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Tucked into a deep bend of the Kentucky River, Frankfort is one of the smallest state capitals in the country, and that makes its grand buildings and bourbon heritage easy to see on foot. It became the capital in 1792, the year Kentucky joined the Union, and its compact downtown still holds the 1830 Greek Revival Old State Capitol designed by Gideon Shryock.
Across the river, the domed Kentucky State Capitol, finished in 1910, looks over formal grounds and the giant Floral Clock. The Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History tells the state's story, Liberty Hall preserves a 1790s statesman's home, and Frankfort Cemetery holds the graves of Daniel and Rebecca Boone on a bluff above the river. The Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial uses a sundial to mark each soldier's date of loss.
Frankfort sits on the Bourbon Trail: Buffalo Trace Distillery is just north of downtown, Castle and Key occupies a restored stone castle nearby, and Rebecca Ruth Candy invented the bourbon ball here. Lexington and its horse farms are half an hour east.
Completed in 1910, the capitol has a tall dome, Ionic columns and a marble interior inspired by Parisian architecture, with statues of Abraham Lincoln and Henry Clay in the rotunda. Free guided tours run on weekdays, and the first lady doll collection is a quirky highlight. Bring photo ID for the security screening.
A huge working clock face planted with thousands of flowers and foliage plants, set above a reflecting pool on the capitol grounds. The planting design changes with the seasons, and visitors toss coins into the pool for good luck. Come in summer for the fullest blooms and in the early evening for softer light.
A large granite plaza engraved with the names of more than 1,000 Kentuckians who died in the Vietnam War, designed as a sundial so that the tip of the gnomon's shadow touches each name on the anniversary of that person's death. It sits on a hill near the state library. Visit on a sunny day to see it work.
Designed by Gideon Shryock and used by the legislature from 1830 to 1910, this limestone building is famous for its self-supporting circular stone staircase under the dome. Restored House and Senate chambers show early Kentucky politics. It is run by the Kentucky Historical Society, which offers tours from the history center.
A landscaped 1840s cemetery on a bluff above the Kentucky River, where monuments mark the graves of frontiersman Daniel Boone and his wife Rebecca, along with governors and war dead. The overlook near the Boone site gives a sweeping view over the capitol and town. Gates have set hours, so check before going.
The 1796 brick home of John Brown, one of Kentucky's first U.S. senators, set in gardens running down to the river, alongside the Orlando Brown House designed by Gideon Shryock. Guided tours tell family stories and the lives of the people enslaved there. Ask about the house's well-known ghost legend.
The main museum of the Kentucky Historical Society, with a large permanent exhibit tracing the state from Native peoples and frontier settlers to the Civil War, coal and modern times, plus changing shows and a research library. It is a good first stop to make sense of the capitol district before walking around.
A National Historic Landmark distillery on the Kentucky River that kept operating during Prohibition by making whiskey for medicinal use. Complimentary tours show warehouses, the bottling hall and grounds, ending in a tasting for guests over 21. Tours book up weeks ahead in busy seasons, so reserve online early.
A restored distillery built in 1887 by E.H. Taylor Jr. around a limestone castle, with a sunken garden, a botanical trail and a keyhole-shaped springhouse. Tours explain its rebirth after decades of abandonment, and its gin and bourbon are poured in the tasting room. The grounds are lovely for photos in spring.
A family candy company founded in 1919 by two former schoolteachers, credited with creating the bourbon ball, a chocolate filled with bourbon-laced cream and topped with a pecan. Short factory tours show the original candy-making tools and marble table. Buy boxes in the shop, and check tour days before visiting.
Run by Kentucky's fish and wildlife department, this center has indoor exhibits and outdoor habitats with black bears, bison, elk, bald eagles and other native animals, plus fishing ponds and walking trails. It is an easy family outing west of downtown. Check the opening days, which are reduced in winter.
A city nature preserve on the north side of Frankfort with a spring-fed stream, small waterfalls, wetlands and wooded hiking trails, plus remnants of the town's first water works. It is a quiet escape a few minutes from downtown. Paths can be muddy after rain, so wear shoes that grip, and look for wildflowers in April.
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