Explore this charming city and surrounding attractions in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region.
By Kathleen Walls
July-August 2026
Georgetown, Kentucky, makes an appealing destination for visitors who have a variety of interests. Be it spirits and craft beer, history and architecture, horse legend and lore, or scenic travel, this area checks all those boxes.
Its location in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region treats travelers to miles of rolling hills, white fences, and pastoral charm. RVers will find it easily accessible, too, not far from the intersection of interstates 75 and 64. Lexington, Kentucky; Frankfort (the state capital) and Cincinnati, Ohio, are within an hour away.
When exploring Georgetown, you have two great choices to use as a base camp. One is scenic Whispering Hills RV Park (whisperinghillsrv.com), which features a large pond for fishing, a community dining pavilion, a playground, and a swimming pool, among other amenities. Approximately 240 full-hookup sites are available.
Kentucky Horse Park Campground (kyhorsepark.com/campground) is another good option, offering 260 paved sites with 50/30/20-amp electricity and water, and two dump stations on the premises. A junior Olympic-sized swimming pool and a campground store/gift shop are on-site. This facility is three miles south of Georgetown, nine miles from downtown Lexington, and a half mile from Kentucky Horse Park.
GEORGETOWN HISTORY
Many bourbon drinkers are familiar with the Elijah Craig brand. Craig was a Baptist minister who incorporated Georgetown in 1784. He purchased 1,000 acres and laid out a town he called Lebanon; in 1790, it was renamed Georgetown in honor of President George Washington. Craig built saw, grist, and paper mills; constructed a water-powered “fulling mill” used in the production of woolen cloth; constructed a school (the precursor to Georgetown College); and completed other projects to advance the town’s growth.
Visitors check out Royal Spring Park, the site where Elijah Craig drew water from for the town’s first distillery.
Craig may best be remembered for opening a distillery in town, making bourbon with water drawn from Royal Spring and aging it in charred barrels. This led to Georgetown being proclaimed “the Birthplace of Bourbon.” At Royal Spring Park, on South Water Street, a historical marker tells Elijah Craig’s story; the site also contains two historical cabins, one built in 1874 by a former slave, and two decks that overlook the spring and park. The park is also where Craig built his paper mill, the first one west of the Appalachians.
GEORGETOWN/SCOTT COUNTY MUSEUM
If you’re interested in learning more about Georgetown and the surrounding area, the Georgetown/Scott County Museum downtown tells the community’s story (georgetownscottcountymuseum.com). Exhibits of arrowheads and related Native American artifacts, equine paintings, and locomotive and stagecoach models join other permanent and rotating displays. Admission is free.
During my visit, I viewed an exhibit of Kentucky musical instruments, which included a handmade J.B. Miller violin. Miller, who lived to be over 100 years old, hailed from nearby Lexington, and created instruments sought by collectors today. The exhibit also featured a beautiful Appalachian dulcimer, the official state musical instrument of Kentucky.
My favorite exhibit was an animatronic version of Pete, the “Famous Talking Crow.” He was owned by a Georgetown hat shop owner who took him to horse races. The bird picked feathers out of ladies’ hats. He disliked alcohol and often broke liquor bottles. His favorite prank was disrupting the beginning of races by shouting “Go!” at the starting line, which caused the confused horses to start prematurely.
Ward Hall
WARD HALL
History buffs will love Ward Hall (wardhall.net). This grand Greek Revival home was built by Junius Ward as a summer “cottage” around 1857 for a cost of $50,000, which he paid in gold — more than $2 million in current dollars. The 12,000-square-foot mansion is adorned by a front porch with 27-foot-high Corinthian fluted columns. The mansion remains in almost original condition and is furnished with accurate period furniture. Today, it is open for tours on select weekends.
Stunning staircase is one of several amazing pieces of architecture in Ward Hall.
I took a private tour with historian Ron Bryant. We explored not only the family living quarters, but also the 4,000-square-foot basement where the servants once lived and worked.
Dr. Bryant explained why the mansion wasn’t destroyed during the Civil War. “When the Confederates were here, they remembered Junius Ward was a Confederate sympathizer. When the Union was in charge here, they remembered Junius Ward’s uncle (Richard Mentor Johnson) had been vice president under Martin Van Buren.”
GEORGETOWN CEMETERY
The 1850 Georgetown Cemetery, with its beautiful stone chapel, is another interesting place to visit. It is the final resting place for three Kentucky governors; other politicians; veterans from nine wars, including Civil War soldiers; and a young woman whose body was found north of town, wrapped in canvas, in 1968. The woman’s grave was given a tombstone that read “Tent Girl.” She remained unidentified for 29 years until a DNA test identified her as Barbara Hackmann Taylor. Her headstone was engraved with her real name, but her cause of death was never determined.
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN
Georgetown’s picturesque Main Street boasts numerous boutiques and antique shops to explore. Six city blocks filled with charming Victorian architecture comprise the Historic Downtown District. Merchants include Fabled Forest, a bookstore with locally sourced art and plants, and the Georgetown Antique Mall, whose three stories are filled with furniture, collectibles, vintage clothes, and other treasures from the past.
One of several shopping places in downtown Georgetown.
In addition to the shops, I was intrigued by the statue of Lady Justice; this 10-foot-high, 150-pound figure sits atop the entrance to the Scott County Courthouse. There actually is a good bit of art downtown, found in galleries, artists’ studios, and street murals. One of my favorites was the painting of two racehorses in South Court Alley.
The Historic Downtown Walking Tour, called “A Walk Through Time,” highlights many of the city’s 200 National Historic Register buildings. The step-by-step guide points out residential and commercial structures, including churches, the county jail, and Georgetown College. Pick up a copy at the Georgetown/Scott County Tourism Office or download it at georgetownky.com/historic-walking-tour.
The Kentucky Horse Barn gives visitors an up-close look at numerous equine breeds.
KENTUCKY HORSE PARK
Not far from town, my favorite Bluegrass Region treasure is the 1,229-acre Kentucky Horse Park (kyhorsepark.com). This working horse farm and equine education facility showcases dozens of horse breeds – live animals, and others featured in sculptures and exhibits. To get an overview, take a horse-drawn trolley pulled by two of the park’s draft horses, and check the day’s schedule of events.
I visited the Hall of Champions barn, where champion racehorses reside. Each day at scheduled times, several of these elite horses are brought to the show pavilion, where the audience learns the highlights of their racing careers.
Visitors learn about different breeds during the Equine Showcase, held in the Breeds Barn. Costumed riders present their “equine ambassadors” and explain the characteristics and origins of that particular breed. Afterward, you can see the horses up close.
Other attractions are open throughout the day. In the Mounted Police Barn, meet the equine partners that help their human counterparts keep the park safe. The 60,000-square-foot International Museum of the Horse is dedicated to the history of horses and their relationship with humans through time. And in the interactive Kids Barn, visitors of all ages learn the basics of horses, including their care.
OLD FRIENDS THOROUGHBRED RETIREMENT FARM
Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Home
We’ve all got to think about retirement someday. So do horses, especially the elite thoroughbreds that have raced and won millions for their owners. The lucky ones go to Old Friends (oldfriendsequine.org), a retirement home for more than 300 thoroughbreds. When I visited, I met Silver Charm, the 1997 Kentucky Derby winner, along with other former champions.
The farm also has an equine graveyard. Those buried include Bonapaw, a gelding that won 18 out of 49 career starts and earned $1.1 million before its death in 2017.
WHISPERING WOODS RIDING STABLES
Kathleen Wall, left, and a friend enjoy a horse ride with at Whispering Woods Riding Stables.
If you’re still in a horsey mood after touring these sites, visit Whispering Woods Riding Stables (whisperingwoodstrails.com), which offers 45- and 90-minute trail rides, along with private horseback rides, for both experienced and novice riders. Younger children can enjoy pony rides as well, and lessons are available for beginners. Miles of wooded trails wind through the 250-acre property, so you have a chance of seeing deer and other wildlife. The horses are gentle; mine was obedient to the slightest touch of the rein.
A visitor can tour the Toyota Kentucky Experience Center to check out the manufacturer’s largest U.S. facility and view the first U.S.-assembled Camry.
TOURING TOYOTA
Another don’t-miss Georgetown attraction involves horsepower of a different sort. The Toyota Kentucky Experience Center welcomes visitors to Toyota Motor Corporation’s largest U.S. manufacturing facility. See vehicle production in action; get a glimpse of a 1988-model Camry, the first one to roll off a U.S. assembly line; and take a guided tram tour around the plant. Tours take place Tuesday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Online reservations are required: tour.toyota.com/#/kentucky.
DINING OPTIONS
A number of restaurants are worth a stop during your Georgetown visit. Here’s a sampling.
Desserts by Rebecca offers breakfasts, lunches, and delicious patisseries right next to South Court Alley.
Fava’s 1910 Diner, also downtown, serves traditional American fare. It’s been family-owned for over a century, and their lunches are fabulous. Don’t pass on their pies (coconut was my favorite).
A hot brown that’s served at one of several local spots – Fava’s 1910 Diner.
Local Feed is housed in a refurbished icehouse across the street from Royal Spring Park and specializes in made-from-scratch comfort food. Their deviled eggs and lemon meringue pie were especially noteworthy.
Chinkapin Brewing serves amazing wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas to accompany their craft beers. Weekends feature live entertainment, with trivia and Singo (a musical version of bingo) held during the week.
Country Boy Brewing specializes in minimally processed original beers. The business was established in 2012 by four native Kentuckians; they opened the Georgetown location in 2017, creating the largest production brewery in the state. You can tour the 22,500-square-foot brewery, taproom, and offices – and enjoy craft beers along with a delicious lunch in the Kitchen at Country Boy Brewing. My friend and I shared an appetizer of pretzel bites with Nacho Bait Beer Cheese and House Made Honey Mustard.
Georgetown preserves an interesting blend of past and present. If you’re in the Bluegrass State, it’s definitely a spot to stop and explore.
LEARN MORE
Georgetown/Scott County Tourism Office & Visitor Center
(502) 863-2547