2023-12-29 08:41:11
Main streets, backroads and trailways. Together they form a tapestry of authentic Kentucky experiences, from exploring the wilderness to fighting for freedom to creating a legacy that impacts the world.
See the monuments and museums, sculptures and historic structures, wilderness and waterways that weave the fabric of Kentucky’s story. Experience the sights, sounds and activities that bring the story to life.
In the Frontiersman’s Footsteps
At Boone Trace Trail, explore the road that Daniel built and that pioneers followed on their way to settling the West. In London’s Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park, check out the “Library of Mountain Millstones” — the largest such collection outside the Smithsonian Institute. The weighty disks encircle McHargue’s Mill, home of a 2,000-pound millstone that dates back to 1805.
Forget Me Not
Pick up a map at Constitution Square Historic Site for a driving tour around Danville and Boyle County to visit the Forgotten Landmarks: African American Sites in Boyle County. Travel from the Amelia Sleet Burton Colored School to African American-owned Foag’s Park Baseball Field to the Shelby City African American Cemetery and learn about once-thriving settlements and free towns.
Munitions Manse
Bizarre but true: The Italianate mansion rising in stately splendor amidst beautiful gardens was once filled with ammunition. Partially constructed at the time of the Civil War, Bowling Green’s Riverview at Hobson Grove, on the Civil War Heritage Trail, was once occupied by the Confederate Army and had soldiers stationed on the grounds and explosives stored in the basement.
Portal to African American History
From Nicholasville and the Camp Nelson National Monument to the Kentucky/Ohio bridge, the Brigadier General Charles Young Memorial Historical Corridor travels 88 miles and two centuries into the history of the African American experience. See Young’s Mays Lick birth cabin, a Rosenwald School, key landmarks on the Underground Railroad, significant churches and other sights.
Presidential Pathways
Wending through the knobs of Kentucky, the 72-mile Lincoln Heritage Scenic Highway explores the legacy of the 16th president beginning at Hodgenville’s Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park. Add historic context at Bardstown’s Civil War Museum and Women’s Museum of the Civil War and the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site, where Kentucky’s bloodiest Civil War battle erupted in 1862.
“Be Great. Do Great Things.”
Among the landmark locations across 15 states and Washington, D.C., that comprise the U.S. Civil Rights Trail is Louisville’s award-winning Muhammad Ali Center. Founded by “The Greatest” himself, this multicultural, interactive museum celebrates the life and legacy of a world heavyweight champion, global humanitarian and cultural icon who stood up for his beliefs and became an inspiration to all.
At the heart of every community lies a Main Street, a source of civic pride. Our Main Streets tell us who we are and who we were, showcasing how the past has shaped us. Preservation, national trails, nature, nostalgia and noshes — Kentucky Main Streets are hustle-bustle hubs for gathering, dining, shopping, strolling, hiking and making unexpected discoveries.
In Morehead, shop-hop as you hike the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail. This historic 343-mile trail runs right down Main Street, where you can enjoy music, shopping and more.
Choose your own path in downtown Cynthiana, where a walking tour provides public art, history, the Roh Theatre and the Walking Dead mural.
Love al fresco eats? So does Paducah, with cocktail trails and outdoor dining experiences — not to mention shops, sculptures and an incredible river walk where murals tell the history of the town.
And we can’t forget Bourbon. Bardstown, the Bourbon Capital of the World, offers that and more. Art, eats and history abound in one of the most beautiful downtowns in America.
These are just a few of the wonderful Kentucky Main Street communities. Since 1979, historic downtowns have been revitalized through their participation in the Kentucky Main Street Program, which fosters a locally driven approach to rebuilding historic commercial districts. Take time to visit one of the Main Street cities across Kentucky as the Heritage Council celebrates its 45th year in revitalizing Kentucky communities.
“Discover Your Nature,” Leah Tumerman, Second Street, Henderson
“Fork in the Road,” a stop on the Larger Than Life Trail, Jeremy Loveall and Franklin-Simpson High School senior students, 2018 Uhls Road, Franklin
Alley Gallery, Various Artists, Downtown Louisville
“Hazard Mural,” Charles Boggs, Downtown Hazard
“Kaleidoscopic Butterfly,” part of #SeeMySet murals, Amanda Brooks, Sky Hope Recovery Center, 77 Union Street, Somerset
“Clive the Alien,” AlloyFX, Downtown Covington
“Secretariat Mural,” Jaime Corum, Main Street, Paris
Art Alley, Multiple Artists, Downtown Ashland
“World’s Largest Walking Dead Mural,” Sergio Odeith, Roh’s Opera House, Walnut Street, Cynthiana
This is just a small list of the outdoor art to be found in Kentucky. Murals, memorials, statues and sculptures are located all across the state, from downtown parks to rural landscapes.
Many historic music sites across the state go hand-inhand with outdoor attractions. Here are some offering the best of both worlds:
Tap and clap to the beat of marquee musicians (past performers include Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Dwight Yoakam) at The Amp at Log Still Distillery, where every seat feels like the best seat in the house and the “house” is acres of rolling farmland in New Haven. The experience? Entertainment under the stars in a state-of-the-art, 2,000-seat amphitheater set amidst walking paths, a fishing lake and a train depot to whisk guests to special events.
Community events and the longest-running Homecoming in Kentucky (held every August around the full moon) take place at the amphitheater in the Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park. Located in London, it includes a section of the Wilderness Road early settlers trod to reach Kentucky. Hit the zip lines, suspended tunnels and rope bridges of the park’s Treetop Adventure. Hike or bike Boone Trace Trail and Bro Spo — Broken Spoke Trail. Explore pioneer artifacts at the Mountain Life Museum. Play 18-hole miniature golf. Pitch a tent at the campground.
A former Appalachian railroad yard rocks out during the Levitt Amp Whitesburg Music Series every Thursday during June and July. On the Mountain Heritage Stage? Free family-friendly concerts that kick off with opening act musicians followed by the headliners and an impressive lineup of musical stylings. Past seasons have featured everything from folk and bluegrass to Latin and African rhythms to alternative and country rock and more.
If it looks authentic, that’s because it is: The Rosine Barn Jamboree on Jerusalem Ridge hosts free live bluegrass, gospel and country music Friday nights, March through early December. Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass Music himself, performed on this stage — one reason bluegrass music fans from around the world are drawn to this National Register of Historic Places site.
The barn is located not far from the restored Bill Monroe Homeplace just outside of Rosine. Built circa 1917, Monroe’s boyhood home pays tribute to the man and the musician who has influenced generations of bluegrass artists.
Step back to simpler times at Joel Ray’s Lincoln Jamboree. Hear local singing sensations perform at Kentucky’s No. 1 family-owned and family-oriented country music and entertainment show since 1954. In its 70 years, Bill Monroe, Patty Loveless and Whisperin’ Bill Anderson have played at this Hodgenville landmark, a short 15-minute walk from the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park.
Spread a blanket before the 1930s historic Band Shell in Devou Park in Covington for a concert with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra or other musicians. The 700-acre park is home to the Behringer-Crawford Museum, a fishing lake, a golf course, hiking and biking trails and an overlook offering panoramic views of Northern Kentucky river towns on the banks of the Ohio River.
An 85-year Kentucky tradition, Renfro Valley Entertainment Center knows how to keep fans returning to its Barn Theaters and RV Park: a rich history of strong country music roots and a focus firmly on the music. RV camping puts fans within walking distance of two stages and the nearby Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, housed in the original riding stables of Renfro Valley founder John Lair.
The stories of eastern Kentucky’s country music luminaries and landmarks unspool along a fabled stretch of highway from Greenup to Jenkins. Learn about homegrown country music icons, from Billy Ray Cyrus, who famously made a music video at Ashland’s Paramount Arts Center, to Loretta Lynn and her Homeplace at Butcher Holler.
Follow the lives of chart-toppers Chris Stapleton, Crystal Gayle, Hylo Brown, Ricky Skaggs and so many others, celebrated at Staffordsville’s U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum. See sites and scenery as dramatic as the soundtrack of the stars’ success at Van Lear’s Coal Miner’s Museum, Jenny Wiley State Resort Park and Pikeville Cut-Through Project.
U.S. 23. This is where you get your country on.
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