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Kentucky

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Foal in corral at Three Chimneys Horse Farm, Old Frankfort Pike.

Lottie Davies

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Overview

Horses thunder around race tracks, bourbon pours from distilleries and banjos twang in Kentucky, a geographical and cultural crossroads that's part North, part South, part genteel and part country cousin. Every corner is easy on the eye, but there are few sights more beautiful than the rolling limestone hills around Lexington, where long-legged steeds nibble under poplar trees on multi-million dollar farms that you can visit. Bourbon distilleries also speckle the countryside, prime for scenic road tripping to swirl and sniff a dram at the source. It's like an offbeat version of California's Napa Valley, but with fewer crowds and headier alcohol. Caving, rock climbing and hiking prevail in the unspoiled parks and forests. And while big cities Louisville and Lexington have farm-to-table restaurants, cocktail bars and all of the other hipster requirements, most of Kentucky is made up of small towns with quiet scenes.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Muhammad Ali Center

    Muhammad Ali Center

    Louisville

    This must-see museum tells the tale of the city's most famous native: a local boxer nicknamed the Louisville Lip or, simply, The Greatest. Highlights…

  • Louisville Slugger museum and factory - LOUISVILLE. KENTUCKY - JUNE 14, 2019; Shutterstock ID 1441901372; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory

    Louisville

    See how baseball's most famous bat is made. Hillerich & Bradsby Co have been manufacturing the Louisville Slugger here since 1884. Admission includes a…

  • Mammoth Cave National Park

    Mammoth Cave National Park

    Mammoth Cave National Park

    With the longest cave system on earth, this national park has some 400 miles of surveyed passageways. Mammoth is at least three times longer than any…

  • Jim Beam American Stillhouse

    Jim Beam American Stillhouse

    Kentucky

    Beam is the country's best-selling bourbon. Watch a film about the Beam family, take the 90-minute tour through the factory and warehouses, and then…

  • Speed Art Museum

    Speed Art Museum

    Louisville

    Built in 1927 and revamped to the tune of $60 million in recent years, Kentucky's most important art museum – unaffiliated but on the University of…

  • Maker's Mark

    Maker's Mark

    Kentucky

    Touring Maker's is like visiting a historic theme park, in a good way. You'll see the old gristmill, the 1840s master distiller's house and the old…

  • 2B3RCKC Rack house Bourbon whiskey warehouse of Old Forester Distilling Co in Whiskey Row.Louisville.Kentucky.USA

    Old Forester Distilling Co

    Louisville

    A new Whiskey Row facility that opened in 2018, Old Forester itself is a classic brand, around since the 1870s. The distillery lets you view the entire…

  • Louisville, KY - Sept. 11, 2021: Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Whiskey Row is part of the Urban Bourbon Trail and features the world's largest rocks glass in their front window.; Shutterstock ID 2039952233; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Evan Williams Bourbon Experience

    Louisville

    The first distillery to open on Whiskey Row, Evan Williams puts on quite a multimedia show. Exhibits transport you back to the 1780s when bourbon-making…

Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

From outdoor activities to terrific museums to (yes) bourbon and horse races, these are the top things to do in Kentucky.

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