Labor Day Weekend Activity Schedule (9/4 - 9/7)
Welcome to Big Bone Lick State Historic Site! The park’s program services staff provides safe and enjoyable outdoor experiences for all park visitors. Our goal is to enhance the visitor experience by sharing the park’s unique prehistory, interpreting its natural resources, and providing a variety of purely recreational offerings.
All activities are FREE unless otherwise noted ($).
Children 12 & under must be accompanied by an adult at all activities.
A minimum of three participants are required per program.
Staff Listing:
Maggie Stephenson, Carissa Beck, Gracyn White, and Lexie Wilson
Bison Coordinator:
Claire Kolkmeyer
*ALL TIMES ARE Eastern Standard (EST)*
All programs start promptly at listed time.
Programs subject to cancellation due to inclement weather.
Every Day
Arrowhead Necklaces ($): 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: $5.00 per necklace
Lewis and Clark Junior Ranger Badge: Stop by the museum to earn a Junior Ranger badge by completing an activity booklet. Activities will guide you to check out the place you're visiting and to find out why this site is important to the Lewis and Clark Expedition story. As you fill-in-the-blanks, you'll learn about Native lands. As you decode messages, you'll get to know expedition members’ diverse backgrounds and skills.
Location: Museum Approximate Time: 45 minutes Ages: All Ages
Big Bone Scavenger Hunt: Do you think you can complete Harlan G. Sloth’s scavenger hunt? Pick up your list at the campground store to find out! Work in teams or lead a solo adventure. Prizes awarded to teams who finish the hunt!
Location: Campground Store Approximate Time: 45 minutes Ages: All Ages
Mini Golf ($): 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 $3.50 – adults
Friday, September 4
10:00 A.M. Salt Lick Spa Scrub ($): During the 19th century, Big Bone Lick was home to magnificent hotels and spas. People from far and wide came to bathe in the salty springs for its rich health benefits. Make your own Big Bone Lick salt scrub to take home using essential oils, natural coconut oil, organic herbs, and salt from the park’s very own salt springs.
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 30 Minutes Ages: All Ages
Fee: $6.00 per jar
1:00 P.M. Snake Painting ($): Slither or shake your way to paint some wiggly, wooden snakes! Make it your own or try to pattern it after the native snakes of the area.
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 45 Minutes Ages: All Ages
Fee: $3.00 per snake
3:00 P.M. Sponge Bomb Wars: Ready…aim…fire! Do you have the best aim in the campground? Can you dip, duck, dive, and dodge all the sponge bombs? Join interpretive staff for a summer dodgeball and snowball fight crossover battle, last player standing wins!
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 45 minutes Ages: All Ages
5:00 P.M. Big Bone Bingo*: Come play a few rounds of bingo with the interpretive staff at the Recreation Shelter. Prizes awarded to the winners!
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 45 Minutes Ages: All Ages
*For campground guests only
Saturday, September 5
10:00 A.M. Meet the Big Bone Bison: Did you know that Big Bone is home to live American Bison? They are a living link to the Ice Age, 10,000 years ago. Come learn about bison then and now while getting to know the Big Bone bison herd. Drop by the Bison Viewing Area at any time between 10am and 12pm., to hear Claire Kolkmeyer, the Bison Coordinator, telling stories and answering questions. To access the viewing area, follow the Bison Trace trail for 0.25 miles.
Location: Bison Viewing Area Approximate Time: 2 Hours Ages: All Ages
10:00 A.M. Customizable Cedar Tree Cookies ($): Customize your very own tree cookie to make an one-of-a-kind ornament, coaster, or magnet commemorating your visit at Big Bone Lick. A tree cookie is a cross-section of a cedar tree that you can paint, wood burn, color, glitter, and more!
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 45 minutes Ages: All Ages
Fee: $3.00 per cookie
1:00 P.M. Tie-Dye T-Shirt ($)*: Let your imagination run wild and create a personalized souvenir to take home. Supplies limited. Purchase your shirts 20 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) / $5.00 per sale shirt (Youth sizes only) *certain sizes may be temporarily out of stock
3:00 P.M. Reptile Roundup: Make friends with the wildlife ambassador corn snakes and box turtle here at Big Bone Lick with 1 – on – 1 interactions. You will learn interesting facts, get an up-close look, and have an opportunity for a picture to remember your new friend.
Location: Museum Approximate Time: 1 hour Ages: All Ages
5:00 P.M. Trivia Night: How well do you know the natural world? Test your knowledge of Big Bone Lick, natural sciences, history, and the local region. Guests are welcome to group in teams as large as 4 people or take on the challenge solo. The winning team earns one prize per person!
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 1 hour Ages: All Ages
Sunday, September 6
10:00 A.M. Personal Fishing Lures($): Nothing beats the memories of fishing, especially when those memories are made with a one-of-a-kind lure you painted with your own creativity. Grab your paint brush and make something the fish won’t be able to resist. *hooks not included*
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 45 minutes Ages: All Ages
Fee: $2
1:00 P.M. Tobacco Hiking Sticks ($): 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: $8.00 per walking stick
3:00 P.M. Atlatl, Prehistoric Weapon of Choice*: Prehistoric people came up with a rather ingenious device in order to hunt for large animals and for protection, the atlatl. This device allowed a person to throw a long dart up to several hundred yards. See how far you can throw an atlatl dart.
Location: Museum Approximate Time: 45 Minutes Ages: *8+ to throw
Monday, September 7
10:00 A.M. Bead-a-Bracelet ($): The art of jewelry making is centuries old and is common among local indigenous groups. Create your own personalized bracelet with a variety of beads. A great gift for yourself or a friend.
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 45 Minutes Ages: All Ages
Fee: $2 per bracelet
1:00 P.M. Art in the Park - Ice Age Murals Edition: Ice Age megafauna once roamed the valley here at Big Bone Lick. Using stencils, sidewalk chalk, and your imagination, lets re-create their story. There will be lots of ‘canvas’ to illustrate what the mammoths, mastodons, and ground sloths might have been doing, such a long time ago.
Location: Museum Approximate Time: 1 Hour Ages: All Ages
All activities are FREE unless otherwise noted ($).
Children 12 & under must be accompanied by an adult at all activities.
A minimum of three participants are required per program.
Staff Listing:
Maggie Stephenson, Carissa Beck, Gracyn White, and Lexie Wilson
Bison Coordinator:
Claire Kolkmeyer
*ALL TIMES ARE Eastern Standard (EST)*
All programs start promptly at listed time.
Programs subject to cancellation due to inclement weather.
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: $5.00 per necklace
Lewis and Clark Junior Ranger Badge: Stop by the museum to earn a Junior Ranger badge by completing an activity booklet. Activities will guide you to check out the place you're visiting and to find out why this site is important to the Lewis and Clark Expedition story. As you fill-in-the-blanks, you'll learn about Native lands. As you decode messages, you'll get to know expedition members’ diverse backgrounds and skills.
Location: Museum Approximate Time: 45 minutes Ages: All Ages
Big Bone Scavenger Hunt: Do you think you can complete Harlan G. Sloth’s scavenger hunt? Pick up your list at the campground store to find out! Work in teams or lead a solo adventure. Prizes awarded to teams who finish the hunt!
Location: Campground Store Approximate Time: 45 minutes Ages: All Ages
Mini Golf ($): 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 $3.50 – adults
Friday, September 4
10:00 A.M. Salt Lick Spa Scrub ($): During the 19th century, Big Bone Lick was home to magnificent hotels and spas. People from far and wide came to bathe in the salty springs for its rich health benefits. Make your own Big Bone Lick salt scrub to take home using essential oils, natural coconut oil, organic herbs, and salt from the park’s very own salt springs.
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 30 Minutes Ages: All Ages
Fee: $6.00 per jar
1:00 P.M. Snake Painting ($): Slither or shake your way to paint some wiggly, wooden snakes! Make it your own or try to pattern it after the native snakes of the area.
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 45 Minutes Ages: All Ages
Fee: $3.00 per snake
3:00 P.M. Sponge Bomb Wars: Ready…aim…fire! Do you have the best aim in the campground? Can you dip, duck, dive, and dodge all the sponge bombs? Join interpretive staff for a summer dodgeball and snowball fight crossover battle, last player standing wins!
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 45 minutes Ages: All Ages
5:00 P.M. Big Bone Bingo*: Come play a few rounds of bingo with the interpretive staff at the Recreation Shelter. Prizes awarded to the winners!
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 45 Minutes Ages: All Ages
*For campground guests only
Saturday, September 5
10:00 A.M. Meet the Big Bone Bison: Did you know that Big Bone is home to live American Bison? They are a living link to the Ice Age, 10,000 years ago. Come learn about bison then and now while getting to know the Big Bone bison herd. Drop by the Bison Viewing Area at any time between 10am and 12pm., to hear Claire Kolkmeyer, the Bison Coordinator, telling stories and answering questions. To access the viewing area, follow the Bison Trace trail for 0.25 miles.
Location: Bison Viewing Area Approximate Time: 2 Hours Ages: All Ages
10:00 A.M. Customizable Cedar Tree Cookies ($): Customize your very own tree cookie to make an one-of-a-kind ornament, coaster, or magnet commemorating your visit at Big Bone Lick. A tree cookie is a cross-section of a cedar tree that you can paint, wood burn, color, glitter, and more!
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 45 minutes Ages: All Ages
Fee: $3.00 per cookie
1:00 P.M. Tie-Dye T-Shirt ($)*: Let your imagination run wild and create a personalized souvenir to take home. Supplies limited. Purchase your shirts 20 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) / $5.00 per sale shirt (Youth sizes only) *certain sizes may be temporarily out of stock
3:00 P.M. Reptile Roundup: Make friends with the wildlife ambassador corn snakes and box turtle here at Big Bone Lick with 1 – on – 1 interactions. You will learn interesting facts, get an up-close look, and have an opportunity for a picture to remember your new friend.
Location: Museum Approximate Time: 1 hour Ages: All Ages
5:00 P.M. Trivia Night: How well do you know the natural world? Test your knowledge of Big Bone Lick, natural sciences, history, and the local region. Guests are welcome to group in teams as large as 4 people or take on the challenge solo. The winning team earns one prize per person!
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 1 hour Ages: All Ages
Sunday, September 6
10:00 A.M. Personal Fishing Lures($): Nothing beats the memories of fishing, especially when those memories are made with a one-of-a-kind lure you painted with your own creativity. Grab your paint brush and make something the fish won’t be able to resist. *hooks not included*
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 45 minutes Ages: All Ages
Fee: $2
1:00 P.M. Tobacco Hiking Sticks ($): 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: $8.00 per walking stick
3:00 P.M. Atlatl, Prehistoric Weapon of Choice*: Prehistoric people came up with a rather ingenious device in order to hunt for large animals and for protection, the atlatl. This device allowed a person to throw a long dart up to several hundred yards. See how far you can throw an atlatl dart.
Location: Museum Approximate Time: 45 Minutes Ages: *8+ to throw
Monday, September 7
10:00 A.M. Bead-a-Bracelet ($): The art of jewelry making is centuries old and is common among local indigenous groups. Create your own personalized bracelet with a variety of beads. A great gift for yourself or a friend.
Location: Recreation Shelter Approximate Time: 45 Minutes Ages: All Ages
Fee: $2 per bracelet
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
Where is it happening?
3380 Beaver Road, Union, KY, United States, Kentucky 41091
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherBig Bone Lick State Historic Site
