While camping at Fort Massac, we took a trip to Cairo, IL, and discovered the quickest route was through Kentucky. On the way back, we decided to stop and visit Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site, in Wickliffe, Kentucky. We’ve been to several Native American mound sites before, but I don’t think we’ll ever stop being awed by them.
What are the Wickliffe Mounds?
Wickliffe Mounds is the site of a Mississippian village from 1100-1350 AD. It is now a Kentucky State Historic Site and runs as a museum. The site includes the Lifeways Building which showcases an excavated village area, the Ceremonial Mound, Chief’s Mound, and Burial Mound. There is a self-guided walking tour with numbered interpretive signs throughout the site.
The Mounds opened as a public archeological site in 1932, and has undergone some changes in how it is run since then. An interesting theme in the interpretation of the site is that the records from the original 1930s excavations have been lost- so modern archeologists need to try to piece together the ancient history and the more modern history of the site from clues left behind.
Our Visit to Wickliffe Mounds
We started our visit to Wickliffe Mounds in the Welcome Center. We paid our admissions and picked up our map, as well as looked at some of the artifacts on display there. Then we headed over to the Lifeways Building. This building is set up as a museum and the main focal point is the excavated village site. Interpretive signs in the building tell the story of the everyday lives of the Mississippian people. The village site also shows where infants had been buried in and around the houses, although Wickliffe does not display any human remains. The Lifeways Building also has exhibit cases around the perimeter showing more artifacts.
After the Lifeways Building, we headed outside to continue the self-guided trail, which includes the rest of the mounds. Besides telling the story of the Mississippian people who had lived here, the interpretive signs also tell the story of the way the site was managed in the past. In the 1930s, the burial mound was first excavated and a building was constructed over it, but they left the human remains on public display. After NAGRPA was passed in 1990, the remains had to be removed from public view. In their place, the site installed plastic burials to show what they would have looked like. By 2011, the state had finally recognized the sacred nature of the burial mound, and worked with the Chickasaw Nation to remove the exhibit, rebuild the mound, and rebury all humans elsewhere on the property.
Between exploring different mounds, we also took a short walk on the 200 yard Woods Walk Trail. This loop through the woods is all about the trees and features species name signs to help you learn to ID different trees.
How to Visit Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site
- Address: 94 Green St., Wickliffe, KY 42087
- Website
- Hours: April- October 9am-5pm Wednesday- Sunday; November & March 10am-4pm Thursday-Saturday; Winter hours by appointment (there have been some temporary changes due to construction lately, so make sure to check the website before going)
- Admission: $6 adults, $5 seniors, $4 kids (5-15), $3 active military
- Amenities: Welcome Center, Gift Shop, Trails, Picnic tables
