Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business 
Daniel Boone built a fort on the Kentucky River a few miles from here in 1775, and the hills of Madison County have been central to Kentucky's story ever since. Richmond, the county seat, grew into a market and college town; in August 1862 it gave its name to one of the most complete Confederate victories of the Civil War, fought in the fields just south of town.
Today Eastern Kentucky University shapes daily life, and its campus is home to the Hummel Planetarium. Downtown keeps a well-preserved historic district of brick storefronts around the Greek Revival Madison County Courthouse, along with handsome antebellum homes. The Irvinton House Museum, a Federal-style house, doubles as the town's visitor center.
The best day trips run north toward the river: White Hall, the Italianate mansion of the outspoken emancipationist Cassius Marcellus Clay; the reconstructed fort at Fort Boonesborough State Park; and the Valley View Ferry, which has carried travelers across the Kentucky River since the 1780s.
A reconstruction of the fort Daniel Boone and his party built on the Kentucky River in 1775, with cabins and blockhouses where costumed artisans show blacksmithing, weaving and other pioneer crafts. The park also has a riverside campground, a pool and the Kentucky River Museum. The fort opens seasonally, so check hours.
The Italianate home of Cassius Marcellus Clay, an outspoken emancipationist, newspaper publisher and US minister to Russia. Guided tours lead through richly furnished rooms and point out features that were rare for the era, such as central heating and an indoor bathroom. Tours run seasonally; call ahead.
A small visitor center that explains the Battle of Richmond, fought on August 29 and 30, 1862, when Confederate troops routed a Union army and captured thousands of prisoners. Exhibits, maps and artifacts set the scene, and a driving tour with roadside markers follows the battle across the farm country south of town.
On the Eastern Kentucky University campus, this is one of the larger planetariums in the United States, with a big domed theater for full-dome shows about the night sky, space exploration and science. Public shows run on a regular schedule, often on weekends, and are popular with families, so arrive a little early.
A Federal-style brick house from the early 1800s that now serves as Richmond's tourism visitor center and a small museum of local history, with period rooms and changing displays. Staff hand out maps, battlefield tour information and event listings. Stop here first to plan the rest of a visit to Madison County.
Richmond's largest park, set around a lake on the south side of town. Locals come to fish, paddle kayaks, walk the paths and play on the many ball fields, and there is space for picnics and playgrounds. It is busy on summer evenings and weekends during youth tournaments, and quieter on weekday mornings.
The columned Greek Revival courthouse at the center of downtown Richmond dates from the mid-1800s and is the anchor of the historic district. Monuments and markers stand on its lawn. It is still a working courthouse, so view it from outside and use it as the starting point for a walk around the surrounding streets.
A small free car ferry that crosses the Kentucky River north of Richmond, linking Madison, Fayette and Jessamine counties. It has operated since the 1780s and is often called the oldest continuously operating business in Kentucky. The crossing takes only a few minutes; it stops during high water.
Founded in 1906, EKU fills a large leafy campus near downtown with brick halls, a meditation chapel and the Ravine, a wooded natural amphitheater where students gather and concerts are held. It is pleasant for a stroll, and the campus also hosts the Hummel Planetarium and Colonels sports events.
Blocks of nineteenth and early twentieth century brick commercial buildings along Main, First, Second and Third streets, now filled with local restaurants, coffee shops, bars and small stores that serve both residents and EKU students. Evenings and weekends are liveliest, and parking is easy on side streets.
Top-rated local businesses in Richmond, with real reviews on WiserMap.
No reviews yet. Been to Richmond? Be the first to share your experience.
Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.
Log in to write a reviewBeen to Richmond? Add your best shots to the gallery.
Log in to add photosPhoto: PEO ACWA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: PEO ACWA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Missvain, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Kentuckytradingpost, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Missvain, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Kentuckytradingpost, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: FloNight (Sydney Poore) and Russell Poore, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: FloNight (Sydney Poore) and Russell Poore, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Nyttend, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Nyttend, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Nyttend, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Nyttend, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Kentuckytradingpost, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: PEO ACWA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Missvain, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Missvain, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Bubba73, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Jim Bowen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Missvain, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Missvain, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Missvain, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Missvain, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Missvain, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: PEO ACWA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Absecon 49, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: FloNight (Sydney Poore) and Russell Poore, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: FloNight (Sydney Poore) and Russell Poore, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kentuckytradingpost, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kentuckytradingpost, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: PEO ACWA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Kafka Liz, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: TheLexingtonTimes, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: PEO ACWA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Virginia State Parks staff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
