Bardstown, Kentucky Area Attractions

Abbey of Gethsemani Visitor Center 3642 Monks Rd, Trappist, KY 40051; 502-549-4406. Open Mon.- Sat., 9 a.m-5 p.m., closed Sunday. The center offers displays and a video presentation about monastery life as well as a gift shop with Gethsemani Farms products. The Abbey, founded in 1848 by the Order of Trappist Cistercians, is home today to Trappist monks who open doors to spiritual seekers from all over the world. www.monks.org

Around the Town Carriage 223 N. Third St., Bardstown; 502-348-0331 or 502-249-0889. Open daily, 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. The carriage ride provides a slow-paced way to see the sites of historic Bardstown. We offer carriages, buggies and even a stagecoach to tour just about any size group.

Bardstown/Nelson County Historical Museum 114 N. Fifth St., Bardstown; 502-348-2999 Open Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (May-Oct.); Tues.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Nov.-Apr.); Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun., noon-4 p.m. (year-round). In Spalding Hall, collection includes an original porcupine-quill-decorated Indian coat and one of the first Kentucky long rifles made in Bardstown by renowned gunsmith, Jacob Rizer (circa 1835. Variety of Historical artifacts, up to and including WWII. HA www.whiskeymuseum.com

Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral 310 W. Stephen Foster Ave., Bardstown; 502-348-3126. Open year round. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.; Sun., 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. First Catholic cathedral west of the Allegheny Mountains, the church was built in 1816-1819. This historic edifice contains fine paintings, gifts of Francis (King of the two Sicilies) and Pope Leo XII. Donations requested. HA. www.stjoechurch.com

Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest HWY 245, Clermont, KY 40110; 502-955-8512. Open 7 a.m. until sunset daily except Christmas and New Year's day. Free admission, Mon.-Fri.; $5 per vehicle on weekends, holidays. Renowned arboretum and 14,000-acre forest preserve with nature center, picnic areas, hiking trails and lakes. No camping, hunting or horseback riding. Visitor Center and Isaac's Cafe open daily 9 a.m. -5 p.m. www.bernheim.org
Bike Rentals 108 W. Flaget, Bardstown; 502-510-1674. Rent a stylish beach cruiser and put yourself in the driver’s seat for your Bardstown tour. • Beach cruisers in many colors • 3‐hour rental: $15 plus tax • Helmet included • Maps • Cable Locks • Basket
Bishop Flaget Log House & St. Thomas Church 870 St. Thomas Lane, Bardstown; 502-348-3717. Open 12 p.m. - 2 p.m., May - Nov. Other times by appointment. Bishop Flaget, first Bishop of Bardstown, arrived at the house (circa 1795) in 1811 and lived there for 7 years. Now an interpretive museum, the house reflects the 1812 era. www.st-thomasparish.org.

Central Kentucky Canoe & Kayak 502-507-9364. Open year-round by appointment. Canoe and kayak trips and rentals ranging from one hour to multi-day. Floating fun for everyone. Moonlight float trips. Private shuttles also available. www.kycanoe.com.

*Chapeze House "Kentucky's Home for Bourbon"* Bourbon Tasting** 107 E. Stephen Foster Ave., Bardstown; 502-507-8338 or 800-704-4917. Taste Ultra-Premium Bourbon from each Kentucky distillery. Dine upon Kentucky Bourbon inspired Southern cuisine. 6:30 Bourbon Tasting, 8:00 Dinner. Outdoor seating available. Call for reservations. Meet The Colonel and Margaret Sue, Kentucky personalities featured on the Food Network TV with Paula Deen, Travel Channel and Fine Living Channel. A tour of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is not complete until you have made a reservation to drink Kentucky Bourbon with The Colonel and dine upon a dinner prepared by Margaret Sue at the Chapeze House, "Kentucky's Home for Bourbon." www.kentuckyshomeforbourbon.com

Civil War Museum of the Western Theatre Museum Row, 310 E. Broadway, Bardstown; 502-349-0291. Open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Mar.-Dec. One of the four-most important Civil War Museums an. Kentucky's largest collection of Civil War artifacts. Authentic uniforms, battle flags, weapons, maps and documents are on display. HA. www.civil-war-museum.org

Four Roses Distillery 624 Lotus Rd., Cox's Creek, KY 40013; 502-543-2264. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-2 p.m. See bottling done by hand and smell sweet aging bourbon in white oak barrels. Gift shop and free private tours. www.fourroses.us

Heaven Hill Distilleries Bourbon Heritage Center 1311 Gilkey Run Rd., Bardstown; 502-337-1000. Open year round. Tues.- Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., 12-4 p.m., Closed Sun., Jan.-Feb. State-of-the-art visitor center provides the ultimate educational and entertainment experience. Tour a working rickhouse, see a movie and receive a tutored tasting in the "Taste of Heaven" barrel-shaped tasting room. HA. www.bourbonheritagecenter.com

Heaven Hill Trolley One Court Square, Bardstown; 502-510-0012. Open year round. Tour times: Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m.; Sun., Noon, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. Fri. and Sat. only Jan.-Feb. Tour history in style; an introductory tour of Bardstown's many attractions including Heaven Hill's Bourbon Heritage Center. www.bourbonheritagecenter.com

Historic Tom Moore Distillery- 1792 Bourbon 300 Barton Rd., Bardstown; 502-348-3774. Oct-May, Free extensive tours; Jun.- Sept., Free abbreviated tours; Mon.-Fri., 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tour the best-kept secret in Kentucky at the only full distillery tour in Bardstown. Must be 21 and able to walk stairs. Reservations required.

Horizon Hoppers Adventure Services Bardstown/Nelson County Airport, US 62 W, Bardstown; 502-507-9364. Open year round by appointment. Find out why the sky is not the limit. It is only the beginning. Full-service adventure outfitter, including chartered flights, hiking, camping and sightseeing tours. www.horizonhopper.com.

Jim Beam American Outpost 149 Happy Hollow Rd, Clermont, KY 40110; 502-543-9877. Open year round. Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1-4 p.m. Closed Sun., Nov. - Mar.; New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Learn the rich heritage and modern- day production method of this 200-year-old distillery. Enjoy sampling our bourbons while viewing the Beam family home, a National Historic Site. HA www.jimbeam.com

Kentucky Railway Museum 136 S. Main St., New Haven, KY 40051; 502-549-5470 or 800-272-0152. Open Mon.- Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun., Noon-5 p.m. Closed Sun.& Mon., Jan.- March. Bells, lights and steam whistles abound at Kentucky's official railway museum. Take a ride through the scenic Rolling Fork River Valley. AAA discount. HA. www.kyrail.org

Abraham Lincoln Sites As our nation celebrates the Lincoln Bicentennial 2008-2010, you may want to include these nearby Lincoln sites: Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, Hodgenville. 270-358-3137 Lincoln Museum, 66 Lincoln Square, Hodgenville. 270-358-3163 Lincoln Homestead State Park, 5079 Lincoln Park Road, Springfield. 859-336-7461 Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln Memorial and Lincoln Heritage House, Freeman Lake, Elizabethtown. 270-765-2175.

Maker's Mark Distillery 3350 Burks Springs Rd., Loretto, KY 40037; 270-865-2099. Open year round. Tours hourly on the half hour: Mon.-Sat., 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30-3:30 p.m. Closed Sun., Jan.-Feb.; New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Enjoy the sounds and smells of this uniquely crafted small batch bourbon. Purchase a souvenir bottle and hand-dip it in Maker's signature red wax. Must be 21 to purchase and dip. www.makersmark.com.

My Old Kentucky Dinner Train 602 N. Third St., Bardstown; 502-348-7300 or 866-801-3463. Year round. Fri., 5 p.m.; Sat., 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. Relive the elegance of railcar dining as you travel through beautiful Bourbon Country in Kentucky. Experience a gourmet meal, impeccable service and true Southern hospitality. Reservations recommended. www.kydinnertrain.com.

My Old Kentucky Home State Park 501 E. Stephen Foster Ave., Bardstown; 502-348-3502 or 800-323-7803. Open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Dec. 23-29 and New Year's Eve and Day. Federal Hill was the inspiration for Stephen Foster's ballad, "My Old Kentucky Home," which honors the state song. Built in 1812, it is as endearing to visitors today as when Foster wrote the song. HA first floor only. www.parks.ky.gov

Neal Spalding Native American Museum Museum Row, 310 E. Broadway, Bardstown; 502-349-0291. Open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Mar.-Dec. Looks at how Native Americans lived at various stages of American history. Four habitats are shown: reproduction longhouse, teepee, reed and straw house, and adobe house. Also reproduction totem poles.

Old Bardstown Village Museum Row, 310 E. Broadway, Bardstown; 502-349-0291. Open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Mar.-Dec. The Old Bardstown Village is a re-creation of a 1790's frontier village representative of the first westward movement of the nation. The cabins are 150 to 200 years old. HA www.civil-war-museum.org

Old County Jail 111 W. Stephen Foster Ave., Bardstown; 502-348-5551 or 800-948-5551. Open Sun.-Fri., 2-6 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Includes a tour of the original 1819 jail. A chilling look at conditions in this jail that was in operation until 1987. www.jailersinn.com

Old Talbott Tavern 107 W. Stephen Foster Ave., Bardstown; 502-348-3494 or 800-482-8376. Open daily. Built in 1779, the historic stone building has been a silent witness to an amazing panorama of events and an unending parade of visitors from kings to pioneers and presidents to renegades. www.talbotts.com

Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History 114 N. Fifth St., Bardstown; 502-348-2999. Open Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (May-Oct.); Tues.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Nov.-Apr.); Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun., noon-4 p.m. (year-round). Extensive collection of the liquor memorabilia of Oscar Getz and other distillers from the 1700's to today. Includes George Washington's mill stone, prohibition prescriptions, a replica of Lincoln's Tavern in Illinois and Carrie Nation's hatchet. HA www.whiskeymuseum.com

Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Hwy 31E/150, Nazareth, KY 40048; 3 miles north of downtown Bardstown. 502-348-1500. Open year-round, hours vary. Call for tours, retreat information & Mass times. An excellent quiet campus for walks, meditating, tours, retreats. Highlights of the campus include a new Visitor Center, Heritage Museum, Retreats Office, all in historic O'Connell Hall, and St. Vincent Church with its beautiful gothic architecture. www.scnfamily.org

Springhill Winery 3205 Springfield Rd./Hwy. 55, Bloomfield, KY 40008; 502-252-9463. You can tour the winery cellar and experience how we make our fine crafted wines, enjoy our historic display of Kentucky's wine heritage and browse the gift shop. Taste your wine selections in our tasting room or on the patio overlooking the Easter vineyards. www.springhillwinery.com

Stephen Foster - The Musical Drama Drive, P O Box 546, Bardstown; 502-348-5971 or 800-626-1563. Select dates June 6- Aug.14, 2009, 8:30 p.m., except Mon. and Thurs.; Sat. matinee in an indoor theater at 2 p.m. This spectacular musical, with a cast of more than 50 performers, is based on the life of America's first great composer, Stephen Foster. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, July 7-Aug.15, Tues.& Sat., 8:30 p.m. www.stephenfoster.com

Walking Tour Based at the Welcome Center, One Court Square, Bardstown; 800-638-4877 or 502-348-4877. Self-guided tours of Historic downtown Bardstown. Maps available at Welcome Center or download our Attractions Walking Tour or our Historic Walking Tour (pdf format).

War Memorial of Mid-America Museum Row, 202 E. Broadway, Bardstown; 502-349-0291. Open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., March-Dec. The Memorial covers all of America's wars, from the Revolutionary War to Desert Storm, with outstanding graphics and artifacts.

Wickland, Home of Three Governors 550 Bloomfield Rd./Hwy. 62, Bardstown; 502-348-4877 or 800-638-4877. Open May-Labor Day, Fri.-Sun., 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Self-guided architectural tour, quilt and doll exhibits. Considered one of the best Federal-style houses in Kentucky, it was built circa 1825-1828. Also, exhibits focusing on the three governors, the Civil War and black history.

Wildlife/Natural History Museum Museum Row, 310 E. Broadway, Bardstown; 502-349-0291. Open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., March-Dec. The museum features an extensive collection of North American animals in their natural habitat. Fossils and minerals from around the world are also featured. HA

Women of the Civil War Museum Museum Row, 310 E. Broadway, Bardstown; 502-349-0291. Open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m., March-Dec. The museum portrays women as nurses, spies, soldiers in disguise, plantation and factory workers. Clothing and artifacts from the era help to tell their story. www.civil-war-museum.org