Best 50 Things To Do And Attractions In Kentucky State For Tourists

Have you heard of tourist attractions in Kentucky? They are all on the list of must-see places. This state is full of fantastic nature and strange museums. It is especially great for kids. You will find many areas to go on a picnic and camp a night. A species of grass can be seen in many of its lands. Kentucky has the most significant length of navigable waterways and streams. It supports the horse industry and is known as horse racing. The state has many lakes and US national parks, and natural attractions attract over 6 billion tourists yearly. We suggest you look at the following content and make a list of what you like to visit here.

1- Vent Haven Museum – Fort Mitchell

Vent Haven is the strangest place to visit in Kentucky. This museum is the home of ventriloquism artifacts inspired by Shakespeare Berger’s collection. The collection contains 700 dolls with their big wooden heads. It has been grown the best and rare for over six decades.

2- Cumberland Gap National Park – Middlesboro

Attention for nature-lovers! have fun in this place. There are over 80 miles of hiking trails. Don’t miss the beautiful landscape of untouched nature covered with grass.

3- Fort Knox – Louisville

This is a historical site that spans 109,000 acres south of Louisville, known as one of America’s famous army posts. You can’t go inside, take advantage of the view for taking pictures. General George Patton Museum is also there, representing a weapon collection, the remembrance walls, and educational exhibits.

4- Natural Bridge – Slade

It is one of the most beautiful places in Kentucky. Visit the coolest things to do in Kentucky near Red River Gorge. The Natural Bridge has 65 feet in height and 78 feet long. Its incredible sight is the imposing sandstone arch, which isn’t too difficult to get to. Other parts of the park have plenty to enjoy, such as Hiking trails like the Original Trail and the Sand Gap Trail, seasonal campground, Hemlock Lodge for room and cottage, and paid skylift.

5- Breaks Interstate Park – Breaks

It is unofficially known as the Grand Canyon of the south of America. The deepest gorge in the east area of Mississippi covers the border between Virginia and Kentucky. Daniel Boone discovered this area. It’s the best place for nature lovers and to stay in the lodges.

6- Ashland: The Henry Clay Estate – Lexington

This is a plantation mansion, known as one of the National Historic Landmarks of Kentucky. Henry Clay was living here until 1852. This house showed the lives of upper-class citizens in the 19th century. The building has a view of the Federal architecture with Italian details. You will hear about his life in this mansion and enjoy the view. Candlelight Tour is available here during the holiday season. A small admission fee would be taken to visit.

7- Red River Gorge – Stanton

It’s a gorgeous area to go sightseeing, which is located at the Daniel Boone National Forest. It has the most famous natural arches of stone in the world. You can go on a hike, go fishing, row a canoe, and enjoy a picnic.

8- Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory – Louisville

It shows the history of Louisville Slugger bats and their role in America’s sports. The first thing you will see is the mega replica of the Louisville Slugger, which is 120 feet tall. Good view to take pictures! Go inside the museum and find how bats are made and more about baseball.

9- Kentucky State Capitol – Frankfort

It’s one of the top 10 most beautiful capitals in America. It is famous for the most loved luxurious features, the architecture, and the Opera Garnier-inspired designs. Frank Mills Andrews designed it. You can visit the First Lady Doll Collection too.

10- Louisville Mega Cavern – Louisville

We can mention it in the list of the most fabulous Kentucky attractions. It consists of 17 miles of human-made caverns and tunnels under Louisville. In the 1970s, there was a limestone quarry and then turned into a storage facility. Visiting this place, you will learn about the history and how the cavern works. Other hobbies there are Mega Zips, the only zipline underground, Mega Tram adventure, electric bike tour, and a 30-minute light show in the cavern.

11- Kentucky Derby and its museum – Louisville

The most exciting event in the state is the Kentucky Derby. If you love races, you can watch them here! The Kentucky Derby Museum is ready for you to learn about the history of the event from 1875. It holds documents and art crafts that have belonged to famous horse trainers.

12- Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum – Corbin

You know that Colonel Harland Sanders is the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken. At first, he had opened Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum. It has a close replica of his kitchen and historical information about the café.

13- Cumberland Falls State Resort Park – Corbin

It is located inside the Daniel Boone National Forest. This 1,657 acres park has a visitor’s center, 50 sites in a campground, restaurant, and lodge. You can do exciting things here: hiking, biking, catching a moonbow, rafting, fishing, etc. Besides, you will enjoy yearly events occurring in this park.

14- Newport Aquarium – Newport

This is one of the fun tourist attractions in Kentucky that you must visit. Fourteen galleries and over 70 various exhibits offer fantastic information about marine and aquatic life. Five tunnels through the US aquarium make you feel you live on a coastal island. You can see sharks, alligators, the Arapaima, Penguin, and other creatures up close.

15- Mammoth Cave National Park – Bowling Green

You will have fun and learn here. It is placed in the Caveland Corridor of Kentucky and is known as the Land of 10,000 Sinks. It is one of the oldest cave systems across the world, made memorable by The karstic vibes of the location. Features to visit in this park are 400 miles of Mammoth Cave passages, 200-foot-tall Mammoth Dome, Frozen Niagra, The Crystal Lake, and the vast limestone pillars of the Ruins of Karnak.
You can also have fun with Tarzan Swing, hiking, canoeing, horseback riding, kayaking, zipline courses, a tower drop, and cycling.

16- Wooldridge Monuments – Mayfield

This is a set of eerie statues in one of the scary parts of Kentucky. Colonel Henry G. Wooldridge commissioned creating these monuments to commemorate the characters. These characters consist of his family, pets, and horses. They are all looking over Mayfield, which is a cemetery.

17- Diamond Caverns – Park City

If you are looking for a particular place, Diamond Caverns should be your choice. Its twisting caves are full of ceilings full of gorgeous stalactites. They are greatly visible by the Lighting sources in the cave.

18- Big Four Bridge – Louisville

It is a bicycle bridge and a walkway for pedestrians located over the gorgeous Ohio River. It lets you see multiple attractions between Kentucky and Indiana, like the amphitheater Louisville Waterfront Park. Enjoy the beautiful light show at night.

19- Kentucky Artisan Center – Berea

It is a mix of shopping center and exhibition that holds a wide range of artisan works. You can find many beautiful things there. It is also a rest stop and an information center.

20 – Muhammad Ali Center – Louisville

You will love Muhammad Ali Center if you are a fan of boxing. It showcases the life and everything about the most incredible sportsmen like him. You can visit educational exhibits and artifacts from his world. Don’t forget to watch videos of Ali.

21 – Creation Museum – Petersburg

Creation Museum is an exhibition that shows the history of the universe as told by the Bible. See and walk through the following parts of this art museum: God’s word exhibit, the life-size dinosaurs, the botanical Garden of Eden, the Tower of Babel, and Noah’s “construction site” ‘s Arkand a theater presentation.

22- Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area – Golden Pond

is one of the most beautiful places you should see in Kentucky. It is located between Barkley Lake and Kentucky Lake and is called the second biggest inland peninsula in the USA. You have fun here with water sports, hiking trails, and bison prairie. Take the chance to see spotting wildlife and historic areas.

23 – Perryville Battlefield – Perryville

It’s a historic site, the remains of the Battle of Perryville, the bloodiest battle in the Civil War. Visiting this place offers fun activities like a recreation of the infamous battle.

24- Kentucky Kingdom – Louisville

This park is full of exciting stuff to do. There are plenty of entertainment options like a 5D cinema, a Ferris wheel, water rides, and more. If you are a fan of water rides, visit another park next door, Hurricane Bay, too.

25- Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site – Hodgenville

Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky, and this place celebrates that as a symbolic tourist attraction. There are other awesome things to see that represent every year of Lincoln’s life, the John Russell Pope-designed First Lincoln Memorial, Sinking Spring, Knob Creek.

26- My Old Kentucky Home State Park – Bardstown

This park was John Rowan’s home, the US Senator. It is a very crucial site politically and has a unique architecture. The park has plenty of things to do, like a campground with 39 spots, the Kenny Rapier Golf Course, a conference and wedding space, and a touching outdoor musical named The Stephen Foster Story.

27- Shaker Village – Harrodsburg

It’s farmland with 34 buildings built with Shaker-unique methods in the 19th century. There are different fun activities, tours, and events to enjoy here. You will also learn about the Shakers’ techniques, gardening, and farming in those days. You can check out the wildlife and walk through the 30-mile land trails.

28- Castle Post – Versailles

This is the place that takes you back in time to medieval times. A man built it after visiting Europe, and it now serves as a Bed and Breakfast.

29- Dinosaur World – Cave City

if you have kids, you shouldn’t miss this attraction. It is located near Cave City and has a vast tyrannosaurus rex figure. You will see over 100 different life-size dinosaur statues. Kids can go to the fossil dig and the playground. You can have a picnic in the area. Don’t forget to buy memorial things from its gift shop.

30- National Quilt Museum – Paducah

three galleries and unique exhibits in this museum attract kids and educating visitors. It focuses on providing advocacy for quilting. Its program is free, but you can pay for a guided tour.

31- Grave of Colonel Harland Sanders – Louisville

He was the genius behind Kentucky Fried Chicken. If you want to pay your respects to the founder of this delicious food, it’s the best place to visit. A bust of him is decorated, which was sculpted by Sanders’ daughter.

32- Floodwall Murals – Maysville

It is one of the best attractions in The city of Paducah. The mural is on a floodwall after a flood devastated the area in 1937. fifty murals, designed by Robert Dafford, have been added until the 2000s. Each of the paintings represents the country’s history after the colonial period.

33- Apple Valley Hillbilly Garden and Toyland – Calvert City

It’s a garden of folk art that is full of unique pieces and unique pieces. The location was an orchard for apples owned by Grandpa Oral Wallace, then a business area, and in the end, an art oasis. It would be best if you visited the museum of 3,500 different toys there.

34- Great American Dollhouse Museum – Danville

Don’t miss visiting this full of charm and mystery locations. You will see more than 200 unique dollhouses and little toys, room boxes, and small miniature buildings. All of them are divided into three areas and describe the social history of the American world.

35- Kentucky Horse Park – Lexington

This place is fun for the whole family with all the activities you could hope for. You will experience how horse farms work, go on pony or horse rides and trolley tours, the Breeds Barn, the Kids Barn, the Hall of Champions, the Mounted Police Barn, the Big Barn, four museums about horses, and campgrounds with lots of modern facilities.

36- Louisville Zoo – Louisville

you and your kids will learn all about nature and animals. You will enjoy visiting, especially at Christmas and Halloween, like the famed Glacier Run, grizzly bears and polar bears, the Gorilla Forest, and events throughout the year.

37- USS Sachem Ruins – Petersburg

going to this place, you will have an unusual vacation. It is famous as the Ghost Ship, which was abandoned in 1987. it had an essential role in the history of war I and II, which won awards. Tourists are attracted to its mystery and eeriness.

38- National Corvette Museum – Bowling Green

If you’re a fan of cars, you will have fun here. It has a rich collection of favorite sports cars and Corvette designs. You can attend a lot of activities like a racing event in NCM Motorsports Park.
39- Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area spans 125,000 acres of the most scenic places.

40- Grave of Daniel Boone – Frankfort

He is one of the iconic figures in Kentucky history buried in Frankfort Cemetery next to his wife. The view of his grave is fantastic.

41- Joe Ley Antiques – Louisville

This is the most significant old antique shop store that holds countless unique pieces and antiques from 1950. you can find many exciting things here, from toys to furniture and jewelry.

42- Waverly Hills Sanatorium – Louisville

It’s a haunted building. But attracts tourists for its Horror houses and ghost tours. Previously, it was a facility dedicated to healing tuberculosis and converted into a nursing home in 1962.

43- Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum – Marion

Thousands of unique minerals have been held here. They are taken from the Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar Mining district that was gathered by Ben E. Clement. You can also see a collection of prehistoric fossils and other historical pieces. You can scour the earth to find magnificent minerals.

44- Shrine of Saints Magnus and Bonosa – Louisville

It contains two ancient holy skeletons of two Christian martyrs, Magnus and Bonosa, from ancient Rome. They are kept in St. Martin of Tours. There are tales about them, but we still don’t know who these individuals were.

45- Mother Goose House – Hazard

This giant goose is the roof of the nest-shaped building built by George Stacy in 5 years. Its eyes are birdish beacons at night.

46- Belle of Louisville – Louisville

It’s the oldest steamboat that still navigates the Ohio River. It was used as a passenger ferry between different states. It has a 650-passenger capacity and offers cruises and events.

47- Bernheim Forest Giants – Shepherdsville

you will see three smiling giants made from sustainable materials by Thomas Dambo to Celebrate The 90th Anniversary of the Bernheim Arboretum. You can take pictures, touch, and decorate the giants. The giants have names and their fairy tales.

48- Jailer’s Inn Bed and Breakfast – Bardstown

It was the longest and oldest operating jail in Kentucky from 1797 to 1987. It is now an inn for Those looking to soak in the historic environment. Tours are offered daily in this location.

49- Kentucky Floral Clock- Frankfort

Imagine a giant clock filled with ten thousand flowers, which is Completed in 1961. it is Spinning in time and has a 15-feet long hour hand with a 20-feet long minute hand. It was a symbol of the wastes of taxpayer money in the Kentucky gubernatorial election. It is situated on Capitol Avenue around the State Capitol.

50- Gallop to Glory – Louisville

This is a hidden jockey “walk of fame” that ennobles the Kentucky Derby’s winning riders. You can find it at the Galt House Hotel. Any winner jockey preserved their handprint and signature on this monument. The hotel offers a variety of race-themed festivities too.
As you see, Kentucky is a mix of natural, historical places that anybody must experience once.