10 Amazing Kentucky Day Trips That Are Worth The Drive
Many of these Kentucky day trips stand out for their peaceful settings and unhurried pace. Old Friends offers rolling farmland and close encounters with retired champion thoroughbreds, while Jefferson Memorial Forest provides miles of wooded trails and scenic overlooks. Other destinations highlight the lives of major historical figures such as Henry Clay and Abraham Lincoln in settings that feel just as memorable as the stories themselves. No matter which trip you choose, these attractions show off a calmer, more scenic side of Kentucky.
Louisville Zoo (within Louisville)
If you're travelling with children, or if you're an animal lover, then the Louisville Zoo should be your first stop once your plane lands in the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The zoo is open all year round and is conveniently organized by region. For example, in the Africa region, you can find gorillas, lions, zebras, and Colobus monkeys, while in Glacier Run, you can meet polar bears and endangered snow leopards. There are many endangered animals in the zoo, including Sumatran tigers in its Islands section. There are also several kid-friendly activities at the zoo, including a Splash Park, a Zoo Tram, and a Boma Petting Zoo. You can feel like a kid again as you ride the conservation carousel.
Frazier Kentucky History Museum (within Louisville)
Located on Main Street in Louisville, the Frazier Kentucky History Museum used to be called the Frazier Historical Arms Museum before expanding to many other facets of Kentucky history and culture.
The permanent collection here contains items that you can't find anywhere else in the US. For example, there's an arrest warrant for Mary Todd Lincoln in 1875. This was done due to concerns of insanity, as she was regularly hosting seances to contact the spirits of her husband, Abraham Lincoln, and son. Another is the bow and arrow of Geronimo, the Apache military leader and medicine man who fought the US Army throughout his long life. Another cute exhibition is the Stewart Historic Miniatures Collection, with more than 30,000 hand-painted miniatures representing different militaries in world history. The museum also celebrates Kentucky culture with a Cool Kentucky exhibition and Bourbon tasting as a stop on the Bourbon Trail.
Jefferson Memorial Forest (24 minutes)
Located on the southern border of Jefferson County is an urban natural retreat that will make you forget how close you are to the airport. The Jefferson Memorial Forest is a vast retreat, with more than 6,600 acres and 60 miles of hiking and equestrian trails winding up challenging knobs and ridges.
It was founded in 1945 as a memorial to the region's veterans of World War 2, and it contains a variety of trails for easy hikes or strenuous day hikes. In fact, many hikers come here for the 6.7-mile one-way Siltstone Trail, which takes you deep into the woods from the Welcome Center all the way to the edge of the park at Scott's Gap. This lesser-visited section has a handicapped accessible loop past a pollinator meadow and a pond. At the Tom Wallace Recreation Center, you can relax by the Tom Wallace Lake or take a fishing pole out.
General George Patton Museum of Leadership (36 minutes)
Located at Fort Knox, the General George Patton Museum of Leadership is dedicated to the memory of World War II US Army General George S. Patton, Jr. His stoic leadership led the US to victory on multiple fronts. Today, this free museum preserves multiple aspects of his life, from his personal Cadillac car to his sabers, and many other artifacts.
In the museum, you can learn how the World Wars were fought with infantry gear, tanks, jeeps, guns, and more. The museum also houses an authentic World War II Barracks, where troops lived in Fort Knox before being sent over to the European or Pacific fronts. The museum honors other stories of leadership and showcases how those stories inspire military leaders to this day.
Bardstown (47 minutes)
To the south of Louisville is one of Kentucky's best-kept secrets: the town of Bardstown. It's been called one of the best small towns in Kentucky for its mix of Bourbon distilleries, Civil War museums, and iconic Kentucky landmarks.
Distilling is Bardstown's primary industry, with several Bourbon distilleries in town offering tours, samples, and bottles to purchase, such as the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience or the Bardstown Bourbon Company. The town even has a museum dedicated to the long history of this drink, made from whiskey in barrels at the Oscar Getz Museum of Bourbon History.
Civil War buffs will want to visit this town as well to see the Old Bardstown Village & Civil War Museum, featuring colonial log cabins and a large collection of Civil War artifacts used on the lesser-known western front of the war, and the Women's Civil War Museum, honoring the contributions of women during the conflict. Lastly, travelers can stop by the My Old Kentucky Home State Park, the site of an 1818 Federal Hill mansion that inspired Stephen Foster's song that became the Kentucky state anthem.
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park (59 minutes)
Daniel Boone isn't the only major American figure from Kentucky. Abraham Lincoln was born here in a humble log cabin and formed his earliest memories at their frontier home in modern-day Hodgenville prior to moving to Indiana.
Today, the park has a reverent vibe that honors the man who led America through one of its greatest crises: the American Civil War. The Birthplace Unit within the park houses a Symbolic Cabin representing his birthplace. At the Boyhood Unit, you can explore some of the landmarks from Lincoln's earliest days, such as Sinking Spring, where his family drew water, or the Boundary Oak Trail, which was used to mark the extent of his family's land. You can purchase a Lincoln souvenir to take home at the Knob Creek Tavern Visitor Center.
Old Friends (1 hour and 6-minutes)
The Kentucky Derby is the most popular event in the state by a wide margin, drawing in countless crowds to see the most exciting Two Minutes in sports as thoroughbred horses charge down the race track at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. When you visit Kentucky, you can skip the crowds at the Kentucky Derby and get up close and personal with these thoroughbred horses at the Old Friends farm.
This farm houses retired thoroughbreds and offers a unique experience for visitors to interact with the horses. By booking a tour, you can feed or pet the horses while taking a scenic drive on a golf cart on the farm's grounds. The farm currently has around 300 retired horses, including three Kentucky Derby winners.
Ashland - The Henry Clay Estate (1 hour, 25-minutes)
Henry Clay is a lesser-known political figure who played a tremendous role in Kentucky's history. He had a long political career as a senator, representative, House speaker, and secretary of state. He also ran for President on three separate occasions, although he lost each time. His home in Lexington, Kentucky, called Ashland, is an ideal way to learn about his legacy.
The museum provides tours of the 1811 Italianate plantation, along with a formal garden that's been registered as a Level 1 Arboretum, with rare trees such as the 400-year-old Blue Ash. His estate's beautiful grounds were so inspiring that multiple cities and towns throughout the U.S. have been named after it.
The tour doesn't shy away from the more controversial elements of his legacy, such as the men, women, and children he held as slaves here, or his role in electing John Quincy Adams as President, which Andrew Jackson famously called a corrupt bargain.
Fort Boonesborough State Park (1 hour, 36-minutes)
Located in Richmond, Kentucky, to the south of Lexington, is a recreation of the second-oldest settlement in Kentucky: Fort Boonesborough. In the 1700s, explorer Daniel Boone made multiple expeditions into Kentucky, which so enthralled him that he declared, "Heaven must be a Kentucky kind of place." In 1775, he brought his family to Kentucky and established Fort Boonesborough.
Today, the state has restored the fort with cabins, blockhouses, and expert reenactors who demonstrate how settlers lived and made basic tools to survive in the Kentucky wilderness. Some of these handmade items are available for purchase in the Gift Shop. If you brought a boat along on top of your car, then you can take it out at the fort onto the Kentucky River Palisades. These are steep gorges and limestone outcroppings that run for 100 miles on the river, offering one of the most beautiful river journeys in the state.
Natural Bridge State Resort Park (1 hour, 57-minutes)
This park sits within the majestic Red River Gorge Geological Area, a canyon formed by the Red River. The steep ridges here are a challenge to even the most seasoned climber, which is why it's the most popular destination in Kentucky for climbers. You don't have to be a climber or even a hiker to see the best natural phenomenon in the area at the Natural Bridge State Resort Park.
The park is named after a sandstone arch that stands 65 feet high and 78 feet across. These natural bridges are formed through water erosion, which gradually leaves behind an arch. If you aren't a hiker, you can take a skylift up to the bridge, stand on top of it, and look out into the vast wilderness of the Red River Gorge. If you are into hiking, you'll have many other places within the park to explore, such as the Natural Bridge Cave, or you can go fishing for largemouth bass at Mill Creek Lake.
Relaxing Bluegrass Destinations
Many of these day trips feature some of the most relaxing, serene places in Kentucky. The Old Friends farm provides rural charm alongside award-winning horses, while the Jefferson Memorial Forest allows a quick escape from the noise of the city without going for a long drive. You can learn about many famous Kentuckians, from Henry Clay to Abraham Lincoln, in beautiful arboretums and parks. No matter which day trip you choose to take from Louisville, you won't feel stressed or hurried at these attractions.
