5 Quietly Charming Towns In Kentucky

Kentucky’s most charming small towns are quite unlike anything else you’ll find in the southern states. Across the Bluegrass Region and into the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, these communities paint pictures of a time when American westward expansion was just getting started, and the country’s future still uncertain after throwing off the shackles of the British Empire. For travelers willing to step off the interstate and hit the side roads, Kentucky's small towns offer the kind of unhurried encounters that feel worlds apart from our everyday lives. Visiting all or any of these five quietly charming towns will certainly not disappoint if you’re looking to explore at your own pace.

Bardstown

Just 40 miles south of Louisville, Kentucky’s largest city, Bardstown has a knack for making you feel as if you’ve been transported back in time. Established in 1788 and one of the oldest towns in the state, this feeling is especially true of Bardstown Historic District. Covering 26 blocks of the downtown area, many of the buildings here date from the 1780s to 1850 and line the same old paths that were laid out in a simple grid pattern in 1797.

Of these, the best known is undoubtedly The Old Talbott Tavern. Built in 1779, it once welcomed iconic Americans like frontiersman Daniel Boone and future president Abraham Lincoln. And be sure to ask the staff to point out the bullet holes in an upstairs wall. They were left there by the notorious Jesse James, probably after a few too many shots of Bardstown’s legendary bourbon.

Bourbon production is still the engine that drives much of the local economy. The Barton 1792 Distillery, established in 1879 and named for the year Kentucky achieved statehood, is the town’s oldest distillery in town, one of 11 in and around what’s now known as the "Bourbon Capital of the World."

You can learn more about the town’s deep connection to America’s favorite liquor at the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History. Housed in Spalding Hall, a building that dates to 1826, this shrine to all things bourbon features fascinating displays along with an impressive collection of rare bottles of the beverage.

Harrodsburg

Harrodsburg was founded in 1774 and in just two years had been elevated to the seat of government for Kentucky County. Today, Harrodsburg Main Street and its Downtown Historic District are considered templates for downtown restoration. Take a quiet stroll, and you’ll pass more than 50 historic sites, including the oldest group of row houses in the state (these now house the Harrodsburg Historical Society's museum).

The centerpiece of the town's heritage tourism is Old Fort Harrod State Park. A full-scale replica of the original structure from 1775 is the star attraction, with costumed interpreters demonstrating period skills and daily tasks of frontier life. The park also includes the Lincoln Marriage Temple, which shelters the modest cabin where Abraham Lincoln's parents were married.

Located seven miles east of Harrodsburg, the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is worth a side trip. Set along the Kentucky River, it’s the largest restored Shaker community in America and the state's largest National Historic Landmark, preserving 34 original buildings, some dating back to 1809. Demonstrations of period crafts, such as broom-making and woodworking, can be enjoyed at this quiet, authentic attraction.

Midway

Boasting one of the more straightforward origin stories in Kentucky, Midway was founded in the early 1830s by the Lexington and Ohio Railroad at the exact midpoint between Lexington and the state capital of Frankfort. Originally called Middleway (it was shortened to Midway later), the fact it was the first town in Kentucky to be founded by a railroad company meant the streets here bear the names of company officials.

Pay a visit today, and odds are you’ll encounter a freight train rumbling through the town center along the aptly named Railroad Street. Other town highlights include Midway University, founded in 1847 as the Kentucky Female Orphan School, a pleasant, usually quiet place for a stroll.

Midway has also earned a name for itself in the horse racing world. Surrounded by some of the most celebrated thoroughbred breeding operations in the world, including Three Chimneys Farm, Lane's End Farm, and Airdrie Stud, the white-fenced paddocks that roll across the countryside here make for a picture-perfect scene.

Danville

It’s for good reason that the town of Danville is known as the "City of Firsts." It’s home to Kentucky's first courthouse, its first post office west of the Alleghenies, and hosted the 10 conventions held between 1784 and 1792 that produced the commonwealth's first constitution, securing its separation from Virginia. So, yes, it’s definitely a city of firsts.

You can visit the site of the deliberations that led to Kentucky becoming an independent state at Constitution Square Historic Site. Located bang-smack in the middle of town, it’s a mix of original and recreated frontier buildings set around a quiet public park. Look for the bronze statue in Governor's Circle depicting two men shaking hands in a symbol taken from the state seal.

Other fun things to do in Danville include paying a visit to the Great American Dollhouse Museum with its large collection of miniature, as well as the McDowell House & Apothecary Shop Museum. The latter is set in the former home of Dr. Ephraim McDowell, who performed groundbreaking ovarian surgery on a patient without anesthetics who would otherwise have died.

Berea

Situated 40 miles south of Lexington, where the Bluegrass flatlands give way to the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains, Berea is an ideal place for creative types to visit for some quiet contemplation. Officially designated the Folk Arts and Crafts Capital of Kentucky, you’ll almost feel a hushed, respectful tone is all part of the experience as you explore its artist studios and galleries.

Named after the biblical town of Berea, where the people were said to have been open-minded and receptive to new ideas, the town is now home to Berea College, the first interracial, coeducational college in the South. And, since 1892, tuition here has been free in return for doing work around the college.

The Artisan Village on North Broadway, known locally as "Old Town," is a must-visit. Here, a cluster of studios exists where you can watch glassblowers at Weston Glass Studio, then browse handcrafted furniture and jewelry at shops like Top Drawer Gallery and the Cabin of Old Town Artisan Gallery.

While not quite as quiet as the rest of town, the sprawling Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea features art and crafts from more than 800 Kentucky-based artisans. It also hosts regular demonstrations in painting, pottery, woodcarving, and traditional bluegrass music.

Quiet, Please: You’re In Kentucky!

These five towns share a quality that can’t be faked. And that’s their sense of place, and the fact that they seem to march to the beat of a different drummer. Time doesn’t fly past quickly as in much bigger, busier destinations. Instead, time just drifts quietly past as you explore at your leisure. For travelers to the Bluegrass State, a detour to any one of them is a reminder that some of the most rewarding destinations in America are those you might otherwise have driven straight past.