ADMISSION YEAR ‘ROUND
for self-guided tours of the Buffalo Farm, Native American Teepee, and the Legendary Lincoln pioneer cabin.

Guided school and group tours can be arranged by calling Buffalo Run. Tours can include meal deals, historical tours, or can be customized to fit your needs. Expect to enter the teepee with a Native American, join a pioneer in the Legendary Lincoln Cabin, view and feed the buffalo herd, and enjoy a fun and educational visit. Please call for prices and arrangements.

Costumed programmers can also provide educational programs at your site, call for details.

Buffalo Run has a full line of bison products including buffalo mounts, hides, skulls, horns, and wool. Bison, and elk meat may be purchased to take home and prepare in your favorite recipes. Jerky and summer sausage are very popular.

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On occasion Buffalo Run has heifer calves and cows for sale. Inquire at the shop or call the Crewses at home at 812-937-2731.

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On April 12, 2003, Buffalo Run officially unveiled its Legendary Lincoln Cabin. The two-story cabin now stands near the Buffalo Run Native American Teepee as a herd of live buffalo grazes in the background. All three are reminders of the American frontier, the Native People for which Indiana is named and the pioneers who settled in the Little Pigeon Creek Community, which is now Lincoln City.

The legend of the cabin is that young adult Abraham Lincoln was returning from a trip to the Huffman Mill in 1830. He stopped to let his oxen take a drink about 8 miles from his home. The story claims that the yoke of the oxen broke and fell into the water, making it impossible for Lincoln to finish the trip. Lincoln was forced to spend the night in order for a new yoke to be fashioned the next morning. It is believed that the two-story cabin could have been an inn.

The cabin was located on the Alfred Birchler homeplace near Evanston, Indiana. Birchler wanted the cabin to be left in its original state and agreed to donate the cabin to the Crews family and Buffalo Run because the Crewses also felt the legendary structure should be preserved. The cabin was dismantled log by log, moved and re-constructed on the Buffalo Run Farm. A memorial stone is part of the cabin’s fireplace and remembers Manual Birchler, Alfred’s late father.

There is no charge to view or enter the cabin. It serves an educational purpose, as a type of museum available for guests to visit and enter year round. Retired college professor Walter Beumel, Ph.D., Kathleen Crews’ father, oversees the museum project. Living history pioneer demonstrations inside the cabin are conducted for tour groups, school groups and for special events.

The Legendary Lincoln Cabin sits on property where Abraham Lincoln’s cousin, Dennis Hanks once lived. Dennis Hanks lived with the Lincolns and married Abe Lincoln’s stepsister, Elizabeth Johnston. Hanks left Indiana and moved to Illinois with the Lincoln’s in 1830. Most of what has been reported about Abraham Lincoln’s boyhood and Indiana years is from information provided by Dennis Hanks.

In May of 1994, Michael Crews married Kathleen Beumel and the Crewses took off on their honeymoon. Their destination was a buffalo farm! There, Kathleen saw a buffalo herd for the first time. There, they tasted buffalo burgers for the first time. There, Michael saw a vision. They returned to their home in Lincoln City, Indiana.

In June of the same year, they tore down a 19^th Century barn and didn’t know what they would do with it. Shortly thereafter, they purchased some land. In October, Michael gave Kathleen a buffalo for her birthday. The farm was named Buffalo Run. Both husband and wife Crews had full-time jobs as park rangers, and part-time jobs as coaches. But they found time to sell buffalo burgers out of their homemade "Buffalo Wagon" at local fairs.

First Baby Crews, Sienna was born in 1996. In her first 7 months of life, her wisdom and charity began to surface when she turned on the television. She pointed to the screen where two baby ostriches were for sale on the PBS Fund Raising Auction. Kathleen called in the bid on her daughter’s behalf and ostriches became part of the Crews farm.

In 1997 the Crews family grew with the birth of a son, Kenton. The farm grew as well, with the addition of several more buffalo and a dozen more ostriches.

Only five years later, in May of 1999, Michael’s vision was realized when the Crewses opened their own buffalo farm and restaurant called Buffalo Run Grill & Gifts. The one-buffalo farm and Buffalo Wagon business had grown into a farm, diner and gift shop.

The old barn, from early in their marriage, lent rustic interior panels for the grill walls. The Buffalo Run Grill features buffalo and ostrich burgers, as well as other foods and cleverly named ice cream flavors. The goal of the grill is to prepare delicious, yet healthy fast food. And since both meats are low in fat and cholesterol, the burgers are tasty and heart-smart.

Buffalo and ostrich products such as hides, mounts feathers, ostrich eggs and more make unique and rare gifts and souvenirs. Antiques and crafts add to the charming collection of treasures in the Buffalo Run Gift Shop.

The Crewses still make their home in Lincoln City, Indiana, which is also where you will find their farm, grill and gift shop. Buffalo Run Grill & Gifts is located between the Lincoln parks and Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana on Highway 162, just south of Interstate 64.

Today, other honeymoon couples visit this Lincoln City buffalo farm. There, they may see a buffalo herd for the first time. There, they may taste buffalo burgers for the first time. There, they, too, may have a vision. And there… he may buy her a buffalo for her birthday.

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TBA -- event in mid-summer and event in mid-fall. Call for details.

Located just 3 miles west of Santa Claus and Holiday World, Buffalo Run offers another opportunity for family fun in the beautiful southern Indiana countryside.

Only 5 miles south of I-64, almost mid-way between Louisville, Kentucky and Evansville, Indiana, Buffalo Run is closer to your home than you think!