6 One-of-a-Kind Small Towns in Kentucky
Travellers want to have one-of-a-kind experiences that leave them with a sense of awe and wonder. Thankfully for visitors to Kentucky, there are several destinations to visit that offer places, locales, and activities you can't find anywhere else.
In these 6 one-of-a-kind small towns in Kentucky, you can see an incredibly rare moonbow, walk in the footsteps of the highly passionate religious community called the Shakers, or of the famed explorer Daniel Boone, and scale the heights of a natural sandstone bridge, and many other fascinating places.
La Grange
You don't have to travel far outside of the big city of Louisville to find one-of-a-kind towns. By taking a short drive east from Louisville to Oldham County, you will discover one of the best railroad towns in Kentucky.
La Grange was founded in 1827 and was named after the French estate of the Marquis de Lafayette, a Revolutionary War hero. The Louisville and Frankfort Railroad was constructed here in the 1850s, and La Grange has remained a railroad hub ever since. In fact, it's one of the few places in the U.S. that you can get on the Main Street Train that goes right down Main Street, right by quirky businesses like the Rainy Day Resale and The Mercantile Market. The other railway attraction in La Grange is the La Grange Railroad Museum, which houses multiple historic cars and model train sets and provides dinner train experiences.
La Grange has more in it than just railway attractions. You can also see modern, quirky artwork at the Cheeky Museum of Contemporary Art + Culture, which is brilliantly decorated with bright colors, statues, and other fun exhibits. Residents can also go tube floating at a lovely reservoir at the FRP LaGrange Quarry.
Harrodsburg
Harrodsburg is unique for several reasons. First, it is the oldest founded town in Kentucky, established as a fort by James Harrod in 1774. Secondly, Harrodsburg had very interesting people and groups who lived here, from the parents of Abraham Lincoln to a group of Shakers.
Harrodsburg maintains a replica of the original fort at Old Fort Harrod State Park. At this park, you can see multiple cabins and blockhouses that have items that would have been used by pioneers on the frontier, like furniture, tools, and handmade utensils. The park contains multiple places of historical import, such as the Mansion Museum, an 1810 two-story structure that today contains artifacts from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and the Lincoln Marriage Temple, where Abraham Lincoln's parents held a simple wedding ceremony.
The other fascinating place in Harrodsburg is the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill. The Shakers were a religious community that lived celibate lifestyles of service and worship here in Kentucky and many other places across the U.S. Today, there are only a few Shakers left, and their village in Harrodsburg is a tourist destination complete with 30.5 miles of trails, 34 historic buildings, and a farm-to-table restaurant. The Shaker Village is also a launching pad out onto the Kentucky River Palisades, known for their beautiful gorges and limestone outcroppings.
Bardstown
Much like Winchester, Bardstown is the home of a Kentucky beverage, although it's quite a bit harder than a soft drink. Bardstown is known as the Bourbon Capital of the World. This whiskey was first invented in the 1700s by aging whiskey within oak barrels, giving it a unique flavor that has been continually adjusted upon by many different distilleries.
Bardstown offers opportunities both to try out the drink and learn about it, both from the distilleries and from a museum: the Oscar Getz Museum of Bourbon History. Distilleries in town range from large establishments such as the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience to smaller spots such as Circa 1856 Bardstown.
Bardstown isn't only known for drinks; it was also the inspiration behind Kentucky's state anthem: My Old Kentucky Home. The 1814 Federal Hill Mansion today stands as the My Old Kentucky Home State Park, offering tours, trails, and culinary experiences like Mint Juleps during May. Bardstown also has one of the largest collections of American Civil War artifacts from the Western Front at the Old Bardstown Village & Civil War Museum, alongside information on women's contributions to the war effort at the Women's Civil War Museum.
Slade
This one-of-a-kind rural town is one of the perfect places to see Bluegrass' natural beauty. As the writer of this article, I have spent a lot of time in this town exploring its hiking trails through gorgeous ravines and its natural bridge. Slade sits in the middle of the Red River Gorge Geological Area, a canyon that is popular among climbers looking to tackle challenging climbs up sandstone cliffs.
Slade in particular contains a unique place in the Gorge and in Kentucky itself: the Natural Bridge State Park. This sandstone bridge stands 65 feet tall and 78 feet across and is accessible either by foot or by taking a skylift. You'll see beautiful views of the Gorge from this bridge, but it's not the only thing you can see in the park. You can tour the Natural Bridge, go for a short hike to Henson's Arch, take out your binoculars to bird watch for cardinals, goldfinches, and Carolina Wrens, or go fishing at the Red River itself.
Other than the park, Slade also hides a quirky zoo that you can't find elsewhere in Kentucky, known as the Kentucky Reptile Zoo. This place specializes in venom extraction for scientific and medical purposes and also houses an impressive collection of venomous snakes and reptiles for those who want to see these dangerous and fascinating creatures up close. It's worth noting that Slade is a good place to stay for a 3-day weekend thanks to its many mountain cabins available for rent through Red River Gorge Cabin Rentals.
Corbin
No list of one-of-a-kind Kentucky towns would be complete without including Corbin. This community was the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken, or at least the recipe that would be used by the chain. Colonel Sanders first introduced his recipe to the world at a cafe in Corbin. He later sold it off to start the KFC franchise, but the cafe remains as the Harland Sanders Cafe & Museum, a quirky piece of Kentucky history.
Quirky history abounds in Corbin, as evidenced by the Pinball Museum of Corbin. This museum preserves machines from as far back as 1969, and best of all, allows visitors to play these machines. Much like La Grange, visitors can also check out the area's railway history at the Corbin Railroad Museum.
However, everyone who comes to Corbin needs to visit the Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. Commonly referred to as the Niagara of the South, this waterfall is a sight to behold with its 125-foot curtain plunging down to the rocks 60 feet below. It produces so much mist that one can sometimes see a rainbow formed by a full moon's light in a rare event called a moonbow. This is the only place in the Western hemisphere where one can see this phenomenon.
Winchester
Winchester is the home of not one but two Kentucky inventions. The first is Ale-8, a ginger ale first brewed in the 1920s. This refreshing beverage can typically only be found in Kentucky and the surrounding area. In Winchester, you can tour the Ale-8-One factory and take home a souvenir bottle of your own. The other Kentuckian invention from Winchester is Beer Cheese, a dip that's especially delicious with breadsticks. You can sample all the varieties of Beer Cheese, from rich flavors to spicy, by taking the Beer Cheese Tour.
Winchester also stands out for its diversity of historical locations that run throughout the decades and centuries. Just outside of Winchester is the Fort Boonesborough State Park, where Daniel Boone set down roots in Kentucky. At this fort, you can explore a restored 18th-century replica fort or take a boat down the Kentucky River to fish for bluegill, bass, and catfish. Within the Winchester town limits, you can also explore a Civil War Fort at Boonesboro, which was used to guard the area from Confederate raids and attacks. Lastly, you can learn about a major Bluegrass musician and teacher, Homer Ledford, at the Bluegrass Heritage Museum, or visit the 1814 Clark Mansion, named after the 13th Governor of Kentucky.
One-of-a-kind experiences
Rest assured, you will have one-of-a-kind experiences by stopping in these small towns. You can see the lovely Main Street in La Grange while riding on a train, enjoy Mint Juleps while on a tour of the My Old Kentucky State Home, or explore the majestic landscape of the Red River Gorge in Slade. These towns stand out from the rest through their rich histories, rare natural phenomena, and delicious drinks and snacks. Consider visiting these towns on a day trip or a 3-day weekend in Kentucky.
