Kentucky · best-of list
19 Top Things to Do in Kentucky
All 19 things to do our route editors picked in Kentucky, across 6 destinations, gathered in one list. 13 come with an insider tip, and 8 cost nothing to visit.
Our curated picks
19 things to do in Kentucky, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Covington 5 picks
Carroll Chimes Bell Tower
Covington · On our Cincinnati New Year's Eve route
Brick and timber clock tower in Goebel Park whose carillon plays while figures act out the Pied Piper story.
Tip: Check the posted schedule; the figures come out on the hour for part of the year.
Photo: Warren LeMay · CC0
John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge
Covington · On our Cincinnati New Year's Eve route
1866 suspension bridge over the Ohio by the designer of the Brooklyn Bridge, with a sidewalk on each side.
Tip: Walk it in both directions; the downstream side has the best skyline view.
Photo: w_lemay · CC BY-SA 2.0
MainStrasse Village
Covington · On our Cincinnati New Year's Eve route
Covington's 1800s German neighborhood of brick row houses, pubs and a carillon tower in the square.
Tip: Start at Goebel Park and walk down Main Street toward the river.
Photo: Warren LeMay · CC0Newport Aquarium
Covington · On our Cincinnati New Year's Eve route
Riverfront aquarium in Newport with shark tunnels, penguins and a shark bridge over a tank.
Tip: Buy timed tickets online; Jan 1 is a popular family day.
Purple People Bridge
Covington · On our Cincinnati New Year's Eve route
Old railroad bridge painted purple and turned into a walking bridge between downtown and Newport.
Tip: Cross to Newport and back to make a loop with the Roebling bridge.
Photo: Antony-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bardstown 3 picks
Bardstown Welcome Center
Bardstown · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Court Square visitor center with bourbon trail maps, distillery tour advice and local event info.
Tip: Ask staff which distilleries need advance tour bookings.
Photo: Bardstown/Nelson County Tourist & Convention Commission · Google
My Old Kentucky Home State Park
Bardstown · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Federal Hill mansion linked to Stephen Foster's state song.
Photo: Firthpond1700 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History
Bardstown · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Free museum of whiskey artifacts, Prohibition and moonshine stills.
Photo: Bedford at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Downtown Louisville & Waterfront 3 picks
Belle of Louisville
Downtown Louisville & Waterfront · On our Louisville New Year's Eve route
The 1914 steam sternwheeler and its fleet sail from the downtown wharf; the Mary M. Miller runs a late New Year's cruise.
Tip: Dress warm for the open decks; the river wind at midnight is sharp.
Photo: Joe Schneid, Louisville, Kentucky · CC BY 3.0Kentucky Kingdom New Year's Eve Fireworks
Downtown Louisville & Waterfront · On our Louisville New Year's Eve route
The city's public New Year's Eve fireworks, an early-evening show at the theme park by the Kentucky Exposition Center.
Tip: The 2025 show was at 8:50 p.m. and needed park admission; confirm the time each year.
NYE Live! at Fourth Street Live!
Downtown Louisville & Waterfront · On our Louisville New Year's Eve route
Free 21-and-up New Year's Eve party under the Fourth Street Live! roof, ending with a Times Square-style ball drop.
Tip: Free entry fills by late evening; a VIP package guarantees a spot near the stage.
Photo: Sharon Mollerus · CC BY 2.0
Lexington 3 picks
Keeneland
Lexington · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Historic racetrack; watch morning workouts and eat at the Track Kitchen.
Tip: Racing meets in April and October; grounds open most days.
Photo: Jason Phillips (user:Wildcat~commonswiki) · CC BY 2.5
Kentucky Horse Park
Lexington · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Working horse farm and museum with the International Museum of the Horse.
Photo: Wes Blevins · CC BY-SA 2.5
Old Friends Equine
Lexington · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Retirement farm for Thoroughbreds, including famous racehorses; guided tours.
Tip: Book tours ahead.
Photo: Jlvsclrk · CC BY-SA 4.0
Louisville 3 picks
Kentucky Derby Museum
Louisville · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Derby history museum at Churchill Downs with a track walking tour.
Photo: Natalie · Google
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
Louisville · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Watch bats being made and hold game-used bats under the giant bat outside.
Photo: User Derek.cashman on en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Muhammad Ali Center
Louisville · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Museum on Ali's life, boxing career and activism.
Photo: The original uploader was Stevietheman at English Wikipedia. · CC BY 2.0
The Highlands & Cherokee Park 2 picks
Cave Hill Cemetery
The Highlands & Cherokee Park · On our Louisville New Year's Eve route
Victorian garden cemetery and arboretum where Colonel Harland Sanders is buried.
Tip: Pick up a map at the Baxter Avenue gate; the grounds are large and hilly.
Cherokee Triangle
The Highlands & Cherokee Park · On our Louisville New Year's Eve route
Victorian neighborhood of brick and stone mansions between Bardstown Road and Cherokee Park.
Tip: Loop through it on foot between brunch and the park; Cherokee Parkway is the prettiest stretch.
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Kentucky?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 19 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Kentucky has the most things to do on this list?
Covington has the most (5 of 19), followed by Bardstown (3) and Downtown Louisville & Waterfront (3).
Are any of these free?
8 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Carroll Chimes Bell Tower, Bardstown Welcome Center, Cave Hill Cemetery, John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, Cherokee Triangle, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Kentucky
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Covington 5 on this list
- Bardstown 3 on this list
- Downtown Louisville & Waterfront 3 on this list
- Lexington 3 on this list
- Louisville 3 on this list
- The Highlands & Cherokee Park 2 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.