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

Northern Kentucky River

2026-02-06 05:47:10

Make a beeline to your best life in this region, known for an ark of biblical proportions, the world’s first suspended rope bridge hovering inches above a shiver of sharks, the Birthplace of American Paleontology at Big Bone Lick State Historic Site and The B-Line®, a self-guided bourbon trail winding through an Official Gateway to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®.

Charles Young Birthplace Cabin, May's Lick

EarthJoy TreeHouse Adventures, Brooksville

BEST-KEPT LOCAL SECRETS

DINSMORE HOMESTEAD, Burlington

Come to 1840s Kentucky at the Dinsmore Homestead, a time capsule of frontier farm life. Tour the home, which looks as though its occupants just stepped out for a moment, to see personal effects and original artifacts before exploring outbuildings and the family graveyard.

THE LODGES AT EDEN RESERVE, Williamstown

Wooded acres and winding trails, a fishing pond and fresh-air fun in the countryside: The Lodges at Eden Reserve comprises boutique cabins and heated safari tents in a rural setting less than a mile away from the Ark Encounter and its life-size Noah’s Ark.

VENT HAVEN, Fort Mitchell

Meet Charlie McCarthy, Mortimer Snerd, Lamb Chop and others on 60- to 90-minute guided tours at Vent Haven. The world’s only museum dedicated to ventriloquism features a world-class collection of dummies dating back to the 19th century. Tours are available by appointment.

KAYE SAVAGE BROWNING MINIATURE COLLECTION, Maysville

Tiny necklaces encrusted with real gems and crystals. An exquisitely sculpted ballerina from “Black Swan.” These are just a couple of highlights of more than 15,000 artisan-made pieces in one-twelfth scale that fill the Palladian-style gallery of the Kaye Savage Browning Miniature Collection at Kentucky Gateway Museum Center.

PENDLETON COUNTY FARM ADVENTURES, Pendleton County

Join the annual Pendleton County Farm Tour in July; experience December’s Mistletoe & Farm Markets-Holiday Farm Trail; or craft your own experience (with advance notice) of seven farms to explore, including a winery as well as livestock, herb and produce farms.

SWINGTIME BY THE RIVER, Augusta

Spread a picnic along Riverside Drive and watch the sun slip into the Ohio River during September’s magical Swingtime By the River, featuring live big-band music, dancing, food and spirits booths, and people watching — some garbed in vintage attire.

Photo: Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park, Mount Olivet

ECHO VALLEY WINERY, Flemingsburg

Four-wine tasting flights, Sunday mimosas, casual bites including burgers and tiny-home stays overlooking the vineyards — plan a getaway to the family-owned winery, vineyard and restaurant, Echo Valley Winery.

STONEHOUSE SETTLEMENT WINERY, California, KY

A former schoolhouse, Stonehouse Settlement Winery pours a variety of spirits, beer and wine, including the winemaker’s own handcrafted smooth red Noiret. Guests can enjoy weekend events, wine tastings and monthly brunch by reservation, plus light bites and charcuterie.

A.J. JOLLY PARK AND CAMPGROUND, Alexandria

A jewel tucked among the trees, A.J. Jolly Park and Campground has it all: camping, a fishing lake, canoeing and kayaking, hiking trails, disc golf and golf on the banks of the lake, horse trails, picnic areas and even yurts.

DOWNTOWN BELLEVUE, Bellevue

Ever abustle with activity, historical downtown Bellevue charms with locally owned shops like Spice Hub and Le Sorelle Boutique, a variety of restaurants including Mrs. Teapots Tea Room and Cork N Crust, bars, a brewery and monthly First Friday themed evenings.

FOUR MUSTS

Grab a Bite: Pompilio’s on The B-Line, Newport

Stop & Shop: Sunflower Sundries, Mount Olivet

Magical Moments: Hierophany & Hedge Bespoke Arcana, Covington

Local Heritage & Culture: Meet the elected town Mayor, Boone the coonhound, at Rabbit Hash General Store, Rabbit Hash

"WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS EXPLORING. YOU ARE UNDERTAKING THE FIRST EXPERIENCE, NOT OF THE PLACE, BUT OF YOURSELF IN THAT PLACE ... NOBODY CAN DISCOVER THE WORLD FOR ANYBODY ELSE." Wendell Berry, American Novelist, Poet & Kentuckian

REGIONAL ROAD TRIPS

1 Carrollton: Settle into a balcony guestroom at General Butler State Resort Park. Spot aquatic wildlife on the Butler Lake Trail. Ride your mountain bike along the Fossil Trail and catch a sunset overlooking the confluence of the Kentucky and Ohio rivers.

2 Warsaw: Next, find your cozy retreat in a studio cabin at Smugglers Cove Marina and Campground, where you can spend a relaxing afternoon on a pontoon boat on the Ohio River. Fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, and bread pudding — mmm! Dinner is served at Jewell’s on Main.

3 Covington: Head to Mainstrasse Village and munch your way through this storybook setting on a guided food tour. Who’s that green guy in the sky? It’s super-colossal Clive the Alien, spying on earthlings. After a bourbon-blending experience at Kentucky Bourbon Trail stop Wenzel Whiskey, overnight at Hotel Covington.

4 Augusta: Next on the agenda: Shop, stroll and drop into the Rosemary Clooney House in its dreamy Riverside Drive setting to see the world’s largest collection of “White Christmas” movie memorabilia. Tour the country’s most historical spirits site at Kentucky Bourbon Trail stop B. Bird™ Distillery & Baker- Bird Winery®.

5 Maysville: Set out to explore the museums and shops of the 1700s frontier village, historic Old Washington. Need a hearty start to the day? LilJumbo Coffee Company serves the Kitchen Sink (biscuits with gravy and hash). Catch the Maysville Players or a marquee-name concert on stage at the grand Washington Opera House.

6 May's Lick: The next morning, follow the 100-mile Brigadier General Young Memorial Historical Corridor — named for the formerly enslaved hero who became the first African American military attaché to a foreign country and first Black superintendent of a National Park — from his log-cabin birthplace to Camp Nelson National Monument.