Camp Nelson National Monument

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A paved path leads to a gray wooden building with US Flag flying.
Camp Nelson National Monument Visitor Center and Museum
A stone obelisk in a grass field surrounded by luminary bags
4th Annual Luminaria and Memorial Walk
NPS Directional Sign at Camp Nelson National Monument
NPS Directional Sign at Camp Nelson National Monument
Living historians portraying US soldiers in a grass field with a wagon.
160th Anniversary of the East Tennessee Campaign, August 2023
Open fields of green grass with trees during a colorful sunrise.
View of Camp Nelson's pastoral landscape looking northeast near the Visitor Center.
A row of rough, wooden bunk beds in the soldiers' barrack house.
Visit the barracks to imagine life at Camp Nelson during the Civil War.
A white, 2 story farm house with a Civil War cannon sitting in front of it
The Perry House at Camp Nelson
2 cannons at an earthen fort
Replica cannons at Fort Putnam
Living historians firing cannons in a grass field.
Living historians firing cannons in a grass field.
Photos: National Park Service

About Camp Nelson National Monument

The US Army established Camp Nelson as a fortified supply depot in April 1863. Over the next 3 years, the site evolved into a massive recruitment and training center for United States Colored Troops and a refugee camp for their families. It served as a shelter for civilians fleeing war and for enslaved people hoping to secure their freedom and aid in the destruction of slavery.

Quick Facts

State Kentucky
Designation National Monument
State Code KY
Weather Kentucky has a moderate climate, where summers are humid with highs typically in the upper 80s, and winter highs are in the low 40s. Of course, be aware of the…

Location & Map

Camp Nelson National Monument is located in Kentucky.

Operating Hours

The grounds featuring nearly 5-miles of unpaved trails and dozens of wayside exhibits explaining the significance of Camp Nelson, are open 7-days a week from sunrise to sunset. Please see the Visitor Center tab for opening and closing hours, and seasonal changes.

Wednesday Sunrise to Sunset
Monday Sunrise to Sunset
Thursday Sunrise to Sunset
Sunday Sunrise to Sunset
Tuesday Sunrise to Sunset
Friday Sunrise to Sunset
Saturday Sunrise to Sunset

Activities

Hiking Front-Country Hiking Junior Ranger Program Park Film Museum Exhibits

Getting There

Camp Nelson National Monument is located along US 27 about 20 miles south of Lexington, Kentucky, 6 miles south of Nicholasville on US 27, and 16 miles north of Danville, KY on US 27. The Park entrance is on the original Danville Pike, adjacent to US 27, one mile north of the Camp Nelson National Cemetery.

View Official Directions

Contact & Address

Address 6614 Old Danville Loop 2 Road, Nicholasville, KY, 40356
Phone (859) 881-5716
Email cane_info@nps.gov

Topics & Themes

African American Heritage Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite National Cemetery Enslavement Forts Military Infantry and Militia Artillery Cavalry US Army Monuments and Memorials Reconstruction Social Movements Abolition Movement Civil Rights Tragic Events Forced Marches Wars and Conflicts Civil War Women's History Trails

Visitor Centers

Camp Nelson National Monument Visitor Center, Museum, and Barracks

The Visitor Center, Museum, and Reconstructed Barracks are currently open 7-days a week starting on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2026 through Labor Day, Monday,…

Hours: The Visitor Center, Museum, and Reconstructed Barracks are currently open 7-days a week starting on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2026 through Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2026. Operating hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Visitor Center includes a museum and a short film (17 min.) about Camp Nelson's role during the American Civil War. The award-winning Barracks exhibits features the individual biographies of soldiers and civilians, and the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom panels.

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