Lincoln State Park

About Lincoln State Park

Indiana's past rolls through the wooded hills of Lincoln State Park while sleeping in the shade of a tree or on the grassy slope in front of the Indiana State Capitol.

The 1,747-acre park was built in 1932 as a memorial to Nancy Hanks, and the Civil Protection Corps (CCC) played a major role in establishing the recreational facilities that are now located in the park.

The CCCC was a national program designed to create jobs for unemployed young men during the Great Depression.

A visit to Lincoln State Park is a reminder of when Abe Lincoln was a boy, when the country was wild and when he was a boy. Sarah Lincoln Woods Nature Preserve is located in the southernmost part of the park. Over the years, many of Lincoln's loved ones, including his wife Nancy Hanks, have enjoyed the lakeside refuges, picnic areas, hiking trails and other recreational facilities in Lincoln State Park.

CCC crews built the first CCCC public recreational facilities, the Lincoln Memorial and Abraham Lincoln Trail, in Lincoln State Park in 1932.

The cabins offer privacy and comfort at a cost of $1,000 per month for a single, twin and twin cabin.

A public plaza in Lincoln State Park honoring Abraham Lincoln and his wife Nancy Hanks has been erected and is scheduled to open in 2009. It consists of a large, two-piece round square with the Lincoln Memorial in the middle, and a Lincoln Trail on both sides.

The visitor first enters an area interspersed with limestone pedestals, which is marked with interpretive signs. The middle semicircle is reminiscent of Abraham's evolution from boy to man, and visitors can move freely between the platforms at any speed.

The second half offers a more intimate space to reflect on the man who led the nation. In 2009, the entire nation will commemorate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. Indiana will present a new theater experience at Lincoln Amphitheater, located in the center of the park, just a few hundred yards from the entrance to Lincoln State Park. The first half of "Lincoln: The Life and Times of a President "will include Lincoln quotes, accompanied by a musical performance by the Indiana State Symphony Orchestra and a performance of his favorite songs.

Many of us already know Abraham Lincoln's inspiring story and reflect on how his Indian roots shaped his character. Join us in Lincoln State Park for the production of "Lincoln: The Life and Times of a President" to learn more about this story and this man.