History & Heritage of Kentucky

Illinois may call itself the "Land of Lincoln" but only Kentucky is home to the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park.

Bardstown Pioneer Village, Civil War Museum, and the Women’s Museum of the Civil War in Bardstown, KY are the largest and most complete museums of the American Civil War's Western Theater.

Looking to add a little adventure during your visit to Northern Kentucky? Then come aboard BB Riverboats in Newport, Kentucky, celebrating over 35 years as the region's premier Riverboat company!

Officially opening in 1960, Big Bone Lick State Park has forty acres of picnic grounds, facilities for different types of sports, a herd of bison, and an indoor-outdoor museum with collections of bones and life-size replicas of mastodons and bison.

Bluegrass or Mountain music has its roots in the Irish, Scottish, and English immigrants of the 1600's as they settled the mountains of North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Civil War battlefields are part of our national heritage; scenes of struggle and sacrifice where American soldiers lost their lives. Camp Wildcat Preservation Foundation works to preserve, protect and interpret this unique battlefield.

Almost 300,000 pioneers passed through the Cumberland Gap between 1760 and 1850. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park gets its name from the Cumberland Gap, the gateway to the West.

Fort Boonesborough has been reconstructed as a working fort complete with cabins, blockhouses and furnishings. Resident artisans perform craft demonstrations and give modern-day visitors a true sense of what life was like for pioneers in Kentucky.

They say it's the little things in life that matter most and the Great American Dollhouse Museum in Danville, Kentucky may be just the place to prove that point with over 200 dollhouses, miniature buildings, and room boxes in its astounding and fascinating miniatures collection.

Coal mining has been a part of Kentucky since the state was admitted to the union - and you can experience that world and learn more about its history with a visit to the Kentucky Coal Museum and Portal 31 Exhibition Coal Mine. Today, the Kentucky Coal Museum is busy preserving and exhibiting the artifacts and experiences of Benham and other eastern Kentucky coal camps. Since opening in 1990, the Kentucky Coal Museum has continued to expand and now boasts over 20 exhibits on 4 levels, all illustrating the lives of Kentucky coal families through pictures, dioramas, interactive exhibits, displays, and more.

The Kentucky Derby Museum is one of the premiere attractions in the Louisville region, celebrating the tradition, history, hospitality and pride of the world-renown event that is the Kentucky Derby.

The mission of the Kentucky Horse Park is to celebrate the history of our relationship with horse through education, exhibition, engagement and competition.

History is both preserved and explained at the Kentucky Military History Museum. The State Arsenal for more than 100 years and a Civil War-era munitions factory, this Gothic Revival style building houses the exhibits "Kentucky Military Treasures" and "George M. Chinn: Sights Set on Innovation," and 19th-century war records.

The Kentucky Railway Museum, journey with us on a 22 mile excursion through the Rolling Fork River Valley. Climb aboard our specialty trains: Dinner Trains, Mystery Trains, Santa Trains, Train Robberies and Day Out With Thomas.

Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is all about celebrating the extraordinary role of Louisville Slugger in baseball's past, present and future. We're here to delight our guests and create joyful, lifetime memories.

The American Printing House for the Blind is the world's largest company devoted solely to researching, developing, and manufacturing products for people who are visually impaired - and it's been around since before the Civil War!

This home for America's Sports Car features over 70 Corvettes showcased in periodic settings. See mint classics, prototypes, rare finds and racing champs. Families will enjoy the Kid Zone with hands-on activities for children. A Corvette is available in the lobby for photo ops and so you can "try one on for size," take a ride in your choice of one of the Museum's historic Corvettes or try out the new Racing Simulator where you 'drive' an actual C6 Corvette.

Pleasant Hill Shaker Village is the largest restored Shaker community in the United States - and it's right here in Kentucky's Bluegrass region! Pleasant Hill Shaker Village contains 34 of the original 250 Shaker buildings. Visit and see more than a dozen of these beautifully restored buildings along with craft demonstrations, history exhibitions, hands-on programs, livestock, organic gardens, 40 miles of hiking trails, and even cruises aboard the Dixie Belle paddle wheeler on the Kentucky River!

Prepare to Believe! Bible history comes to life at the Creation Museum! This family-friendly attraction near Cincinnati explores creation science with stunning exhibits, dinosaur bones, fossils, botanical gardens, a planetarium, zoo, zip line course, and more.

Colonel Sanders' Kentucky Fried Chicken is an iconic part of America - visit the Harland Sanders Museum and Cafe in Corbin, Kentucky.

The Headley-Whitney Museum's fascinating and diverse collection of jewels, artifacts, shells, books, and much more has long been an icon of art and culture in Lexington, KY. Founded by jewelry designer, George Headley and his wife, Barbara Whitney in 1968, the Headley-Whitney Museum features rotating exhibits, a gift shop, events, and educational workshops on 13 acres of beautiful grounds that also happen to be the perfect picnic spot!

Step inside the WaterWorks Museum to see the history of Louisville's water come to life! Located inside the west wing of the original Pumping Station No. 1, the WaterWorks Museum highlights Louisville Water' Company's archive of historic photographs, films and memorabilia, some of which date back to 1860.