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Elkhorn Campground Frankfort, Kentucky |
Frankfort
Enjoy panoramic views of Bourbon Country from an authentic Civil War battlefield
Frankfort is a small but culturally and historically rich city that rests on both sides of the Kentucky River. The bends of this snake-shaped waterway create four distinct sections of town, but scenic views of the current can be enjoyed everywhere. As the fifth-smallest state capital in the country, Frankfort may not be associated with the glitz and glamor of large metropolitan areas (the closest airport is near Lexington), but instead, it contains a dense variety of attractions, both man-made and natural, that reflect the Southern hospitality that the region is known for.
Visitors are welcomed with a wide variety of historical sites, homegrown museums, restaurants that feature authentic Southern cooking and, of course, the great outdoors, all of which continue to attract recreational enthusiasts and history buffs to what locals call a “true river city.”
Storm Fort Hill
Kentucky’s capital city has a rich historical background that has been preserved for 21st-century enjoyment. While exploring the shops and restaurants located in the downtown Frankfort Capital Plaza, newcomers should take notice of the Capital Plaza Office Tower. This is not just the tallest building in the city, but it serves as the entrance to a literal battlefield—a trail that has remained virtually unchanged since the 1800s leads visitors from Capital Plaza to Fort Hill. Known as the “capital city battlefield” due to the site’s significance during the Civil War, Fort Hill has since been turned into a historic park.
After touring the two earthwork forts painstakingly preserved from the Civil War era, modern-day explorers can enjoy a stroll through the 124 acres of forest that surround the park. Whether watching the sun set over the breathtaking view of downtown Frankfort seen from Fort Hill, or taking photographs of the deer herd that calls the area home, this area can be truly described as a display of “natural history” in more than one sense of the phrase.
The section of Kentucky earned its nickname, Bourbon Country, during the prohibition years of the 1920s. At the time, Buffalo Trace Distillery (the oldest running operation of its kind) was able to stay in operation by catering to the suspiciously sudden increase in “chronically ill” adults who sought “medicinal whiskey.” Today, the distillery is an all-ages attraction that offers tours through what can only be described as a one-of-a-kind museum, exclusive to Kentucky.
Frankfort’s uniqueness is further validated by the Old Governor’s Mansion, one of the oldest executive residences in the U.S., and it’s still active today. This structure housed politicians for a longer period of time than the White House.
In addition to elected officials, Frankfort’s history includes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who spoke at the First Baptist Church (the city’s largest African-American congregation) and frontiersman Daniel Boone, whose grave is located in the scenic Frankfort Cemetery.
For More Information
Frankfort/Franklin County Tourist and Convention Commission
800-960-7200
Kentucky Department of Travel and Tourism
800-225-8747