The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide - The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide 2026

Caves, Lakes & Corvettes

2026-02-06 05:53:20

Photo: NCM Motorsports Park, Bowling Green

Kangaroos and caves, lorikeets and lakes. The world’s longest underground swinging bridge at Hidden River Cave and its longest-known cave system (hint: it’s Mammoth!), with hiking, biking, horseback riding, canoeing, camping and caving. Here is the home of America’s Sports Car — the Corvette — Kentucky’s own not-so-prehistoric megalithic structure and some of Earth’s most ferocious predators at Dinosaur World.

Barren River Lake State Resort Park, Lucas

BEST-KEPT LOCAL SECRETS

SMITHS GROVE MAIN STREET ANTIQUE DISTRICT, Smiths Grove

Discover dozens of cute vintage thrift shops, like Foxhole in the Grove and Psycho Granny’s Quilt Shop, standing beam to board in the Smiths Grove Main Street Antique District, along with the adorable Sly in the Grove coffee shop and bakery and country-cooking restaurants.

KENTUCKY STONEHENGE, Munfordville

Pause and ponder … patterned after the English landmark of mysterious origins, Kentucky Stonehenge rises from the earth amid native rock displays, including Earth Mysteries, the Garden of Gethsemane, Rock Gardens and Rock Park.

PARK MAMMOTH GOLF CLUB, Park City

Voted a “Best New Public Course in the Nation” by Golf Digest and a “Top 5 Best Course in Kentucky” by Golf.com, the Park Mammoth Golf Club is a challenging 18-hole golfer’s getaway in a scenic natural setting.

OCTAGON HALL MUSEUM, Franklin

Fearful of things that go bump in the night? One of the South’s most haunted places, the eight-sided Octagon Hall Museum (a former Civil War hospital), offers tours, ghost hunts and overnight paranormal investigations.

Photo: Jenny Wilson Byrd Memorial Trail, Munfordville

FLOYD COLLINS MUSEUM, Cave City

“Heartbeats of entombed guide heard,” proclaimed newspapers one century ago. See the saga of doomed cave explorer Floyd Collins at his namesake museum inside Wayfarer Inn, just steps from the Sand Cave Trailhead to Mammoth Cave National Park. Museum tours by appointment only.

DOWNTOWN GLASGOW, Glasgow

Antique shops, stylish boutiques, general stores and artful gift galleries tucked inside historical, restored buildings line the streets of downtown Glasgow, murals adding splashes of color throughout. Shop, then drop into a locally owned restaurant for some hearty country cooking.

SOUTH UNION SHAKER VILLAGE, Auburn

Gain insights into the longest-lived western Shaker community through Civil War journals, original furniture and crafts in restored historical buildings at South Union Shaker Village. Shop for handmade baskets, boxes and toys at the gift shop.

HISTORIC RAILPARK & TRAIN MUSEUM AND L&N DEPOT, Bowling Green

See a 1949 Pullman dining car among restored train stock and one of the region’s largest model- railroad displays at the Historic RailPark & Train Museum and L&N Depot, a two-story museum that is part of the Bluegrass Train Experience. Admission includes a guided tour of five historic rail cars plus a self-guided museum tour.

CUMBERLAND RIVER FERRY, Tompkinsville

Glide across the river on the Cumberland River Ferry located at McMillan’s Landing — considered among the finest steamboat landings in its heyday. Offering free passage, Kentucky’s only state-operated ferry runs 24 hours a day.

DENNISON’S ROADSIDE MARKET, Horse Cave

A bounty of fruits, veggies, plants and flowers; berries and pumpkins for picking; jams, jellies and relishes to fill the pantry; cute crafts galore; and more: Homegrown wonderland Dennison’s Roadside Market is open mid-April to December.

FOUR MUSTS

Grab a Bite: Farmwald’s Restaurant, Horse Cave

Stop & Shop: GypsyMoon Marketplace at Highland Stables (April and November), Bowling Green

Magical Moments: Plaza Theatre, Glasgow

Local Heritage & Culture: Onyx Cave and Crystal Onyx Cave, Cave City

Photo: Red River Meeting House, Adairville

"TRUE SOLITUDE IS FOUND IN THE WILD PLACES …" Wendell Berry, American Novelist, Poet & Kentuckian

REGIONAL ROAD TRIPS

1 Adairville/Auburn: Find small-batch spirits and one-of-a-kind expressions of whiskey at BH James Distillery. Get a look into the region’s past at the historical Red River Meeting House. Next, check out the wine library at Carriage House Vineyards, shelving a full range of wines, from dry to fruitfully sweet.

2 Bowling Green: Cocktails, mocktails and jazz: Relax and enjoy the vibes of Shake Rag Bar & Lounge or go underground into the dark and moody ambiance of the Mustang Club Wine Bar and Speakeasy, which features a restaurant, a cigar lounge and a weekly Bike Night.

3 Smiths Grove: A rustically elegant wine tasting room, rolling countryside views and a Tuscan-inspired bed and breakfast — woman-owned Bluegrass Vineyard charms with an inviting setting, sips from sweet white wines like Blackberry to dry reds including Commonwealth Cabernet, and special and seasonal events, from live music to line dancing.

4 Austin: Head to Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese for a cozy farm getaway at Mattingly Farm. Stay in the Above the Cows Parlor Pad, the Barn Apartment or the historic Mattingly Farmhouse. In the morning, sample Kenny’s famous Kentucky Rose and other signature cheeses during a tasting. You might even meet the real Kenny.

5 Mammoth Cave: The next day, set out for a paddling adventure on Kentucky’s first National Water Trail, the biodiverse Green and Nolin Rivers Blueway. Sheltering species of fish, freshwater mussels and macroinvertebrates, it flows through Mammoth Cave National Park and harbors islands, springs and river bluffs. Angle for game fish, photograph wildlife and camp in quiet serenity along its banks.

6 Horse Cave: Animal shows are fan favorites at Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo, where kangaroos and emus roam the “Outback.” Board the wagon at Dutch Country Animal Safari Park to explore the wilds of Kentucky backcountry and feed watusi cattle, water buffalo and wildebeests by hand or bowl.

TRAVEL RESOURCES

Bowling Green

Cave City

Edmonson County

Edmonton/Metcalfe County

270-432-3222