780. The park re-creates a frontier experience through historical, craft and educational programs, and offers numerous recreational opportunities, including camping, fishing and boating.
www.parks.ky.gov/parks/recreationparks/fortboonesborough
Perryville Battlefield State Park, Perryville
Glimpse vistas seen by soldiers on the day of the largest and bloodiest Civil War battle in Kentucky, which raged on Oct. 8, 1862, and left 7,600 soldiers dead, wounded or missing. Today, this peaceful National Historic Landmark is one of the nation’s best preserved and most pristine Civil War battlefields.
parks.ky.gov/parks/historicsites/perryville-battlefield
Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg
Make a turkey-wing hand-tied broom. Take a candlelight or standup paddleboard yoga class. Dine on dishes made from heirloom recipes using ingredients grown in gardens outside. This 3,000-acre landmark offers visitors an active experience in the spirit of the Kentucky Shakers.
Trail of Tears Commemorative Park, Hopkinsville
Walk hallowed grounds at the site of the 1838-1839 encampment set up during the forced removal of the Cherokee people. The weekend after Labor Day, the park hosts a Pow Wow with Native American singing, storytelling, dance, arts and crafts, foods (fry bread!) And more.
For more, visit KentuckyTourism.com and click on See/History & Heritage!
Fort Boonesborough blacksmith shop
Big South Fork Scenic Railway
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