Discover Frankfort: Forts, River and Bourbon

Frankfort brings together a wide range of reasons to visit: Civil War earthwork forts, historic homes and architecture sit alongside wildlife, the river and bourbon history. When planning, it helps to start by prioritizing the themes that interest you most. That way, you can consciously combine culture and nature or focus on one, rather than treating every experience equally. You can also use your own travel plans as a guide when searching for a vacation rental.

History among forts, homes and architecture

Leslie Morris Park on Fort Hill includes two Civil War earthwork forts. The forts give Frankfort’s history a tangible focal point: here, a specific chapter takes center stage, rather than simply a general impression of the past. If you’re interested in this era, you can make the site a distinct focus of your travel plans.

Liberty Hall Historic Site offers a different perspective. It includes two historic homes, Liberty Hall and the Orlando Brown House, along with four acres of lawns and gardens. The site therefore brings both the homes and their surrounding grounds into focus. Compared with the earthwork forts, its appeal lies in its collection of historic homes and the clearly defined combination of buildings, lawns and gardens. These differences can help you decide what kind of history appeals to you most.

The Old State Capitol offers a distinctive architectural feature: a unique self-supporting stone staircase. For anyone interested in architecture, it’s a striking detail and a different perspective from the forts or historic homes. If you enjoy noticing individual architectural features on a trip, you can include this in your selection rather than organizing attractions only by their broader theme.

Wildlife, river tours and a trail along the Kentucky River

The Salato Wildlife Education Center showcases more than 40 native species. The animals listed include black bears, bald eagles, bobcats and elk. The selection extends beyond a single animal group, offering a distinct focus on nature and wildlife alongside the historical attractions. If your travel group has a range of interests, you can consider this variety as another possible activity without making your stay exclusively about history.

The Kentucky River also offers different perspectives. Kentucky River Tours runs historic river tours from the Frankfort Boat Club. The tours combine the river with a historical focus; schedules may change, so check them before booking. There is also a hiking trail with scenic views of the Kentucky River. The river tour and the trail offer different ways to include the river in your plans: one as the subject of a tour, the other as a viewpoint along a trail.

Frankfort’s historic downtown also offers a guided walking tour lasting 45 to 60 minutes. This specific time frame is a useful guide if you’d like to set aside a manageable amount of time for a guided exploration. Check dates and booking conditions before your visit. At Buffalo Trace Distillery, a tour provides an introduction to the history and science of bourbon. This gives you several options for your trip: a set-length walking tour, a historical perspective from the river and an introduction to bourbon history.

Use your priorities to guide your accommodation search

When choosing a vacation rental in Frankfort, consider which of these themes you want your trip to focus on: Civil War history, historic homes and architecture, wildlife, the river or bourbon. These experiences differ in both content and format, so it’s worth shaping your plans around them and looking for a location that suits the activities you have in mind. If you want to combine several interests, you can weigh the different priorities against each other and look for accommodation that fits your personal travel plans. Deciding which historical or nature-related side of Frankfort you’d like to discover first is a good starting point for the rest of your planning.

For the broader travel overview: Franklin.