Scenic, full of Southern charm and rich in history, Kentucky – or the ‘Bluegrass State’ – is home to some of the most beautiful small towns in the country. From the ‘Bourbon Capital of the World’ Bardstown, to arty communities like Paducah and Berea, we round-up 10 of the state’s most charming towns.
Bardstown
Named one of the 'Most Beautiful Small Towns in America' by the Rand McNally, picturesque Bardstown is located in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region. Known as the ‘Bourbon Capital of the World’, Bardstown has the art of distilling the tipple down to a fine art, with some local distilleries dating back as far as 1776 and celebrates this history each September with the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival. Home of My Old Kentucky State Park, which hosts The Stephen Foster Story – a Broadway-style musical about the ‘American father of music’ and composer of Kentucky’s state anthem – while Bardstown’s downtown is a mix of historic buildings, eclectic boutiques and great restaurants.
Bardstown, KY, USA
Berea
Famous as a breeding ground for artists, Berea is located a few miles south of Lexington and home to a vibrant community of painters, musicians, weavers and other such artisans alongside a number of arty events including Berea Craft Festival and Berea Celtic Festival to name but a few. Beautiful downtown Berea is home to several historically significant sites such as Berea College – a liberal arts college founded in 1855 and the South’s first interracial and coeducational institute – and Boone Tavern, a hotel opened in 1909 listed on the National Register of Historical Places and named after American pioneer and explorer Daniel Boone.
Berea, KY, USA
Harrodsburg
Dating back to 1774, Harrodsburg is the state’s oldest city and home to a smorgasbord of interesting sites relating to its rich history including the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, America’s biggest restored Shaker settlement, and Dedman Drugstore which first opened in 1865 and today is home to its original soda fountain and The Kentucky Fudge Company. Take a trip aboard the authentic Dixie Belle paddle steamer and see the scenic Kentucky River Palisades from a unique angle or explore downtown Harrodsburg for its charming and colorful storefronts, unique local crafts and antiques and restaurants serving up god old Southern cuisine.
Harrodsburg, KY, USA
Paducah
Designated a UNESCO Coty of Crafts and Folk Art in 2013, Paducah – also known as Quilt City USA – is a mecca for quilt and fiber-based artists and home to The National Quilt Museum and the annual QuiltWeek festival. Located on the banks of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers on the border with Illinois, Paducah is rich in history with 20 blocks of its picturesque downtown district listed on the National Register of Historic Places and delights that include stunning examples of 19th century architecture and Lower Town, an arty district and Paducah’s oldest neighborhood, alongside boutiques, antique stores and local indie art galleries.
Paducah, KY, USA
Danville
A certified Kentucky Cultural District – and just one of six in the whole state – Danville is home to landmarks rich in history and a plethora of art galleries, museums and first-rate restaurants. The site of many firsts, Danville’s Constitution Square is the location of the first post office built west of the Alleghany Mountains and the town was home to pioneering American surgeon Ephraim McDowell, the first physician to perform a successful abdominal surgery. Danville’s beautiful Main Street was bestowed with a Great American Main Street award in 2001 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is host to locally owned pubs and stores and the annual Great American Brass Band Festival.
Danville, KY, USA
Greenville
Founded in 1799, Greenville is an idyllic small American town located amidst western Kentucky’s beautiful forests and rolling hills renowned for its warm Southern hospitality. The county of seat of Kentucky’s Muhlenberg County Greenville’s picturesque and historic town square is the location of a beautiful Beaux-Arts style courthouse built in 1907 which features the state’s second largest bell tower dome and the biggest pre-fabricated cupola in the whole country, while Greenville’s quaint downtown is fast becoming known for its festivals which include Saturdays on the Square, a series of summertime events, and the outdoor art festival Squash & Gobble Arts Bazaar and Fall Festival.
Greenville, KY, USA
Augusta
Listed by noted historian Thomas D. Clark as one of 11 Kentucky treasures that have helped shape the history and culture of the state, the Ohio River town of Augusta in northeastern Kentucky was founded in 1797 though as the town grew excavations revealing skeletal remains point to it as an earlier Native American settlement. Today home to just over 1000 people, Augusta is tiny but full of small town charm and its crowning glory is undoubtedly Riverside Drive – a scenic spot with picturesque views of the river valley and beautiful 18th and 19th century architecture that is also home to Augusta’s annual Art in the Garden festival.
Augusta, KY, USA
Glasgow
Recently ranked among the 15 Best Places to Live in Kentucky by real estate gurus Movoto, the south central Kentucky town of Glasgow was founded in 1799 and named after the Scottish birthplace of one of its early settlers. Known as the home of the Glasgow Highland Games – an annual celebration of Scottish heritage taking place in town for the past 30 years and listed among the state’s top summer events by the Kentucky Tourism Council – Glasgow’s location in the Caves, Lakes and Corvettes region close to Mammoth Cave National Park also makes the town a perfect starting point for exploring the state’s natural wonders.
Glasgow, KY, USA
Murray
Recently voted the Friendliest Small Town in America in the 2013 Rand McNally-USA Today Best of the Road series, Murray is a charming Southern town whose idyllic location just a short drive from the stunning Kentucky Lake and the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area make it a popular stop off for exploring nature lovers. Murray’s picture-perfect town center is home to several cultural institutions including the Clara M. Eagle Art Gallery at Murray State University and Playhouse in the Park – a community theater housed in a former train depot – and the town’s annual Independence Day celebration Freedom Festival, featuring street fairs, cookouts and concerts.
Murray, KY, USA
Morehead
Located in the northern reaches of the beautiful Daniel Boone National Forest in northeastern Kentucky, Morehead is a lovely, laidback town nestled against the backdrop of the scenic Appalachian Mountain foothills. Boasting plenty of small town charm and a number of attractions from the historical – including the beautiful Morehead State University established in 1887 – to the cosmopolitan, with its antique stores and the nearby CCC Trail Vineyard and Winery, and the cultural with the town’s annual Poppy Mountain Bluegrass Festival, while Morehead’s proximity to the breathtakingly beautiful Cave Run Lakes makes it an ideal base for lovers of nature.
Morehead, KY, USA
By Helen Armitage