By now, you should know that Bardstown is the Bourbon Capital of the World, with distilleries, tasting rooms, restaurants and bars galore serving our signature beverage.
But what you might not know is that Bardstown has plenty to occupy the time and interest of those who are not into the commonwealth’s magic elixir.
So, here are 15 things to do in Bardstown and the surrounding area that don’t require drinking bourbon.
1. Explore Our Historic Downtown
As one of the oldest cities in Kentucky, Bardstown naturally has a lot of history in its city center.
You can wander on your own, checking out museums such as the African-American Heritage Museum, honoring the contribution of Nelson County’s people of color. You can get an old-fashioned soda and a burst of nostalgia at the soda fountain in Hurst Drug Store, which has been in business for more than 100 years. You can even check into the Old Talbott Tavern, the oldest coaching inn west of the Allegheny Mountains, built in 1779.
2. Visit My Old Kentucky Home State Park
Stroll the beautiful grounds of what is arguably Kentucky’s most famous home.
Then schedule a guided tour of Federal Hill, the plantation that inspired Stephen Foster to write the commonwealth’s anthem – My Old Kentucky Home.
3. The Stephen Foster Story
If you are visiting in the summer (June through August), stick around for the musical performance of The Stephen Foster Story in the park’s outdoor amphitheater.
With colorful costumes and sets and the songwriter’s favorite tunes such as "Camptown Races" and "Oh, Susanna," the production has been thrilling audiences since 1957.
4. My Old Kentucky Dinner Train
While it’s of newer vintage than My Old Kentucky Home, this popular attraction evokes the glamorous passenger trains of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Amidst luxurious furnishings, guests enjoy a gourmet lunch or dinner excursion into the surrounding countryside. On occasion, the train offers a special journey, such as the popular Murder Mystery itinerary.
5. Civil War Museum
Often referred to as the Civil War Museum of the Western Theater, this excellent museum follows the same pattern as the state itself.
Kentucky was deeply divided during the conflict, with loyalties firmly rooted on both sides. In a historic example of irony, the presidents of both the Union and Confederacy, Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis - were born within 100 miles of each other here in Kentucky.
The museum is unusual in that its exhibits showcase the War Between the States in an impartial rather than partisan light.
6. Kentucky Railway Museum
Railway buffs take their passion very seriously, and they can indulge it in New Haven, just a short 20-minute drive from Bardstown.
One of the oldest railroad museums in the U.S., the Kentucky Railway Museum’s exhibits feature both passenger cars and interactive displays such as model train layouts.
Additionally, visitors can take a one-and-a-half hour train journey through the Rolling Fork River Valley. If you opt for the "Outlaw Express," you might find yourself handing over your valuables, so a safer (and tastier) alternative might be the "Uncorked Express" with its wine and cheese offering.
7. McIntyre & Family Winery
Speaking of wine, we have that as well in Bardstown.
McIntyre & Family Winery, as its name suggests, is a family-owned operation specializing in fruit wines made from their own blueberries and blackberries. Grab a glass and have a seat on the patio with its expansive view of the picturesque countryside.
8. Springhill Winery
McIntyre’s isn’t the only (wine) game in town.
Springhill Winery in the nearby town of Bloomfield is also family-owned and is one of Kentucky’s oldest wineries.
In addition to tours and tastings, visitors can overnight here in a Bed & Breakfast Inn housed in a former antebellum plantation.
9. Candle Bar at Making Good Scentz
If you find yourself in a DIY frame of mind, head to Making Good Scentz on N. 3rd Street where you can cozy up to a different kind of bar.
At the shop’s candle bar, customers can create their own candles (as well as soaps and lotions) using a scent blended just for them. And they can enjoy a glass of wine, beer or seltzer while doing it.
10. Bardstown Old Time Portraits
After doing something cool and trendy with candle-making, it’s time to do something cool and retro by dressing up in old clothes and retreating back to Kentucky’s early days as a frontier wilderness, the Wild, Wild West, or the Roaring 20s.
Fancy yourself as Dan’l Boone, an outlaw or saloon girl or perhaps a 1930s bootlegger or gangster’s moll?
Check out the possibilities at this unique downtown business where you can have an authentic tintype-style portrait taken. Maybe even your own wanted poster?
11. Bardstown Classic Biplane Tour
Want a view of the Bourbon Trail without stopping in for a tasting? How about one where you don’t even touch the ground?
You can get it on one of Bardstown’s newest attractions- a Classic Biplane Tour.
Just take your seat in an open cockpit biplane and soar over the beautiful countryside, catching sight of landmark attractions such as Maker’s Mark and Heaven Hill Distilleries, My Old Kentucky Home and the Trappist Abbey at Gethsemani.
You can even custom design your own flight and part of your ticket price is donated to charity.
12. Bardstown Ghost Trek
What is any city, especially one as historic as Bardstown, without its resident cast of ghosts?
You can meet them all on this year-round (weather permitting) tour of the town’s most haunted spots.
Don’t worry - it’s not really a trek in the true sense of the word as the spots where "haints" hang out are pretty close together.
Two of them are quaint inns - the Old Talbott Tavern (a favorite of outlaw Jesse James) and the Jailer’s Inn (the name should tell you all you need to know, and this one has more than its share of ghosts as the courtyard once served as the public gallows) - and the third is the Pioneer Cemetery, final resting place of early settlers and Civil War soldiers.
13. Bardstown’s Local Dining Scene
For such a small town, Bardstown has a surprisingly robust dining scene.
For classic Southern comfort food, try Mammy’s Kitchen & Bar; for a casual, cool vibe try Mel’s Garage or Scout & Scholar Brewing Co.; or for something a bit more upscale there is the Rickhouse in historic Spaulding Hall and Toogie’s Table in the Bardstown Motor Lodge.
And this is just for starters - there’s a different cuisine for every night of your stay.
14. Bowling at Ernie’s Tavern
Ernie’s Tavern, located in the historic Olde Bloomfield Meeting Hall, is like no other tavern you’ve probably ever patronized as it’s a hybrid of classic comfort food spot/soda fountain/bingo parlor/swap meet/carnival/karaoke bar/juke joint/pool hall and bowling alley.
The latter is especially popular as you can enjoy a game on one of the vintage lanes for just $6.50, including shoe rental.
15. Bernheim Forest and Arboretum
Just a 30-minute drive from downtown Bardstown you’ll find this 16,000-acre nature preserve with its 600-acre arboretum and some 40 miles of hiking trails studded with impressive art installations (Forest Giants by Danish sculptor Thomas Dambo using recycled wood from the region is the most famous).
Other favorite attractions include the Canopy Walk suspended 75 feet above the forest floor; the Sensory Garden; Edible Garden and Big Prairie, a 36-acre stretch where open sky meets lush native grasses.
There’s More to Bardstown Than Bourbon
So, the next time you start thinking Bardstown is for bourbon lovers only, think again. There are 15 reasons that should convince you otherwise.
For more information on these 15 attractions, visit www.visitbardstown.com.