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.