23 Best and Fun Things to Do in Bardstown, Kentucky

Bardstown was named after its forefathers, Davis and William Bard.

While William Bard surveyed and planned the city, David Bard sanctioned and obtained this area.

The city is famous for its brilliantly brewed bourbon, earning it the moniker “Bourbon Capital of the World.”

It has several historical monuments and museums that you can visit.

It is a significant location for Nelson County and is located right in the heart of Kentucky.

Things to Do in Bardstown, Kentucky

1. My Old Kentucky Home State Park

My Old Kentucky Home State Park served as the inspiration for Kentucky’s state song.

When Stephen Foster visited Federal Hill, he wrote the ballad “My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night” in opposition to slavery.

Federal Hill belonged to his cousin, United States Senator John Rowan.

Foster’s song was so popular at the time that the Commonwealth of Kentucky purchased Federal Hill to preserve it as a historical site.

Around this time, the state song was also officially declared.

As a result, the Federal Hills has become an important historical landmark.

It’s also a lovely place to visit because of the lovely trees and lush green grass.

The mansion itself is magnificent, with numerous intricate details.

2. Mcintyre’s Winery

McIntyre’s Winery makes fruit wines from the juice of locally grown blackberries and blueberries.

McIntyre’s has a wide variety of flavors and aromas to please everyone.

McIntyre’s Winery offers wine tasting and tours, as well as the opportunity to sample the winery’s handcrafted fruit wines and purchase fresh fruit.

You can buy wine from its online Winery or visit the Winery in person for a tour and tasting.

McIntyre’s Winery offers vineyard tours and wine tastings for novices and experts alike, allowing you to learn about the art and science of winemaking while also sampling our handcrafted fruit wines.

McIntyre’s Winery makes fruit wines from the juice of locally grown blackberries and blueberries.

3. Civil War Museum of the Western Theatre

The Civil War Museum of the Western Theatre, one of the four most important Civil War museums in the United States, is a must-see.

It is one of the largest museums in the United States of America, displaying the struggles of the Union and Confederacy in great detail.

The exhibits cover an area of 8,000 square feet and include a wide range of artifacts such as flags, swords, canons, and various artillery used in battle.

There are also rooms dedicated to specific themes such as slavery, artillery, cavalry, and more.

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4. The Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History

When you visit Bardstown, the world’s bourbon capital, you’ll discover a plethora of whiskey-related attractions.

The Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History is one of them.

This museum, housed in the magnificent Spalding Hall, is an ode to the beautiful art of whiskey main giver of the ages.

Whiskey-related artifacts are on display, giving the museum a rustic charm.

Exhibits include stills, posters, medicinal recipes for alcohol, and even the great Abraham Lincoln’s alcohol license.

The museum also explores the development of American whiskey since the 1960s.

5. The Rusty Rooster

Rusty Rooster is the best place in Bardstown to find something special without breaking the bank.

Find all vintage, farmhouse, primitive, Americana, handcrafted furniture and home accessories at

Rusty Rooster.

Customers can find everything they need in our clean and well-stocked store.

The staff is great and the store itself is perfectly organized.

Every season offers something new – from new to vintage, we have an incredible range of products.

6. Sympson Lake

Sympson Lake is a Kentucky reservoir at an intensity of 157 meters.

Samuels Field is positioned west of Sympson Lake.

Despite the lake’s significance as a water supply, water sports activities like boating and fishing are famous leisure activities.

Its boat ramp continues to be a famous fishing spot, and you could locate lots of anglers there each day.

Along with largemouth bass and crappie, channel catfish and white crappie are common catches in the area.

Use your best judgment and respect local rules and restrictions when deciding where to fish.

7. Basilica of Saint Joseph Proto-cathedral

This Catholic church was formerly the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown.

You will be enchanted by its radiant and divine beauty.

This church with many intricate details is also worth seeing.

Stained glass windows are a feast for the eyes.

It also contains many beautiful paintings from different eras.

These include paintings of King Louis by artists such as Van Dyck and Murillo.

King Francis I of the Two Sicilies also donated a very famous painting by Mattia Preti to this church.

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8. Bardstown Ghost Trek

We have all long past treks on mountains or hills, however how approximately a ghost trek and searching down spirits?

Sounds so cool, right?

Conducted each Saturday, Bardstown Ghost Trek is certain to make you sense chills down your spine.

The regions you’ll journey to are the Jailer’s Inn, Pioneer Cemetery, and Talbott Taverns.

It’s a historic excursion and flawlessly guided.

So get alongside the cameras and audio recorders, and let’s cross-ghosthunting.

9. Bardstown Community Park

Parks are several nice locations to bond together with your circle of relatives and cherished ones.

One such park in Bardstown that you will fall in love with is the Bardstown Community Park.

This acre-huge park has all of the beauties and serves as simply the precise spot for an own circle of relatives to picnic.

This network park additionally has a basketball court, horseshoe pits, picnic tables, and more.

The playground homes many slides and swings that your children will like to play on.

There also are cycling and on-foot trails.

10. The Mansion at Wickland

This massive 3-storied Georgian mansion has served as the nice and cozy home of 3 governors.

There has been one from Kentucky and one from Louisiana.

The sprawling property is an architectural splendor with many rooms constructed in classical ways.

The kitchen itself is -storied and includes amenities.

There’s additionally a library, a large dwelling room, and an amply spaced attic.

11. Women’s Civil War Museum

The Women’s Civil War Museum is the only museum dedicated to the beautiful sacrifices made by women in the Civil War zone. Another specialty museum in the museum series.

There are 5 of her museums in this series, 3 of which are featured here.

All of these museums are truly beautiful and occupy a special place.

This particular museum documents how women served in the military during the Civil War.

The Women’s Civil War Museum is a reminder of how the war was waged by men and women, with a variety of artifacts and exhibits depicting their journeys as nurses and others.

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12. Spalding Hall

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Bardstown, Kentucky, Spalding Hall was built adjacent to the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto Cathedral.

Bishop Martin John Spalding’s name is celebrated in the Hall.

Bardstown Historical Museum and Oscar Goetz His Whiskey History Museum are in the same building.

Used in the 19th century as the main building of St. Joseph’s Institute, Kentucky’s first Catholic college.

The present building was built in 1839 to replace an earlier design that was destroyed in a fire.

13. Hardon’s Bakery

Do you want a snack-crammed afternoon together with your friends?

Since 1977, Hadorn’s circle of relatives has owned and operated Hadorn’s Bakery in Bardstown.

The paintings are difficult to offer visitors and locals w tremendous enjoyment that fits their palate.

Everything at Hadorn’s is produced in residence with care and attention, from yum yum—one of the neighborhood’s pinnacle alternatives to seasonal cookies and cakes, amongst different gadgets.

Every day, freshly baked gadgets are created on the web web page of Hadorn’s Bakery.

Visit Hadorn’s Bakery withinside the city’s ancient middle to strive for a number of their delectable treats.

14. Jailer’s Inn and Breakfast

Each room has a private bathroom, cable TV, a hair dryer, and more—two rooms include twin Jacuzzis.

In the summer, delight in a comprehensive breakfast in their lovely, private courtyard adorned with flowers, plus you may make your trip more romantic by ordering chocolates or roses.

Each room has a private bath, cable TV, hair dryer, and more. Two rooms have his two whirlpools.

In the summer, enjoy her full breakfast in her private beautiful courtyard full of flowers. You can order chocolates and roses to make your trip more romantic.

15. The Stephen Forster Story

During the summertime season, the J. Dan Talbott Amphitheatre at My Old Kentucky Home State Park is the level for The Stephen Foster Story, a musical that has been accomplished each yr due to the fact 1959.

Written via way of means of Paul Green (1894-1981) who specialized in duration dramas, the musical offers Foster’s life, love, and heartaches, in opposition to a turbulent antebellum backdrop and is plagued by extra than 50 of his maximum well-known compositions.

There’s additionally an indoor, air-conditioned matinee overall performance on Saturdays, in addition to ordinary live shows on the amphitheater as a part of Bardstown’s Live on the Park series.

16. Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest

Something to pair with the James B. Beam Distilling Co. is the biggest privately owned herbal vicinity in Kentucky.

This turned into hooked up in 1929 through the I. W. Harper founder Isaac Wolfe Bernheim (1848-1945). He bought those 16,000+ acres at a reduction due to the fact the land have been stripped for iron ore and employed the Olmsted Firm to panorama the park.

The Bernheim Arboretum opened to the general public in 1950 and has greater than forty miles of trails, with a wealth of factors to look at in those knobs, valleys, ridges, and hollows.

Essential sights are the 75-foot-excessive Canopy Tree Walk, the scenic Fire Tower (961 steps), Isaac’s Cafe, sourcing elements from the arboretum’s Edible Garden, the LEED-licensed Visitor Center and the Education Center, with artwork reveals and an incredible Wildlife Viewing Room.

17. Abbey of Gethsemani

About 15 minutes south of downtown Bardstown, the abbey is owned by the strict Cistercian Order, also known as the Trappists.

Founded in 1848, the Gethsemani Monastery is the home of all monasteries of this order in the United States and is located on a farm of over 2,000 acres.

An important resident here was the social activist and theologian Thomas Merton (1915-1968).

Visit the Welcome Center to view museum exhibits and videos about monastic life. There’s also a gift shop with items made at the monastery, including handcrafted fruitcakes and bourbon fudge.

You also have free access to approximately 1,500 acres of wooded and rolling hills. Miles of hiking trails and maps are available at the Welcome Center.

18. Old Kentucky Dinner Train

A particularly fun attraction in Bardstown, Kentucky is My Old Kentucky Dinner Train. This famous ride combines entertainment, sightseeing, and fine dining with a variety of excursions.

With options such as lunch and dinner excursions and even a ride on My Old Kentucky Train, My Old Kentucky Dinner Train offers unique locations and experiences that will be talked about for years to come.

If bourbon takes you to Bardstown, so are bourbon excursions. Sit back and relax as you drive through the Kentucky countryside. The tour includes a delicious 4-course meal and tasting hosted by a master distiller. Wine tours are also available for those who want to taste local Kentucky vintages on a tour of the Bluegrass State.

19. Hurst Drugstore Soda Fountain

A conventional, cannot-omit Bardstown, KY delight is grabbing a milkshake from the Hurst Drugstore Soda Fountain.

Grab a seat via way of means of the bar on certainly considered one among their polished purple antique diner fashion stools and locate yourself transported to a less difficult time.

At Hurst Drugstore, you’ll sense the consolation of a place of origin diner from days long past via way of means as you deal with yourself conventional American staples. The fare consists of griddled sandwiches and fries, in addition to homemade milkshakes harking back to your childhood.

In addition to full-scale pharmacy services, this storefront additionally capabilities meals and gadgets for purchase. Their choice capabilities domestic décor, candles, and a lot of tasty American meal options, so that you can also snatch a memento earlier than or when you eat.

Visitors and locals are alike common that commercial enterprises now no longer simplest for their handy array of products but additionally their specific ambiance.

20. Around The Town Carriage Ride

Take in the sights of Bardstown, KY on wheels. Take an old-faculty carriage or stagecoach round as you recognize the down-domestic experience of Bardstown, KY.

The Around the Town Carriage Ride is a staple of Bardstown, KY tourism and showcases the splendor of its small and hospitable downtown. The guided excursion gives facts approximately the records of its town, factors of interest, and different sights in Bardstown, KY that can be of interest.

No, be counted the occasion, the Around the Town Carriage gives a pleasing experience. They had been recognized to provide rides for engagements and weddings, proms, funerals, candy sixteen celebrations, parades, and more. The carriage journey is a perfect shape for romantic couples and households alike.

21. 3rd Street Tap House

Kick off the nighttime through beginning on third Street. The Tap House capabilities extra than 30 craft beers on draft. Additionally, their services consist of bourbon, wine, and bar favorites like pizza and fries, so you’ll be capable of moist your whistle and refueling with a few foods.

Best of all, they often carry in musical entertainment. Whether you’re aiming to unwind and sit back or stay it up after an afternoon of tourism, the ecosystem at third Street Tap House suits the bill.

Between the drinks, tunes, and great ambiance, Third Street is a perfect preference for a night out in Bardstown. Visitors often rave approximately the laid again ecosystem and the extensive choices offered.

22. Old Talbott Tavern 

You can dine, stay, or simply visit to learn more about the area. Tours of the Talbott Tavern are available in person, through the app, and even online. Whatever you choose, know that you will be witnessing a pivotal moment in Bardstown’s history.

Their tantalizing lunch and dinner menus provide delectable fare that will keep you full and satisfied during your visit to Bardstown. Visitors can also enjoy alcoholic beverages and live entertainment at their bourbon bar. You can also book a stay in one of their six famous rooms, each named after an infamous Talbott Tavern visitor.

23. Peddlers Mall

If you’re in for a high-quality buying experience, Peddlers Mall is an area you would like to save.

Peddlers Mall is a family-owned mall that makes a specialty of antiques, oddities, collectibles, antique items, furniture, and lots more.

They promote at an inexpensive price, and they provide extraordinary customer support and a pleasant ecosystem to have an outstanding buying experience.

You also can save online on their app or website, and the transport charge could be very affordable. Peddlers Mall is open from Monday to Saturday from 10 am-8 pm, and Sunday 12 pm -6 pm.

Frequently Asked Questions

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