LOCATION: Kentucky, the 15th state to join the US confederacy,
is also known as "The Bluegrass State", borders
the Midwest and the Deep South. It touches West Virginia,
Virginia, and Tennessee, but is separated by water from Missouri,
Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. The state is known for thoroughbred
horses and racing, bourbon whisky distilleries, bluegrass
music and basketball.
EASTERN HIGHLANDS REGION
Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum, where Kentucky Fried
Chicken got its start, has been restored, and features the
original kitchen where the Colonel perfected his original
recipe.
The Highlands Museum and Discovery Center has interactive
exhibits, educational experiences and innovative programs,
both cultural and historical, celebrate our past, explore
our present, and enrich our future.
Kentucky Reptile Zoo is home to cobras, mambas, rattlesnakes,
alligators, turtles and giant pythons.
Appalachian Center promotes and preserves the Appalachian
culture and serves as a resource center for the region's history
and cultural traditions.
Other Attractions:
Jenny Wiley Theatre
Kentucky Folk Art Center
Renfro Valley Entertainment Center
Big South Fork Scenic Railway
WESTERN WATERLANDS REGION
Cherokee Trail Of Tears Park is a well-documented
site of actual trail used during the forced removal of the
Cherokee people to "Indian Territory".
Hardin Southern Railroad: Take a train ride through
the beautiful Clarks River Valley to witness the forests of
and farmlands of the state.
Museum of the American Quilters' Society: A quilt
museum with a collection, workshops, festivals and a gift
shop.
Other Attractions:
Venture River Family Water Park
Yeiser Art Center
John James Audubon State Park and Museum
BLUEGRASS HEARTLANDS REGION
Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption is a beautiful
example of Gothic architecture.
Main Strasse Village is a restored 19th century German
neighborhood. See the Carroll Chimes Bell Tower and the bronze
Goose Girl Fountain.
Belle of Louisville and Spirit of Jefferson are two
historic riverboats still in operation. No other river steamboat
in American history has lasted as long, been to as many places,
or traveled as many miles as the Belle of Louisville.
American Saddlebred Museum offers an idea about the
Saddlebred's role in American history to modern day horse.
The Carnegie, Visual and Performing Arts Center has
four galleries and theatre.
Newport Aquarium has five specially designed underwater tunnels
where you can dive with the sharks and talk to a pirate!
Louisville Science Center strives to bring the little scientist
in you.
Speed Art Museum is the region's only interactive art environment
for families.
Other Attractions:
Kentucky Derby Museum
Bluegrass Railroad Museum
Toyota Motor Manufacturing
Kentucky History Center
Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest
Kentucky Horsepark
Louisville Slugger Museum
SCENIC WONDERLANDS REGION
Guntown Mountain is an authentic re-creation of a
wildwest town from the days of the frontier.
National Corvette Museum was established with a mission
of celebrating the invention of America's Sports Car, the
Chevrolet Corvette.
Kentucky Down Under is an Australia-theme animal park.
Lost River Cave has one of the largest cave openings
in the eastern US.
The Kentucky Museum is one of the largest and most
modern museums in the state.
American Cave Museum takes you on a journey through
the unknown terrain, where nature sculpts enormous subterranean
chambers out of limestone.
KENTUCKY NATIONAL PARKS
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site:
Here the Lincolns lived and farmed before moving to land a
few miles away at Knob Creek. An early 19th century Kentucky
cabin, symbolic of the one in which Lincoln was born, is preserved
in a memorial building at the site of his birth.
Mammoth Cave National Park: This is the longest recorded
cave system in the world. It was established to preserve the
cave system, including Mammoth Cave, the scenic river valleys
of the Green and Nolin rivers, and a section of south central
Kentucky.
Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail commemorates the
removal of the Cherokees in 1838. Today the trail encompasses
about 2,200 miles of land and water routes, and traverses
portions of nine states.
Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area
offers a broad range of recreational opportunities including
camping, whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, horseback
riding, mountain biking, hunting and fishing.
Cumberland Gap National Historic Park forms a major
break in the formidable Appalachian Mountain chain. First
used by large game animals in their migratory journeys, followed
by Native Americans, the Cumberland Gap was the first and
best avenue for the settlement of the interior of this nation.
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