Old Fort Harrod State Park

Old Fort Harrod State Park is a full-scale replica of the original fort built by James Harrod in 1774. It was two years before America declared our independence, becoming the first permanent settlement in Kentucky.

The cabins and blockhouses have been rebuilt using a copy of the original plans of the Fort. Inside these spaces you’ll find handmade utensils, furniture, crude tools, and implements – a welcome reminder of how good we do have it today. The park’s interpretation staff are there daily to discuss life in the Fort and provide demonstrations like weaving on a loom, building a long rifle, blacksmithing, baking, and more. (These demonstrations vary based on staffing.)

Pro tips:

Take a photo with the park’s famous ‘Big Ole Tree’, one of the largest Osage Orange trees in the US
Walk through the Museum on site
Step into and have a look around the Lincoln Marriage Temple – a building around that houses the cabin where Abraham Lincoln’s parents were married in 1806