Looking for a great way to spend a day? These day trips in Kentucky will keep you hopping all day long!
Bardstown
Location: Bardstown, Kentucky
Website: http://www.visitbardstown.com/
Bardstown is the bourbon capital of the world, and they have several distilleries to show for it. Tour one or all of them to see how this fine drink is made. Walking through every distillery can be rough on your feet, so consider the Heaven Hill Distilleries Trolley, which will take you on a tour of the town and detail its history in bourbon. If you don’t want to spend your whole day in distilleries, tour the Civil War museum or spend some time at the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest.
Cave City
Location: Cave City, Kentucky
Website: http://www.cavecity.com/
You can easily spend a whole day in Cave City. There are several caves and caverns to tour, including Mammoth Cave, which is the longest underground cave in the world. Visit Dinosaur World to see life-size reproductions of over 150 dinosaurs, or check out one of the city’s many horseback riding facilities.
Frankfort
Location: Frankfort, Kentucky
Website: http://www.frankfort.ky.gov/
If you’re into history or fascinated by government, spend a day in Frankfort, the capital of Kentucky. Tour the Kentucky Capitol and other government buildings, historic buildings like the old governor’s mansion and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Zeigler house, and stop by the grave of Daniel Boone. There are also a few memorials and other historic landmarks in this city.
Midway
Location: Midway, Kentucky
Website: http://meetmeinmidway.com/
Midway is a small town filled with antique shops. If you’re into antiquing, you can easily spend a whole day just doing that. If you want a wider range of activities, there are several museums, wildlife reserves and hiking trails. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy it at one of these beautiful outdoor spaces while you rest your feet from all the shopping!
Lexington
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Website: http://www.visitlex.com/
Spend a day immersed in horses at the horse capital of the world, Lexington, Kentucky. Start your day at Keenland Race Park to watch the horses get their early morning workouts. Get there early for the best seats. After that, take a tour of some of the local horse farms, and stop by the Hall of Champions to see the retired champion horses that now call this “museum” home. If you still haven’t had your fill of horses, check out the International Museum of the Horse to learn anything you haven’t yet about these majestic creatures.
Red River Gorge
Location: Stanton, Kentucky
Website: http://www.redrivergorge.com/index.html
You can easily fill up a whole day with all the activities offered at Red River Gorge. Pack a picnic lunch, then take off into nature. Go hiking or climbing, and stop to take in the beauty of the area. For a real thrill, go zip lining over the gorge. If you find you can’t cram everything you want to do in just one day, book a cabin or a room and continue it tomorrow!
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