Lincoln Log Cabin Education Programs
Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, 402 S. Lincoln Highway Rd, Lerna, IL 62440
About
Lincoln Log Cabin Education Programs include historical interpretation, hands-on demonstrations, crafts, games, and other hands-on activities. Programs may feature a reading of a children's story or story time, along with a tour of the Lincoln farm and cabin. Some offerings also include activities and crafts connected to a historically themed children's book.
• Ages: 3–17 years old
• Schedule: Programs run throughout the year, including Homeschool Historians from September through May on select Fridays from 10 am to 2 pm, school field trips in spring and fall on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, Pioneer Day Camp in week-long sessions, the Young Adult Interpreter Program from June through August with a minimum commitment of 10 days, Littlest Pioneer Camp on select Tuesdays from 10 am to 2 pm, and the Saturday Story Series at 10 am on the first Saturday of every month.
• Price: Pioneer Day Camp $100 per session; Young Adult Interpreter Program $100; Littlest Pioneer Camp $5 per child.
Lincoln Log Cabin Education Programs take place at an 86-acre historic site that includes an accurate reproduction of the Lincolns' two-room cabin, reconstructed in 1935–1936 as a Civilian Conservation Corps project, along with two working living history farms staffed by costumed volunteer interpreters that show both subsistence and progressive 1840s farming. The site also includes the Moore Home, where Abraham Lincoln bid farewell to his stepmother Sarah Bush Lincoln in January 1861, and the Thomas Lincoln Cemetery, as well as picnic pavilions with electricity, grills, restrooms, a playground, and nature trails. The ten acres in the northwest corner where the CCC’s Camp Shiloh was located are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the site is part of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area.
Homeschool Historians is a monthly program for homeschoolers from pre-K through high school that explores American history through hands-on activities, games, and crafts. Lincoln's Birthday Party is held annually during the week of February 12 for first graders. School field trip programs are described as ideal for students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades, with customization available for any grade level.
Pioneer Day Camp is a week-long day camp based on the 1840s time period that uses tools and techniques from that era, and each session is capped at 10 participants; the camp fee includes a camp t-shirt, a noon meal each day, and all supplies. The Young Adult Interpreter Program runs June through August, with participants committing to at least 10 days, generally at least once per week Wednesday through Saturday from 9:30 am to 4 pm; participants dress in period attire, work closely with historic interpreters, learn about the site's history and mid-19th century skills, and share their knowledge with visitors, with a maximum of 10 participants per program day, and the fee covering clothing, a noon meal each day, and supplies. Littlest Pioneer Camp focuses on a rural child's life in the mid-19th century, runs from 10 am to 2 pm on listed dates, and requires each child to be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the full day; the fee includes lunch (noon vittles) for both child and chaperone and supplies.
The Saturday Story Series features a historically themed children's book followed by activities and crafts, and admission to this series is free. The Goosenest Prairie Gift Shop offers souvenirs and locally sourced items. Site hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm, and the grounds are open year-round from 8:30 am until dusk.
Lincoln Log Cabin Education Programs operate under the mission statement that Lincoln Log Cabin honors Lincoln's legacy and preserves rural heritage. The site is owned and operated by the State of Illinois and managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Sites, with the website funded and maintained by the Lincoln Log Cabin Foundation. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum provides educator resources referenced by the site, and the Lincoln Log Cabin Foundation supports education programming, special events, and preservation of the site.
Last updated May 22, 2026.
• Ages: 3–17 years old
• Schedule: Programs run throughout the year, including Homeschool Historians from September through May on select Fridays from 10 am to 2 pm, school field trips in spring and fall on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, Pioneer Day Camp in week-long sessions, the Young Adult Interpreter Program from June through August with a minimum commitment of 10 days, Littlest Pioneer Camp on select Tuesdays from 10 am to 2 pm, and the Saturday Story Series at 10 am on the first Saturday of every month.
• Price: Pioneer Day Camp $100 per session; Young Adult Interpreter Program $100; Littlest Pioneer Camp $5 per child.
Lincoln Log Cabin Education Programs take place at an 86-acre historic site that includes an accurate reproduction of the Lincolns' two-room cabin, reconstructed in 1935–1936 as a Civilian Conservation Corps project, along with two working living history farms staffed by costumed volunteer interpreters that show both subsistence and progressive 1840s farming. The site also includes the Moore Home, where Abraham Lincoln bid farewell to his stepmother Sarah Bush Lincoln in January 1861, and the Thomas Lincoln Cemetery, as well as picnic pavilions with electricity, grills, restrooms, a playground, and nature trails. The ten acres in the northwest corner where the CCC’s Camp Shiloh was located are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the site is part of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area.
Homeschool Historians is a monthly program for homeschoolers from pre-K through high school that explores American history through hands-on activities, games, and crafts. Lincoln's Birthday Party is held annually during the week of February 12 for first graders. School field trip programs are described as ideal for students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades, with customization available for any grade level.
Pioneer Day Camp is a week-long day camp based on the 1840s time period that uses tools and techniques from that era, and each session is capped at 10 participants; the camp fee includes a camp t-shirt, a noon meal each day, and all supplies. The Young Adult Interpreter Program runs June through August, with participants committing to at least 10 days, generally at least once per week Wednesday through Saturday from 9:30 am to 4 pm; participants dress in period attire, work closely with historic interpreters, learn about the site's history and mid-19th century skills, and share their knowledge with visitors, with a maximum of 10 participants per program day, and the fee covering clothing, a noon meal each day, and supplies. Littlest Pioneer Camp focuses on a rural child's life in the mid-19th century, runs from 10 am to 2 pm on listed dates, and requires each child to be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the full day; the fee includes lunch (noon vittles) for both child and chaperone and supplies.
The Saturday Story Series features a historically themed children's book followed by activities and crafts, and admission to this series is free. The Goosenest Prairie Gift Shop offers souvenirs and locally sourced items. Site hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm, and the grounds are open year-round from 8:30 am until dusk.
Lincoln Log Cabin Education Programs operate under the mission statement that Lincoln Log Cabin honors Lincoln's legacy and preserves rural heritage. The site is owned and operated by the State of Illinois and managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Sites, with the website funded and maintained by the Lincoln Log Cabin Foundation. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum provides educator resources referenced by the site, and the Lincoln Log Cabin Foundation supports education programming, special events, and preservation of the site.
Last updated May 22, 2026.
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