Department of Parks
State Parks, Libraries, Join To Support Summer Reading

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Young Kentuckians will have a chance to see where prehistoric mammoths roamed or learn about the Civil War in Kentucky by taking part in the  summer reading program at their local public library this summer.

The Kentucky State Parks have joined with the Kentucky Department for Libraries & Archives to encourage children to read during the summer.

Some 118 local public libraries have summer reading programs for children. Last summer, more than 122,000 children participated in the program. Among the coupons offered to children who complete the reading requirements is a free admission to one of 15 state park historic sites or museums across the state.

“We’re glad to be able to offer some great historic sites and museums for children to learn more about Kentucky,” said Parks Commissioner J.T. Miller. “This is a great way to keep children reading in the summer months.”

One free admission is awarded to any child through age 18 who registers and takes part in the summer reading program at their local public library. 

“Kentucky’s State Park system is world renowned for many reasons and this link with library summer reading programs is a wonderful connection,” said State Librarian Jim Nelson. “What could be more natural than visiting a state park, seeing the sites and reading a good book!”   

Here’s a list of the state park museums and historic sites with the county where they’re located:

Big Bone Lick (Boone): Where bones of prehistoric mammoths captured world attention.

Blue Licks Battlefield (Robertson): Where the last battle of the Revolutionary War was fought.

Columbus-Belmont (Hickman): “Gilbraltar of the West” in famous Civil War battle.

General Butler (Butler-Turpin House) (Carroll): In memory of the “Hero of the War of 1812.”

Jefferson Davis Monument (Todd&Christian): Birthplace of the first and only president of the Confederacy.

John James Audubon Museum & Nature Center (Henderson): Tour the world’s largest collection of Audubon material.

Levi Jackson Wilderness Road (Laurel): Pioneer life over the first paths into Kentucky.

Lincoln Homestead (Washington): Where Abraham Lincoln’s father grew up and married Abraham’s mother.

My Old Kentucky Home (Nelson): Inspiration for Stephen Foster’s famous ballad.

Old Fort Harrod (Mercer): The first permanent settlement West of the Alleghenies.

Perryville Battlefield (Boyle): The final showdown for the Civil War in Kentucky.

Waveland (Fayette): A glimpse of life in an antebellum plantation.

White Hall (Madison): Home of Cassius Clay, fiery abolitionist in Lincoln’s time.

Wickliffe Mounds (Ballard): Archaeological site of a prehistoric Native American village.

William Whitley House (Lincoln): First brick house in Kentucky fortified against Indian attacks.

Several other state park historic sites are free to the public. They are: Boone Station in Fayette County near Athens; Constitution Square in Danville; Isaac Shelby Cemetery in Boyle County; Old Mulkey Meetinghouse in Tompkinsville; and Dr. Thomas Walker State Historic Site in Barbourville.

For more information, visit your local public library.

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The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 52 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. Each year, Kentucky parks draw 7 million visitors and contribute $317 million to the economy. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our Web site at http://www.parks.ky.gov