Bardstown



Bardstown is a city in the Kentucky Derby Region, located 40 miles southeast of Louisville. It is the county seat of Nelson County. It calls itself "The Most Beautiful Small Town in America" and it's certainly at least a contender.

By car
The main east-west route is the Bluegrass Parkway, bringing in traffic from Elizabethtown and I-65 South, 20 miles west. It also brings in Lexington traffic from the east. The two Bardstown exits are Exit 21 (US 31E) and Exit 25 (US 150). Nelson County also has exits off the parkway at Exit 10 (KY 52) to Boston and western Nelson County and Exit 34 (KY 55) to Bloomfield and eastern Nelson County.

Two roads arrive from Louisville. KY 245 (New Shepherdsville Road until it enters the city and becomes John Rowan Boulevard) funnels traffic from Exit 112 off of I-65 in Bullitt County. Although Route 245 goes through a fairly hilly area, the road is well-engineered with modest grades and no sharp curves. The other route is US 31E-150 which comes directly from Louisville. Before several miles were rerouted in the current century, the road was narrow and winding at spots. While it remains two lanes from Mount Washington until a couple of miles north of 245, it's now a noticeably less stressful drive that still offers nice views of the Nelson and Spencer County countryside.

Get around
Other than the tour buses listed below under "Do," there is no public transportation of any use to visitors in Bardstown. The historic district is very walkable, otherwise you will need to drive or take a taxi.

Museums and memorials

 * Old Bardstown Village, Museum Row, 310 E. Broadway, . The village is a recreation of a 1790 frontier community, home to settlers exploring the west. Eight original and authentic log cabins, each 150-200 years old, highlight a creek that runs through the grounds and supplies power to Brown's Grist Mill. Each cabin houses a different display, such as the history of Native Americans from the southwest and southeast, a recreated blacksmith shop, a wheelwrights shop, a still house and Captain Bean's Tavern. Demonstrations of flint knapping, arrowhead making, ancient spear throwing, ax making and ancient fire making.
 * War Memorial of Mid-America, Museum Row, 202 E. Broadway, . This memorial pays tribute to all those who served in order to uphold freedom during America's wars, and dedicated and devoted themselves to the cause. The exhibit concentrates on the role mid-Americans played in conflicts from the Revolutionary War to Desert Storm, depicted through artifacts and graphics.
 * Wildlife & Natural History Museum, Museum Row, 310 E. Broadway, . This museum boasts an exhibit of more than 100 life-sized animals, including an extensive display of these creatures in their natural habitat, and many varieties of fossils and minerals
 * Women in The Civil War Museum, Museum Row, 310 E. Broadway, . In the historic Wright-Talbott House, this museum displays artifacts from Civil War-era women who served as homemakers, nurses and factory workers. It tells the stories of the women who even served on the battle lines as soldiers and spies. Elaborite, authentic dresses from the era are also on display.
 * War Memorial of Mid-America, Museum Row, 202 E. Broadway, . This memorial pays tribute to all those who served in order to uphold freedom during America's wars, and dedicated and devoted themselves to the cause. The exhibit concentrates on the role mid-Americans played in conflicts from the Revolutionary War to Desert Storm, depicted through artifacts and graphics.
 * Wildlife & Natural History Museum, Museum Row, 310 E. Broadway, . This museum boasts an exhibit of more than 100 life-sized animals, including an extensive display of these creatures in their natural habitat, and many varieties of fossils and minerals
 * Women in The Civil War Museum, Museum Row, 310 E. Broadway, . In the historic Wright-Talbott House, this museum displays artifacts from Civil War-era women who served as homemakers, nurses and factory workers. It tells the stories of the women who even served on the battle lines as soldiers and spies. Elaborite, authentic dresses from the era are also on display.
 * Women in The Civil War Museum, Museum Row, 310 E. Broadway, . In the historic Wright-Talbott House, this museum displays artifacts from Civil War-era women who served as homemakers, nurses and factory workers. It tells the stories of the women who even served on the battle lines as soldiers and spies. Elaborite, authentic dresses from the era are also on display.

Festivals & events

 * Antique Show & Sale Late March-Early April
 * Kentucky Bourbon Festival Sampler Late April
 * Kentucky Elk & Outdoor Fest: Second Saturday of May at Kentucky Gun Company (see "Buy" below); first held in 2023. While it's a paid-admission event, the ticket includes entry into multiple drawings for various guns and outdoor supplies. The event is a fundraiser for youth outdoors education. Many hunting-related companies have booths. Most notably, Kentucky's annual drawing for permits to hunt elk is held here, with the results announced live at the festival.
 * Bourbon Open Golf Tournament Mid May
 * Summer Band Concert Series Fridays June-Labor Day
 * Wine & Cheese Tasting Early June
 * Stephen Foster-The Musical June-August
 * Moonlight Big Band Concert Late June
 * Bardstown Arts, Crafts and Antiques Fair Mid October
 * Flint Knapping Old Barstown Village Mid October
 * Christmas 'Round Bardstown Thanksgiving-Christmas
 * My Old Kentucky Home Candlelight Tour Late November-Early December
 * Candlelight Tour of Homes Early December
 * Candlelight Tour of Homes Early December

Golf
Bardstown is a golf lover's dream with numerous championship courses in the area, each offering 18 holes of play:



Tours

 * Walking tour or . Based at the Welcome Center, 1 Court Sq. Self-guided tours of downtown Bardstown with maps available.
 * My Old Kentucky Dinner Train
 * Walking tour or . Based at the Welcome Center, 1 Court Sq. Self-guided tours of downtown Bardstown with maps available.
 * My Old Kentucky Dinner Train
 * My Old Kentucky Dinner Train

Eat
There is the usual selection of fast food national chains.

Bars
The Bourbon Capital of the World, Bardstown and Nelson County are wet.



Go next

 * Louisville, 40 miles northwest of Bardstown, is Kentucky's largest city and home to Churchill Downs, site of the Kentucky Derby and Derby Museum. The city also offers museums to Louisville Slugger baseball bats and boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
 * Hardin County, 20 miles west, contains Fort Knox, an army base containing the US Gold Bullion and Patton Museum. The county seat of Elizabethtown, just to the south, houses the Schmitts Coca Cola Museum. It is also the setting of the Orlando Bloom/Kirsten Dunst movie "Elizabethtown"
 * Hodgenville, 20 miles to the southwest, was the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site houses a replica of the log cabin Lincoln was born in.
 * Lexington, 50 miles to the east, is the horse capital of the world. Yearling sales, where horses are sold for millions of dollars, takes place at Keeneland Race Course, where racing is held in April and October. Home of the University of Kentucky
 * Frankfort, 55 miles northeast, is the state capital of Kentucky.
 * Boating interests are available at Taylorsville Lake State Park, 20 miles northeast of Bardstown. The lake also offers plenty of fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing. Tanglewood Golf Course offers 18 holes of championship golf.