Frankfort, KY

Old State Capitol is a striking building in downtown Frankfort that served as the seat of the Kentucky government from 1831 to 1910 when it became too crowded and was replaced with the current capitol building. Young architect Gideon Shryock designed the building in the Greek Revival style to resemble a Greek temple with no windows in the front and an interesting self-supporting staircase held together by pressure and precision.

The building has been meticulously restored to its appearance from before the American Civil War. The Old State Capitol was converted into a museum in 1920 and today serves as the home of the Kentucky Historical Society, which manages the building and runs the tours for visitors. The building is registered on the National Register of Historic Places.

300 W Broadway St, Frankfort, KY 40601, Phone: 502-564-3016

Completed in 1910 in the Beaux-Arts style, the beautiful, stately building of today’s Kentucky's Capitol is the fourth building to be the home of the Kentucky government since 1792. Its predecessor still stands in downtown Frankfort. The building, designed by architect Frank Mills Andrews, has an elegant façade covered with Vermont granite and Indiana limestone.

The interior is decorated with brilliant white Georgia marble, dark green Italian marble, and gray Tennessee marble. The Capitol’s State Reception Room is used as a place for ceremonies and has hand-painted walls with murals and scagliola created to look like Gobelin tapestries. There is huge amount of art displayed all over the building. One of the most popular pieces is the Lincoln statue in the rotunda. There is also an interesting collection of dolls that belonged to various First Ladies.

New Capitol Building, 700 Capital Ave, Frankfort, KY 40601, Phone: 502-564-3449

Just a few miles drive from Frankfort, Salato Wildlife Education Center is an educational facility on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources’ grounds with indoor and outdoor interpretive and interactive exhibits showcasing native animals and plants.

Visitors can see a range of Kentucky habitats – lush mountains, hilly prairies, marshes, running streams – and animals that make their home in them. Indoors, there is the Eastern Forest Diorama, live snakes, giant turtles, and native fish in huge aquariums. Miles of paved trails will take you to see bison, bears, and eagles. There are also habitats and gardens with flourishing native plants, picnic areas for a quiet weekend, and a lake to try your hand at fishing.

1 Sportsman's Ln, Frankfort, KY 40601, Phone: 502-564-7863

The Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History is a 167,000 square-foot modern research facility and a museum. It also serves as the headquarters of the Kentucky Historical Society. The center has a range of permanent and temporary exhibitions and an extensive research library. The main permanent exhibit is called "A Kentucky Journey," and it provides insight into Kentucky and its inhabitants from prehistoric times to today. The Martin F. Schmidt Research Library is a history and genealogy research library.

It offers resources such as manuscripts, books, oral histories, and graphic collections about the places and people that made Kentucky what it is today. The library is popular among family historians who are trying to trace their genealogy. The center also has the Keeneland Changing Exhibits Gallery, which hosts various temporary exhibitions and a collection of Lincoln memorabilia.

100 W Broadway St, Frankfort, KY 40601, Phone: 502-564-1792

Kentucky's Governor's Mansion is the official residence of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It has been home to 26 Kentucky governors since 1914. The mansion serves as the governor’s private home and an official public building. It is the center of the governor’s social, political, and ceremonial activities.

The mansion was completed in 1914 in the Beaux-Arts design, which took much of its inspiration from the Petit Trianon palace at Versailles, and its interiors are designed in French neoclassical themes. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Kentucky's Governor's Mansion is one of the rare American executive residences that are open for public tours.

704 Capital Ave, Frankfort, KY 40601, Phone: 502-564-8004

Liberty Hall Historic Site consists of two historic homes that John Brown, Kentucky's first senator, built for his family in a location surrounded by three acres of magnificent formal and informal gardens. Liberty Hall is a Georgian-style stately mansion Brown built in 1796, while the Orlando Brown House is a Greek-Revival house Brown built in 1835 for his son.

Both houses are decorated with well-preserved Brown family portraits, lovely furnishings, and a collection of Paul Sawyier watercolors. Visitors can participate in programs that demonstrate life in old Kentucky and feature activities such as hearthside cooking, crafts, music, activities for kids, seminars and lectures by eminent experts, exhibits, and events such as teas in the Orlando Brown parlor. There are daily guided tours of Liberty Hall. Access to the gardens is free of charge.

202 Wilkinson St, Frankfort, KY 40601, Phone: 502-227-2560

Located on the outskirts of Frankfort, Cove Springs Park is a beautiful 240-acre nature preserve and park that consists of wetlands, waterfalls, streams, springs, forests, ravines, and a number of historic features such as ruins of old stone dam and a crumbling limestone overflow tower.

The park is great area for hiking – there are six trails that total three miles together – environmental education, nature observation, picnicking, throwing Frisbee, and much more. Part of one trail is an elevated walkway over wetlands, and it has a number of interpretive signs. There are also two shelters with interpretative displays on the historic and natural features of the park.

100 Cove Spring Rd, Frankfort, KY 40601, Phone: 502-223-6965

Completed in 1798, the Old Governor's Mansion in Frankfort is the oldest American official executive residence still in use, though it is the Lieutenant Governors of Kentucky who have been using the space since 1956. As the fashions changed, the building, which was originally designed in the Federal style, has undergone several changes, and certain Victorian details were added.

Thirty-five governors have lived and entertained at the mansion with their families. The last governor who lived here was James McCreary. The mansion served as the Governor’s office until 1872. Some of the important visitors to the mansion include Andrew Jackson, William Jennings Bryan, Henry Clay, and Theodore Roosevelt. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

420 High St, Frankfort, KY 40601, Phone: 502-564-3449

Elkhorn Creek has a well-deserved reputation as one of the best smallmouth bass streams in Kentucky, but it also offers great opportunities for paddling and floating. Starting at the outskirts of Frankfort and flowing to the Kentucky River, this 17-mile scenic stretch of water offers enough adventures for anyone.

There are several campgrounds on its banks, and Canoe Kentucky rents boats and offers shuttle services. Fishing on the Elkhorn is so popular that there are now many yearly kayak fishing tournaments. There are some great stretches for paddlers and kayakers, and the rapids that can reach class III when the water levels are high offer some extra excitement.

Off Highway 1262, Frankfort, KY

Capital City Museum is a curious small museum in Frankfort that manages to depict 200 years of history of this charming historic small town with extraordinary exhibits displayed in what is basically one room. The museum is located in what is left of the famous 150-year-old Capital Hotel, which is itself a museum piece. There is a lot to see in a series of fascinating exhibits – from the assassination of Senator Goebel to the Kentucky River, Capitol Hotel, and Veteran’s Hall.

Collections of memorabilia cover such diverse aspects of life in Frankfort as local fire fighters, police department, various election buttons, early furniture, agricultural tools, and much else. Many history tours of Frankfort start at the museum. The museum also has a research library with maps, historic documents, books, journals, and genealogical information.

325 Ann St, Frankfort, KY 40601, Phone: 502-696-0607