Every Day
Arrowhead Necklaces ($): Humans have been coming to Big Bone Lick for 10,000 years to hunt and make salt. Until Europeans came to the area, Native Americans used stone tools to hunt and process meat. Each participant will make an arrowhead necklace to take home.
Location: Museum Approximate Time: 45 Minutes Ages: All Ages
Fee: $3.00 per necklace
Lewis and Clark Junior Ranger Badge: Stop by the museum to earn a Junior Ranger badge by completing an activity booklet. Activities will guide you to check out the place you're visiting and to find out why this site is important to the Lewis and Clark Expedition story. As you fill-in-the-blanks, you'll learn about Native lands. As you decode messages, you'll get to know expedition members’ diverse backgrounds and skills.
Location: Museum Approximate Time: 45 minutes Ages: All Ages
Big Bone Scavenger Hunt: Do you think you can complete Harlan G. Sloth’s scavenger hunt? Pick up your list at the campground store to find out! Work in teams or lead a solo adventure. Prizes awarded to teams who finish the hunt!
Location: Campground Store Approximate Time: 45 minutes Ages: All Ages
Mini Golf ($): Play a round of mini golf! Pick up clubs and balls from the campground store.
Location: Campground Store Approximate Time: 45 minutes Ages: All Ages
Fee: $2.50 – children $3.50 – adults
Friday, July 11
1:00 P.M. Solar Ray Prints*: This cool paper creates pictures with just sun light and water. Join the Park Interpreter as we search for interesting objects to “photograph”. Each participant will create a picture to take home. *Subject to cancellation due to inclement weather
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 30 Minutes Ages: All Ages
3:00 P.M. Atlatl, Prehistoric Weapon of Choice*: Prehistoric people came up with a rather ingenious device in order to hunt for large animals and for protection, the atlatl. This device allowed a person to throw a long dart up to several hundred yards. See how far you can throw an atlatl dart.
Location: Museum Approximate Time: 45 Minutes Ages: *8+ to throw
Saturday, July 12
10:00 A.M. Tie-Dye T-Shirt ($)*: Let your imagination run wild and create a personalized souvenir to take home. Supplies limited. Purchase your shirts 30 minutes ahead of the program time.
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 1 Hour Ages: All Ages
Fee: $15.00 per shirt – Youth sizes (XS-L) and adult sizes (S-XXL) – New T-shirt Design for 2025!
11:00 A.M. Meet the Big Bone Bison: Did you know that Big Bone is home to live American Bison? They are a living link to the Ice Age, 10,000 years ago. Come learn about bison then and now while getting to know the Big Bone bison herd. Drop by the Bison Viewing Area at any time between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., to hear Claire Kolkmeyer, the Bison Coordinator, telling stories and answering questions. To access the viewing area, follow the Bison Trace trail for 0.25 miles.
Location: Bison Viewing Area Approximate Time: 2 Hours Ages: All Ages
3:00 P.M. Creek Explorer*: What is the best thing to do on a hot summer day? Get wet of course! Join Interpretive Staff for a wet and muddy exploration of Big Bone Creek. On this trip, we will be exploring all the different habitats in and around the creek. Come prepared to get wet and wear your old shoes.
Location: Museum Approximate Time: 45 Minutes Ages: All Ages
*Subject to cancellation due to hazardous conditions
5:00 P.M. Big Bone Bingo*: Come play a few rounds of bingo with the interpretive staff at the Recreation Shelter. Prizes awarded to the winners!
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 45 Minutes Ages: All Ages
*For campground guests only
Sunday, July 13
10:00 A.M. Tobacco Hiking Sticks ($): Come decorate your own piece of Kentucky heritage, the tobacco stick. These sticks were used to hang and dry tobacco on farms all over Kentucky. Today they make awesome walking sticks! You can paint, wood burn and feather your own special tobacco stick to take on the trail.
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 1 Hour Ages: All Ages Fee: $5.00 per walking stick
1:00 P.M. Art in the Park - Ice Age Murals Edition: Ice Age megafauna once roamed the valley here at Big Bone Lick. Using stencils, sidewalk chalk, and your imagination, lets re-create their story. There will be lots of ‘canvas’ to illustrate what the mammoths, mastodons, and ground sloths might have been doing, such a long time ago.
Location: Museum Approximate Time: 1 Hour Ages: All Ages
3:00 P.M. Fossil Hunter: This area is known for being the birthplace of American Vertebrate Paleontology but it is also a premier Ordovician fossil location. We will talk about how this area became a premier fossil site, how the ancient invertebrates that lived here became fossils, and most importantly hone our fossil hunting skills. Participants will have the opportunity to handle and identify fossils found on the park.
Location: Museum Approximate Time: 45 Minutes Ages: All Ages
You may also like the following events from Big Bone Lick State Historic Site:
Also check out other
Trips & Adventurous Activities in Union,
Sports events in Union.
