Lincoln Pioneer Village & Museum in Rockport Indiana

George Honig, 1874-1962, was a local renowned artist and sculptor whose work is displayed across the U.S. He had a vision of recreating what life would have been like when the Lincolns were in Southern Indiana 1816-1830.

The village consists of 14 replica cabins built in 1935 by the WPA. Each cabin has a significant’s to Abraham Lincoln. A replica home place, the Jones Store where he worked for 25 cents a day, Judge John Pitchers Law office where Abe would walk 17 miles from his home to Rockport to borrow books and learn the law, the Crawford’s who were neighbors of the Lincolns, the Gentry cabin, a school house just to name a few.

In 1950 the Museum was built and houses a number of artifacts including the “Lincoln Hutch” thought to be made by Abe with the help of his father Thomas, a 1598 Breetches Bible, a rare “Rocker Beater” Loom, a nice display of Civil War to World War II memorabilia, a room full of George Honig’s original artwork and sculptures including the actual sketches of the village and what his vision looked like.

In 1955 Hollywood came to Rockport to film  the movie “The Kentuckian” directed by and starring Burt Lancaster with Walter Matthau’s debut.  A number of locals were cast as extras and can still tell their stories today of the excitement of the filming.

Rockport is a quaint little river town located on the Ohio River. It was here where Abraham and Allen Gentry left by way of flatboat, to travel to New Orleans where they witnessed their first experience with slavery. The site of the flatboat departure, on the Ohio River, can be visited below the bluff at the end of Main Street.

20 minutes north of town is the Lincoln National Boyhood and Lincoln State Park. The entire area is rich with history where one can step back in time and relive how life was when the Lincolns settled here.

In the same area 20 minutes north is the well known town of Santa Claus Indiana, known for the famous Holiday World amusement park and Christmas themed town.