Historic Homes & Buildings

• Governor's Mansion
  100 Capital Avenue • Frankfort, KY 40601
  Located on the State Capitol Campus
  502-564-3449
  This beautiful Beaux Arts Mansion, which sits on a bluff overlooking the Kentucky River, was modeled after Marie Antoinette's summer villa and was constructed of native limestone. The gardens follow the plans laid out in 1912, when construction began. As home to Kentucky's Governors, it is one of only a handful of executive residences in the United States that is open to the public for tours. more...  map

• Liberty Hall
  218 Wilkinson Street • Frankfort, KY 40601
  Liberty Hall Historic Site
  502-227-2560
  The elegant 1800 Liberty Hall was home to one of Kentucky's first U.S. Senators, John Brown. The Georgian home has original furnishings and a period garden sloping to the river. more...  map

• Old Governor's Mansion
  420 High Street • Frankfort, KY 40601
  502-564-3449
  This Mansion has been the home of 33 Kentucky governors starting in 1798 and has also hosted seven U.S. Presidents. It is reputed to be the oldest official executive residence still in use in the U.S. and is filled with antiques and reproduction furniture, as well as portraits of Kentucky's governors.  more...  map

• Old State Capitol
  100 West Broadway • Frankfort, KY 40601
  502-564-1792
  Kentucky's seat of government from 1831 to 1910, this Greek Revival building, listed as a national historic landmark, features the unique self-supporting stone circular stairway held together by pressure. When the new Capitol in South Frankfort was built early in the twentieth century, the building became the home of the Kentucky Historical Society. Guided tours are free to the public more...  map

• Orlando Brown House
  218 Wilkinson Street • Frankfort, KY 40601
  Liberty Hall Historic Site
  502-227-2560
  This 1836 home was designed by Gideon Shryock for Sen. John Brown's son, Orlando. It features family furniture, silver, and china. more...  map

• State Capitol
  700 Capital Avenue • Frankfort, KY 40601
  502-564-3449
  This beautiful Beaux Arts-style building, which was dedicated in 1910, features 70 ionic columns, sculptures of Kentucky dignitaries and decorative murals. The rotunda has a dome patterned after Napoleon's tomb in Paris.  map

• West-Lindsey House (circa 1820)
  401 Wapping • Frankfort, KY 40601
  502-564-6980
  This house was the boyhood home of U.S. Senator George Graham Vest, who coined the line "dog is man's best friend."  map

Historic Sites & Monuments

• Frankfort Cemetery
  215 East Main Street • Frankfort, KY 40601
  502-227-2403
  Overlooking the Kentucky River, this cemetery with its breathtaking view of the city features the gravesites of several notables, including Daniel and Rebecca Boone, and 17 of Kentucky's Governors. more...  map

Museums & Galleries

• Kentucky History Center
  100 West Broadway • Frankfort, KY 40601
  downtown Frankfort
  502-564-1792, 877-444-7867
  At the home of the Kentucky Hisorical Society you can viiew the changing exhibits, as well as the permanent exhibit which chronicles the history of the commonwealth from prehistoric time to the present. Learn more about your Kentucky ancestry in the facility's state-of-the-art genealogy library and special collections. Shop for Kentucky-made gifts in the 1792 museum store  more...  map

• Kentucky Military History Museum
  128 East Main Street • Frankfort, KY 40601
  in the Old State Arsenal
  502-564-3265
  This museum, housed in the Old State Arsenal, traces two centuries of the state's military heritage through an extraordinary collection of weapons, uniforms, and photographs. The 1850, two-story brick Gothic Revival "castle" designed by Kentuckian N.C. Cook stands on a cliff overlooking the Kentucky River and the downtown area. more...  map

Parks, Gardens & Zoos

• Salato Wildlife Education Center
  US-60
  502-564-7863
  Learn all about Kentucky's plants and animals. They have native animals, exhibits, education programs, and a gift shop. Also fishing lakes and picnic facilities are available. more...  map

Vineyards, Wineries & Breweries

• Buffalo Trace Distillery
  1001 Wilkinson Boulevard • Frankfort, KY 40601
  502-696-5926
  You'll experience all the sights, sounds, and smells of a real working distillery first-hand on this great tour. Handmade Kentucky crafts and unique gift items can be found in the gift shop. more...  map