Bourbon, Horses & History Region of Kentucky
Itineraries
Discover The Bourbon, Horses & History Travel Region of Kentucky
There’s a reason why locals will tell you “There’s Only One Kentucky.” The birthplace of President Abraham Lincoln and Muhammad Ali, the Farm Tour Capital of Kentucky, the Saddlebred Capital of the World, and the epicenter of America’s bourbon production, Kentucky has plenty to make it unique around the world. There’s a lot to explore here in the Bourbon, Horses and History Region of Kentucky where both urban and small-town charm tell our story.
95% of the world’s bourbon is produced in Kentucky and the distilleries that are along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, as well as the small batch bourbon brands, all offer their own distinctive tastes and tours. Kentucky’s diverse culinary scene will tempt your taste buds with everything from Burgoo (a stew created in pioneer days) to sophisticated dishes cooked and paired with Bourbon.
Exploring Kentucky is discovering all the things you know about, and all the things you don’t. It’s experiencing more than 500 horse farms and touring famous bourbon distilleries. It’s viewing international museums and innovative art galleries. It’s learning our unique history and heritage. It’s the reason we say, “There’s Only One Kentucky”.
Louisville’s claim to fame is being home to the legendary Kentucky Derby, the longest continuously held sporting event in the United States, held the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs. There is racing at Churchill Downs in April, May, June, October and November and the track is open for tours year-round.
The next-door Kentucky Derby Museum is an excellent immersive experience where every day is Derby Day featuring the history, sights, sounds and fashion of this bucket list event.
Make sure to visit the fascinating Muhammad Ali Center in downtown Louisville which details the life and legacy of global humanitarian, heavyweight boxing champion and Louisville hometown hero Muhammad Ali.
And don’t miss the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory where a slice of Americana comes to life as take a behind the scenes factory tour showing how the official baseball bats used in major league baseball are made.
After you’ve built up a thirst, sample the Urban Bourbon Trail– a culinary and cocktail experience that includes dozens of locally owned and operated bars and restaurants. The Urban Bourbon Experience in Louisville features 10 distillery tours and tasting opportunities including The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience an artisanal distillery, featuring tours and tastings located on Louisville’s Whiskey Row OR- explore the Frazier History Museum, and its new Spirit of Kentucky Bourbon exhibit, the official start of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Wind down, relax and enjoy with river cruises aboard the oldest operating Mississippi style steamboat in the world the historic Belle of Louisville.
Kentucky Small Town Charm in the Bourbon, Horses & History Region
A vacation in Kentucky is not complete without visiting the smaller towns that shape its character and define its southern charm. Our Bourbon, Horses & History region Small Towns are certainly no exception and can be reached in a 1-Hour 30 Minute drive or less from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
You’ll want to visit each town to learn its colorful personality and the coolest places to eat, historic places to stay, all conveniently located just outside Louisville. Our fabulous small towns are another reason “There’s Only One Kentucky”.
Home of Jim Beam American Outpost, Bullitt County invites you to explore their area at the trailhead of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® 20 minutes from downtown Louisville via Interstate 65 South.
There are many fun and interesting things to do including their own Wine & Whiskey Trail and the experience of 16,000 acres at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest with its many hiking trails and child-friendly programs.
Shelby County is an easy drive via Interstate 64 East, and offers you an authentic horseback riding experience at Red Fern Riding Center at Shelby Trails Park, where trail guides lead groups on horseback through more than 400 acres of wooded farmland in ShelbyKY.
After working up an appetite on the hour-long trail ride, make sure to stop at Claudia Sanders Dinner House for the original Kentucky fried chicken recipe. Founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in the 1960s, the restaurant serves traditional home-cooked meals family style.
After lunch, make your way to the Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass. With more than 90 designer and famous brand stores all in one location, there is something for everyone. With charming bed and breakfasts and brand-name hotels, to spectacular vacation rentals, ShelbyKY’s lodging options for groups of any size are second-to-none.
Oldham County is also minutes from downtown Louisville and is the Farm Tour Capital of Kentucky! Offering 15 different farms to tour – from horses to bison and botanical gardens – Oldham County is home to the historic racehorse farm, Hermitage Farm and Barn8 Restaurant.
You will enjoy Kentucky’s only meadery and the state’s largest beer garden, rare Underground Railroad African American history designations by the National Park Service Network to Freedom, and the only town in the U.S. with a freight train running (streetrunning) on its historic Main Street.
Bardstown, known as the Bourbon Capital of the World, is also the location of My Old Kentucky Home, which was made famous in the ballad written by Stephen Foster and where you can tour the stately, antebellum mansion.
Bardstown is an old-world town that is home to the state’s finest bourbon distilleries. Take a tour of the Heaven Hill Distillery and stop by the Bourbon Heritage Center to learn about its intriguing history.
Explore Federal Hill at My Old Kentucky Home State Park– the plantation that inspired the song ‘My Old Kentucky Home’, which is now the state song.
There are several dining options, but we recommend the uniqueness of the My Old Kentucky Dinner Train – a two-hour excursion through the countryside.
Elizabethtown is a short drive south on Interstate 65, where you can begin your adventure by hiking, biking, or walking over 20 trails.
Known for being the first urban Kentucky Trail Town, their trails are very inclusive, and some have paved sections.
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park is a designated U.S. historic park, preserving two separate sites in LaRue County, Kentucky, where Abraham Lincoln was born and spent his formative years.
Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States, was born in a log cabin at Sinking Springs Farm on February 12, 1809, when that part of Kentucky was still a rugged frontier.
To learn more about his journey from log cabin to the White House that stands as a powerful symbol of the unlimited possibilities of American life, visit The Lincoln Museum in Downtown Hodgenville.
Meade County is home of some of Kentucky’s most interesting legends. Did you know that Vikings traveled down the Ohio River in the 11th Century? We can prove it with Brandenburg Stone. How about cave stories of ancient cave giants, headless horsemen, and Native American scared sites. All these legends live in one special place.
Want to visit a haunted jail built in 1901? How about enjoying a slice of pizza while you do. Then visit the historic Jailhouse Pizza for lunch or dinner.
If that interests you, then mark your calendar for the last Saturday in October. The Battletown Witch Festival bring together speakers, vendors, and paranormality from all over Kentucky to celebrate one of our oldest and most misunderstood ghosts, Leah Smock, or the Battletown Witch
Lebanon is not only the Heart of Kentucky, it’s the heart of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®.
Lebanon is home to world famous Maker’s Mark distillery just 10 miles from downtown. It’s also the only place you can see authentic bourbon barrels hand crafted at Kentucky Cooperage with tours offered every weekday. Finish off your day at Limestone Branch Distillery and enjoy a tasting of their Yellowstone bourbon.
If you are an outdoor enthusiast, spend the day exploring our hiking trails at the Cecil Gorley trail or canoe our waterways at the Fagan Branch Reservoir and Rolling Fork River. While you’re here make sure to visit some of our unique dining opportunities and shop local at our downtown boutiques.
Rough River Dam State Park is set in beautiful countryside with a 5,000 acre lake, boating, golfing, fishing, tennis and walking and hiking trails. From the roaring excitement of the Leitchfield Aquatic Center in Grayson County to the peaceful hiking & biking trails located in the heart of the city, there is something for all ages.
Leitchfield is the Official Fiddling Capital of Kentucky & home of the Twin Lakes National Fiddlers Championship, held at the courthouse square on the 3rd weekend in July!
From the peaceful shores of Rough River Lake and Nolin Lake to the hiking and biking trails, Grayson County offers a wide variety of good wholesome family fun. Take the moment and see how “A Simple Little Trip” can get you away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Start your relaxing getaway today.
While you’re in the area for Lincoln history, don’t miss Larue County’s neighbor, Springfield, where you can visit the Lincoln Legacy Museum then enjoy lunch at Moredecai’s on Main, or Cecconi’s Anew.
Springfield, where history and hospitality meet, is home to the Lincoln Legacy Museum which houses the original marriage license of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, parents to Abraham Lincoln.
Learn about the Lincoln family in the oldest active courthouse in the state. After viewing the Abraham Lincoln Statue “In Sacred Union”, trek to Lincoln Homestead State Park and visit the Berry Log Cabin, home to Nancy Hanks.
Springfield is minutes away from the Bourbon Trail, tour both new and historic distilleries that make Kentucky a must see for Bourbon enthusiasts.
