Frankfort is well-known land. What should you do while visiting Frankfort, Kentucky? Check out this list of 24 of the best things to do in Frankfort KY.
About Kentucky (KY)
What is the capital of Kentucky (KY)? When planning a family vacation to the South, Frankfort, the Kentucky capital city fire helmets, is not typically the first place that comes to mind. It’s surely not a city you should ignore, though!
Southern states Frankfort KY, which is located on the banks of the Kentucky River, is a classic river town with small-town charm, a lengthy history, and traditional Southern hospitality. Take a stroll across the city of Frankfort KY to see the magnificent architecture, especially the governor mansions and the new and old capitol buildings, which are all open to the public. The Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History will provide you with an overview of the city’s 200-year history, and the Liberty Hall Historic Site will tell you about life in early Kentucky.
Prior to your visit, we suggest calling the restaurants and attractions to confirm the most current opening times.
Old State Capitol
From 1831 until 1910, when it was replaced by the current capitol building because it was too crowded, the Kentucky government was located in the Old State Capitol, a striking building in the heart of Frankfort. The building was created by young architect Gideon Shryock in the Greek Revival style to resemble a Greek temple. It has an interesting self-supporting staircase that is held together by pressure and precision.
The structure has been meticulously restored to look as it did before the American Civil War. In 1920, the Old State Capitol was converted into a museum; now, it houses the Kentucky Historical Society, which looks for the building and conducts tours for tourists. On the National Register of Historic Places is where the structure is listed.
📍Address: 300 W Broadway St, Frankfort, KY 40601
New Capitol Building
The Kentucky State Capitol, a beautiful, royal building completed in 1910 in the Beaux-Arts style, is the fourth building to house the Kentucky government since 1792. Downtown Frankfort Kentucky still has its precursor. The building has an attractive façade made of Indiana limestone and Vermont granite, which was the work of architect Frank Mills Andrews.
Georgia marble from Georgia, Italian marble from Italy, and Tennessee marble from Tennessee are all used to decorate the interior. In the State Reception Room of the Capitol, which is used for ceremonies, the walls have been hand-painted with murals and scagliola that resemble Gobelin tapestries. There is a ton of art on display throughout the building. The Lincoln statue in the rotunda is one of the most well-known works of art. A fascinating collection of dolls that belonged to many First Ladies is also available.
📍Address: 700 Capital Ave, Frankfort, KY 40601
Salato Wildlife Education Center
The Salato Wildlife Education Center, located on the grounds of the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources, is an educational facility with indoor and outdoor interpretive and interactive exhibits showcasing local animals and plants. It is only a short drive from Frankfort.
Visitors can view a wide range of environments found in Kentucky, including beautiful mountains, hilly prairies, marshes, and running streams, as well as the animals that call them home. The Eastern Forest Diorama, real snakes, enormous turtles, and local fish are all indoors in enormous aquariums. You may see bison, bears, and eagles by traveling on miles of paved trails. There are also native plant habitats and gardens, picnic places for a relaxing weekend, and a lake where you may go fishing.
📍Address: 1 Sportsman’s Ln, Frankfort, KY 40601
Thomas D. Clark Center For Kentucky History
A modern research center and museum with 167,000 square feet, the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. Additionally, it houses the Kentucky Historical Society’s administrative offices. The center features a variety of temporary and permanent exhibitions as well as a large research library. “A Kentucky Journey,” the main permanent exhibit, offers information about Kentucky and its inhabitants from prehistoric times to the present. The Martin F. Schmidt Research Library is a resource for historical and genealogical research.
It provides information on the places and individuals who shaped Kentucky into what it is now, including manuscripts, books, oral histories, and graphic collections. Family historians who are researching their genealogy frequently visit the library. The facility also houses the Keeneland Changing Exhibits Gallery, which features a collection of Lincoln memorabilia as well as a variety of transitory exhibitions.
📍Address: 100 W Broadway St, Frankfort, KY 40601
Governor’s Mansion
The Commonwealth of Kentucky’s official residence is the Governor’s Mansion. Since 1914, 26 governors of Kentucky have resided there. The governor resides in the mansion, which also serves as a structure of government. It is the focal point for all social, political, and ceremonial activities for the governor.
The mansion’s interiors were designed in French neoclassical themes and it was completed in 1914 with a Beaux-Arts style that was heavily influenced by Versailles’ Petit Trianon palace. On the National Register of Historic Places is where the structure is listed. One of the few executive houses in America that is open to the general public is Kentucky’s Governor’s Mansion.
📍Address: 704 Capital Ave, Frankfort, KY 40601
Liberty Hall Historic Site
John Brown, the first senator from Kentucky, built two historic homes for his family at Liberty Hall Historic Site, which is encircled by three acres of exquisite formal and informal gardens. While Brown built his son the Greek-Revival Orlando Brown House in 1835, Liberty Hall is a stately home in the Georgian style that was built in 1796.
Both houses contain lovely furnishings, well-preserved portraits of the Brown family, and a collection of watercolors by Paul Sawyier. Visitors can take part in activities that demonstrate life in early Kentucky and include hearthside cooking, crafts, music, kid-friendly activities, seminars and lectures by renowned experts, exhibits, and occasions like teas in the Orlando Brown parlor. Liberty Hall offers daily guided tours. The gardens are open to everyone without charge.
📍Address: 202 Wilkinson St, Frankfort, KY 40601
Cove Springs Park
Cove Springs Park, a beautiful 240-acre nature preserve and park on the outskirts of Frankfort, contains wetlands, waterfalls, streams, springs, forests, ravines, and a number of historic features, including the remains of an old stone dam and a crumbling limestone overflow tower.
The park is a great place for outdoor activities including hiking (there are six trails totaling three miles), nature observation, picnicking, Frisbee throwing, and much more. One route features several informative signs and a portion that is an elevated walkway above wetlands. Furthermore, there are two shelters featuring informative displays about the park’s historical and natural features.
📍Address: 100 Cove Spring Rd, Frankfort, KY 40601
Old Governor’s Mansion
The Old Governor’s Mansion in Frankfort, which was completed in 1798, is the oldest American official executive residence still in use, but it has been used by Kentucky’s lieutenant governors since 1956. The building, which was first designed in the Federal style, had various revisions as the fashions changed, and some Victorian details were added.
The mansion has served 35 governors and their families while they lived there. James McCreary was the final governor to reside in this region. Up until 1872, the mansion housed the governor’s office. Theodore Roosevelt, William Jennings Bryan, Henry Clay, and Andrew Jackson are just a few of the famous visitors that have stayed at the mansion and it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
📍Address: 420 High St, Frankfort, KY 40601
Elkhorn Creek
Elkhorn Creek offers excellent opportunities for paddling and floating, but it also has a well-deserved reputation as one of the top smallmouth bass streams in Kentucky. This 17-mile scenic length of water, which begins on the outskirts of Frankfort and flows to the Kentucky River, offers enough adventures for everyone.
On its banks are a variety of campgrounds, and Canoe Kentucky rents boats and provides shuttle services. There are now many annual kayak fishing tournaments due to the popularity of fishing on the Elkhorn. There are several excellent portions for kayakers and paddlers, and the class III rapids that can be experienced when the water level is high add to the excitement.
📍Address: Off Highway 1262, Frankfort, KY
Capital City Museum
Frankfort’s Capital City Museum is a curious small museum that, with the help of extraordinary exhibits displayed in what is essentially one room, manages to illustrate 200 years of the history of this attractive historic small town. What remained of the renowned 150-year-old Capital Hotel, which is also a museum piece, holds the museum. There is a lot to see in a variety of fascinating exhibits, including those on the Kentucky River, Capitol Hotel, and Senator Goebel’s assassination.
Collections of memorabilia span a wide range of aspects of daily life in Frankfort, including early furniture, agricultural items, local firefighters, the police department, several election buttons, and much more. The museum is where many historical tours of Frankfort begin. A study library with maps, old documents, books, journals, and genealogy information is also available at the museum.
📍Address: 325 Ann St, Frankfort, KY 40601
Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial
On a hill with a view of the state capitol building, the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial is located. The memorial, which was finished in November 1988, is a magnificent example of mathematical architectural design. It comprises of a sizable sundial, a granite plaza, and a stainless steel gnomon.
The names of the 1104 Kentuckians who died in Vietnam are carved into the plaza, and on the anniversary of their deaths, the dial’s shadow brushes each name. The memorial, which attracts large crowds of visitors each year, is a stunning tribute to the fallen.
📍Address: 365 Vernon Cooper Dr, Frankfort, KY 40601
The Vest-Lindsey House
The Vest-Lindsey House, a mansion in the federal style built in the early 1800s, is one of Frankfort’s oldest buildings. The mansion has experienced numerous changes throughout the years, but it has now been restored in a manner that resembles how it looked in the past.
Senator George Graham Vest of Kentucky and Inspector General Daniel Weisiger Lindsey of the Union Army’s soldiers in Kentucky are notable residents of the house. The residence has also welcomed other famous authors and artists, including Robert Wilson Burns and John Fox, Jr. The house is still in use as a state meeting place today. For information on scheduling, please contact the Division of Historic Properties.
📍Address: 401 Wapping Street, Frankfort, KY 40601-2607
Josephine Sculpture Park
Josephine Sculpture Park, a rural area is decorated with sculptures and works of art created by artists from around the world. The park was established by Melanie Van Houten on the grounds of her grandparents’ farm. Numerous works of art are available for tourists to view, while they may also explore local fauna and plants.
To further advance the arts in Kentucky, the sculpture park also provides workshops, classes, and theater events. The public is welcome to use the park for free every day from sunrise until sunset. For an additional fee, the grounds can be rented for events including weddings, parties, and family gatherings.
📍Address: 3355 Lawrenceburg Rd, Frankfort, KY
The Floral Clock
The stunning Floral Clock is located on the grounds of the state building in Frankfort. The clock, whose face measures 34 feet across and is covered in flowers only found in the state of Kentucky, was commissioned in 1961 by then-governor Bert I. Combs.
A little pool of water beneath the clock is frequently used as a wishing well, and the cash placed into it is used to support scholarships. One of the most popular attractions in Frankfort, the Floral Clock is accessible to the general public every day from dawn until dusk.
📍Address: 700 Capital Ave., Frankfort, KY 40601
Switzer Covered Bridge
Kentucky has thirteen classic covered bridges as well as a lot of beautiful rural roads. The Switzer Covered Bridge, one of several that spans North Elkhorn Creek in Franklin County and is a part of route 1262. The most recent repair of the 1855-built bridge took place in 1998 after the old one was completely destroyed by flooding. Over the course of its more than 100-year history, the bridge has had three previous restorations.
In 1974, the Switzer was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as the state of Kentucky’s official railroad bridge.
📍Address: SR 1689 (Switzer Rd), SR 1262, Franklin County, KY
The Grand Theater
Visit the Grand Theater, Frankfort’s cultural center, to enjoy the arts. The Grand Theater Frankfort KY was originally built in 1911 as a vaudeville house, After that, it was a movie theater for many years. The Grand underwent a meticulous restoration to become a music venue and movie theater in the early 2000s.
Throughout the year, there are live performances of music, theatre performances, movies, art exhibits, and children’s theater productions. Tickets can be bought at the theater box office, over the phone, or online.
📍Address: 308 St. Clair Street, Frankfort, KY 40601
River View Park
Frankfort’s River View Park is the ideal location for leisure, picnic, and relaxation. It offers stunning views of the river from many different points of view and is situated on both sides of the Kentucky River. Hiking the park’s trails, renting a kayak or canoe to take out on the water, and having a picnic lunch at a shelter house with a view of the river are all options for tourists.
The park also has 16 historical sites that provide details on the town’s early settlers, Native Americans, and prehistoric origins. Weather permitting, guided tours are provided all year long.
📍Address: 404 Wilkinson Blvd, Frankfort, KY 40601
Clyde E. Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary
374 acres of land bordering the Kentucky River make up the Clyde E. Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary. Mrs. Emma Buckley gave the land to the Central Kentucky Audubon Society in 1967 so it could be used as a preserve.
The sanctuary was built to preserve and promote the local flora and fauna of eastern Kentucky. In addition to limestone and mineral deposits, it has two ponds and fifty acres of farmland. A sanctuary is a great spot to see animals, too. Periodically, the area is offered for guided bird walks.
📍Address: 1305 Germany Rd, Frankfort, KY 40601
Castle And Key Distillery
In Millville, Kentucky, Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr. built a large distillery complex back in 1887. The Colonel designed his distillery complex to include a true stone castle, a Springhouse, and a Sunken Garden, drawing inspiration from the grandeur of European castles. This helped to promote bourbon tourism in Kentucky. When the castle was forced to close in 1920 due to Prohibition, it was not better cared for.
Nearly a century later, the former castle complex has been completely restored to its former grandeur and is once more the location of a destination distillery. Visitors are welcome to visit the gardens and tour them at their own time or join a guided tour of the Springhouse, the Castle, and the beautifully designed gardens. Obviously, you will also be able to sample their special brand of fine Kentucky bourbon.
📍Address: 4445 McCracken Pike, Frankfort, KY 40601
Leslie Morris Park At Fort Hill
At Fort Hill’s Leslie Morris Park, take a trip through history. A Civil War skirmish took place at Fort Hill, which is situated just outside of Frankfort, between Union and Confederate invaders. The Sullivan family log home and two Civil War forts are both still standing on the property. The park has picnic areas, hiking trails, and beautiful scenery of Frankfort.
Vehicle access is allowed all year long, and from Memorial Day through the end of October, free guided walking tours are offered. From downtown Frankfort, a trail that begins behind the Capitol plaza can be used to go to the park on foot.
📍Address: 400 Clifton Ave, Frankfort, KY 40601
Kentucky Military History Museum
The men and women of Kentucky have been serving in the military for more than 200 years. The Kentucky Military History Museum, situated in the building that was the state arsenal for more than a century, is where this rich history is on display.
In this very location, women produced munitions for the Civil War. Here, the tales of Kentucky’s soldiers are recounted while military items like rifles, bullets, and helmets are on display.
📍Address: 125 E Main St., Frankfort, KY 40601
Juniper Hill Golf Course
Since its introduction in 1957, the 18-hole Juniper Hill Golf Course has been among the most well-liked locations in the State of Kentucky. The course now offers charity events, golf tournaments, and associations for men, women, seniors, and children. The annual Governor’s Open also attracts top professionals from across the country.
Non-members can play 9 or 18 holes of golf for very reasonable prices. A week in advance is needed for booking tee times. Tennis courts and a modest pro shop are also available on the course.
📍Address: 800 Louisville Rd., Frankfort, KY 40601
Rebecca Ruth Candy Tours And Museum
Ruth Booe and Rebecca Gooch, two former teachers, founded Rebecca Ruth Candies in 1919. Their business is now a Kentucky institution after surviving fires, family tragedies, two world wars, and the Great Depression.
The “bourbon balls,” a treat that combines chocolate and Kentucky’s most well-known alcoholic drink, are a specialty of Rebecca Ruth’s. Visitors can purchase these sweets at the business store to take them home with them after the tour.
📍Address: 116 East Second Street, Frankfurt KY 40601
Buffalo Trace Distillery
The Buffalo Trace Distillery is one of the best things to do in Frankfort IL, It’s a national historic landmark and maker of the most renowned bourbon in the world, is a true Kentucky Landmark. At Buffalo Trace, one of the cool things to trace, the state’s indigenous spirit has been distilled and aged for more than 150 years. The distillery offers five distinct tours, ranging from an inside look at the manufacturing of whiskey to a visit to the barrels used to store and age the whiskey.
Each tour is chargeless and concludes with a taste of Buffalo Trace’s renowned bourbon. In addition to significant holidays, the distillery is open every day. Over-25-person groups must arrange a reservation for the tour in advance.
📍Address: 113 Great Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, KY 40601
The Bottom Line
What are things to do in Frankfort Kentucky? Frankfort offers so much to discover that you’ll certainly find yourself wanting to visit more than once. We wish you had a great time learning about new exciting things to do in Frankfort KY.
Above are the top Things To Do In Frankfort KY we suggest you should try when going travel from https://www.skyspace-la.com/. Hope you are satisfied with this information.
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