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Tag: The National Park Service

July 14, 2015 in FeaturedNewsTourism

National Park Service Launches Kentucky National Park Pentathlon

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park
News Release
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Stacy Humphreys
Phone: 270-358-3137

 
National Park Service Launches Kentucky National Park Pentathlon

Hodgenville, Kentucky: This week, National Park Service (NPS) launched the Kentucky National Park Pentathlon, inviting those who visit all five NPS sites in the state to earn a special free commemorative patch. The Pentathlon is in recognition of the NPS 2016 Centennial.

“The National Park Service was created 100 years ago to protect America’s national treasures and provide opportunities for people to enjoy and understand them,” said Stan Austin, NPS Southeast Regional Director. “During the NPS Centennial we encourage everyone to find a park that has special meaning to them and enjoy what it has to offer..”

Pentathlon participants can earn the commemorative patch by visiting all five Kentucky national parks by April 2017, and participating at a least one activity at each park. Kentucky has all or part of five national park sites within its borders.

• Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park (Larue County) includes the country’s first memorial to Lincoln, built with donations from young and old, and enshrines the symbolic birthplace cabin. 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 through Civil War.
• Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area (McCreary County) encompasses 125,000 acres of the Cumberland Plateau, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and protects the free-flowing Big South Fork of the Cumberland River and its tributaries. The area boasts miles of scenic gorges and sandstone bluffs, is rich with natural and historic features and has been developed to provide visitors with a wide range of outdoor recreational activities.
• Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (Bell and Harlan Counties) provided the first great gateway to the west. The buffalo, the Native American, the longhunter, the pioneer – all traveled this route through the mountains into the wilderness of Kentucky. Modern day explorers and travelers continue to explore this great gateway and the many miles of trails and scenic features found in the park.
• The Fort Heiman unit of Fort Donelson National Battlefield (Calloway County) and the rest of the area played a critical role in the Civil War.. After the fall of Fort Donelson, the South was forced to give up southern Kentucky and much of Middle and West Tennessee. The Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, and railroads in the area, became vital Federal supply lines. Nashville was developed into a huge supply depot for the Union army in the west. The heartland of the Confederacy was opened, and the Federals would press on until the “Union” became a fact once more.
• Mammoth Cave National Park (Edmonson, Hart, and Barren Counties) preserves the cave system and a part of the Green River valley and hilly country of south central Kentucky. This is the world’s longest known cave system, with more than 400 miles explored. Early guide Stephen Bishop called the cave a “grand, gloomy and peculiar place,” but its vast chambers and complex labyrinths have earned its name – Mammoth.

Possible activities include hiking, biking, horseback riding, canoeing, camping, volunteering, attending a ranger-led tour/presentation, bird-watching, visiting a park’s museum, seeing park’s film or any other activity available at the parks. Participants can do the same activity at all five parks or try something different at each location.

“This is a great opportunity for people to find their park in Kentucky” said Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Superintendent Bill Justice. “2016 is also the centennial of Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park. This is a great year to learn more about Lincoln’s life in Kentucky and the first memorial to Lincoln.”

For more information on the Kentucky National Parks Pentathlon call Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park at 270-358-3137.

www.nps.gov
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s more than 400 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
July 13, 2015

August 29, 2014 in Community EventFeaturedNewsTourism

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Returns to Regular Park Hours

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

News Release

Contact: Stacy Humphreys

Phone: 270-358-3137

 

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Returns to Regular Park Hours

Starting Tuesday, September 1, 2014 the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park will return to regular park hours of 8:00am to 4:45pm at the Birthplace Unit.

For more information on the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, visit the park’s website at: http://www.nps.gov/abli or the park’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LincolnBirthplaceNPS

May 23, 2013 in Community EventFeaturedNewsTourism

Summer Season Celebration at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace

Join Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park as the park celebrates the beginning of the summer season!

Concert from 7:00pm to 8:00pm EDT with President Lincoln’s Own Band as featured

in the movie Lincoln.

Luminary Event from 8:00pm to 9:00pm EDT throughout park grounds including the

Sinking Spring and steps leading up the First Lincoln Memorial.

Summer Season Celebration 2013 Poster Final

February 23, 2012 in FeaturedNews

LaRue County Chamber, Its Members Prepare for 2012 Tourist Season

Check out our article that was in the LaRue County Herald this week:

 

As the economy continues to show signs of recovery, the LaRue County Chamber and its members are looking ahead to the 2012 tourist season with great enthusiasm.

“We think it’s going to be the best year since the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial,” said Jessica Davis, Chamber executive director.

“The importance of tourism to our local economy cannot be understated.  It creates jobs, generates revenue and exposes our community to people from around the country and around the globe,” Davis added.

According to Kentucky Tourism Industry, direct expenditures related to Tourism in LaRue County in 2010 exceed $5.1 million and there were 263 jobs in the county related to tourism.

The public’s fascination with Lincoln’s legacy drives tourism here.  The National Park Service reports that in 2010 the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park saw more than 177,000 visitors.

And The Lincoln Museum sees nearly 30,000 paid museum tours annually.  In 2011, the museum had visitors from 49 states and 37 countries. Museum Director, Iris LaRue attributes other nearby tourist attractions such as the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, the National Corvette Museum and Mammoth Cave with bringing even more visitors to LaRue County as one of several stops on their tour.

“These same visitors shopped in our stores, ate in our restaurants, filled gas tanks and saw everything that LaRue County has to offer,” said Stefanie Rock, President of the Chamber’s Board of Directors.

Pat Durham, chamber board member and owner of The Sweet Shoppe, credits 75% of his business to tourism and estimates seeing 15-20 visiting families each day.

The chamber is proud to be Hodgenville and LaRue County’s welcome center and is taking that job seriously with capital investments in an updated website (www.laruecountychamber.org ) and an active social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.

“We encourage all businesses to join us by putting out the welcome mat as we get ready for another successful tourism season in Hodgenville and LaRue County,” said Davis.