Kentucky History Sites For Kids
The Best Historical Sites in Kentucky to Get Kids Excited About History
Kentucky is rich in places to help get kids really excited about history. Beyond traditional museums, there are so many places in Kentucky that really let kids experience history in a hands-on way. And there’s just no better way to learn about history than by experiencing historical sites first-hand. Here are the BEST sites to get kids excited about learning Kentucky history.
Big Bone Lick
A major salt lick, this area drew massive prehistoric animals to it and Native Americans used it as a hunting ground. As a result, fossils have been found here of mastodons and and mammoths. Additionally, the fossils were famous by the time of Lewis and Clark. Having heard about them, President Thomas Jefferson directed Lewis and later Clark to the site to collect fossils and send them back to him.
It’s a really neat place for kids who are interested in fossils and to help give them a sense of different periods of history. The museum is small but engaging, and kids can earn their Lewis and Clark NPS Junior Ranger badge.
Just outside of the museum is a recreation of how fossils were found in the hunting pits.
Additionally, there is still a bison herd here that is only a short hike away from the visitor center.
Lastly, there are two playground areas and a swinging rope bridge to give families plenty of opportunities to play after viewing the fossils.
Just south of Cincinnati, this is worth a visit to learn about a different periods of Kentucky’s history in one place.
Cumberland Gap
The path that settlers used to take into Kentucky- this site helps you visualize how this area felt when Kentucky was considered to be the western frontier.
Visitors can learn about the history of the trails at the visitor center. There are also several drives and short walks that will take you to different view points- including an area where you can see three states at once.
If your kids are up for a longer hike though, I definitely recommend getting on the Wilderness Road. A key road for settlers moving west, this road was so heavily traversed that you can still see the wagon ruts today in the trail.
This is also apart of the National Park System with a Junior Ranger badge to help kids learn more about the area.
Fort Harrod or Fort Boonesboro
Two of the earliest forts in Kentucky, these are both right outside of Lexington. Each fort has a recreation of what life would have looked like in the fort. It can be an interactive way for kids to explore the time period of early settlement. Check their schedules for when there are reenactments, demonstrations, and events. Both offer a full calendar of events.
Louisville RiverFront and Falls of the Ohio
Louisville is a great city to learn more about America’s early westward expansion. At the Falls of the Ohio you can not only explore prehistoric fossils, but also see the site from where Lewis and Clark met before beginning their expedition. Take a riverboat tour and learn more about early steam boat travel and trade along the Ohio River. Many of these tours have programs for kids, which makes it extra fun.
Check out my post here for more information on what to do in Louisville with kids.
Lexington
Ashland- Henry Clay’s Estate or Waveland State Park
Lexington is a great place for history in general. However, if you’re focused on just a site or two I highly recommend either Ashland or Waveland.
Ashland was Henry Clay’s estate. As a key Senator during America’s early republic, Ashland is steeped in American history. The house is open for tours, but if you think your kids aren’t up to a full house tour, the grounds are still fascinating (and maybe a bit more kid-friendly- there’s nothing breakable in the outbuildings). Pack a picnic and enjoy these beautiful grounds in the heart of Lexington. Explore the ice houses and where they preserved meat. There’s even an exhibit dedicated to the artifacts that they’ve found on the site of the outhouse- nothing like gross history to get kids hooked.
Waveland is an antebellum home that was a plantation. The home is also available for tours (check their website though- it’s not daily), but the grounds are open daily and are free. Waveland has a few hiking trails, a great playground, and you can also explore the outside of the house.
Both sites do a good job of tackling their difficult history around slavery, with Ashland featuring an exhibit that specifically focuses on the lives of the enslaved persons that were there.
If you’re looking for more places to visit in Lexington and the surrounding area, be sure to check out my post here.
Lincoln’s Birthplace and Boyhood Home on Knob Creek
As one of the most influential presidents- Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace is well worth checking out. The cabin is preserved and there is also a replica cabinet to explore. As a part of NPS, there is a Jr. Ranger program. The site itself isn’t huge and can be explored in an hour or so.
If you have extra time, check out his boyhood home on Knob Creek just up the road. I personaly prefer this site as there is more space for a picnic and for the kids to run around. Plus, Lincoln said that this was the first home he remembered. It’s easy to visualize him exploring the creek and running through the trails as a little kid.
(Just a side note- these sites are on the very edge of Eastern Time Zone! This definitely got us when we were trying to see this site on the same day as Mammoth Cave that is a short drive away but is in Central Time Zone.)
Shaker Village of Pleasant HIll
Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is absolutely worth a bit of a drive into the country. The Shakers were a utopian society in the 1800s during a time period when utopian societies were somewhat sweeping across early America. The buildings have been largely preserved and it is still a working farm today.
In addition to touring the buildings (which are cool), they have a TON of activities for kids of all ages. There are STEM days, seasonal events, guided hikes- you name it. Definitely check out their calendar.
This is a great way to explore the idea of living history. Also- if you want to extend your visit here, many of the buildings are now available to stay in as inn rooms. There is also a delicious restaurant on site that features traditional southern style cooking.
Northern Kentucky- Underground Railroad Sites
For slightly older kids, Northern Kentucky holds several Underground Railroad sites along the Ohio River. You can easily make a whole day out of visiting different stops.
Maysville, KY features the Harriet Beecher Stowe Slavery to Freedom Museum. She was living in Maysville when she witnessed an auction, which later went on to inspire her to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin. You can tour the house where she lived.
Additionally, some of the houses here are open for tours and you can see evidence of how the Underground Railroad worked, from quilts that were signals to trick staircases.
And while it’s technically outside of Kentucky, just across the river in Ohio is the Rankin House. John Rankin was an influential abolitionist and the story that is told here is incredibly powerful. His home overlooked the Ohio River and today they do a great job of explaining the significance of the work of the Underground Railroad.
