How Crowded Is Lincoln Home National Historic Site in January?

January runs about 0.2× Lincoln Home National Historic Site's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 2% of the park's yearly visitors come in January.

In a typical January the park sees roughly 2,600 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

It is the quietest month of the year at Lincoln Home; by contrast May, the busiest, runs about 1.8× the average — so January is the easiest time to have the place largely to yourself.

On our Best Time to Visit score January rates 43/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated September at 68/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical January weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 36°F and an overnight low around 19°F, with about 2.2" of precipitation.

That average of about 27°F is cold, with winter conditions likely on higher ground.

Because June, July and August together draw about 38% of annual visitors, choosing January instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 9.5 hours of daylight in January to explore — between the 9.2-hour midwinter low and the 14.8-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 154,522 recreation visits, down 2.8% from 158,920 in 2023.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 47.6%, so January may feel a touch quieter than it once did.