8 of the Most Hospitable Small Towns in Kentucky
Kentucky, the Bluegrass State, is known for its natural beauty and its history and culture. Kentucky’s mountains, valleys, and rivers are home to numerous small towns that offer unique experiences to visitors. From outdoor adventures to great live music to genuine bourbon whiskey, Kentucky has a small town to suit every preference. Before planning your next visit to the Bluegrass State, check out these eight great small towns that are especially hospitable to visitors.
Berea
Situated south of Lexington and north of Knoxville, Tennessee, along Interstate 75, Berea has seen recent population growth but remains a small town at heart. The town’s most famous institution is Berea College, founded in 1855 as the first coeducational and racially integrated college in the southern United States. The college’s welcoming spirit infuses the town with hospitality toward visitors of all backgrounds. The college community also contributes to Berea’s famously lively arts scene, with regular community arts festivals and lots of live music, culminating with the college’s annual Celebration of Traditional Music each October. Berea is also home to a number of great and unique locations, such as the Antique Radio Warehouse.
Morehead
Morehead occupies a picturesque spot among the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in northeastern Kentucky, with a postcard-pretty downtown that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The surrounding area includes popular natural attractions like Sheltowee Trace Trail, Daniel Boone National Forest, and Cave Run Lake, one of the largest lakes in eastern Kentucky. Back in town, Morehead’s numerous shops and eateries are geared toward welcoming visitors as well as students at Morehead State University, which has its campus just north of downtown. Morehead is also home to the impressive Kentucky Folk Art Center museum.
Bardstown
Bourbon whiskey is a key part of Kentucky’s identity, so Bardstown’s self-proclaimed title as the “Bourbon Capital of the World” is a big deal in the Bluegrass State. Bardstown supports its claim with popular attractions like the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival, the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History, and several local distilleries. Bardstown has another tourist draw that is more surprising for a small town: the opulent 1823 Basilica of St. Joseph, a vestige of the town’s beginnings as a magnet for Roman Catholic settlers. If you are interested in pairing a bourbon distillery tour and a historic church tour, Bardstown is the place for you!
Grand Rivers
Grand Rivers was founded in the late 1800s with big ambitions: it is named for the nearby Ohio, Cumberland, and Tennessee rivers and was meant to become a steelmaking city to rival Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Instead, today’s Grand Rivers is a small village of around 350 residents that is known as a wonderful gateway into the surrounding outdoors. In addition to the rivers, the town sits between the manmade Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, offering excellent boating, fishing, and watersports. Grand Rivers’ biggest annual event is the Bluegrass, Brew, and BBQ Festival, held each April.
La Grange
La Grange’s picturesque and generally quiet downtown gets rattled some 25 times per day as freight trains rumble over the tracks that are built right into Main Street. La Grange has turned this regular disruption into an awesome attraction, giving visitors a chance to see passing trains up close before checking out the La Grange Railroad Museum. Along with train lovers from near and far, La Grange welcomes day-trippers from the nearby cities of Louisville and Cincinnati with amenities like a seasonal farmer’s market, a summertime splash pad, and a forthcoming state park.
Maysville
Over the centuries, buffalo herds, Native Americans, and Euro-American settlers passed through today’s Maysville on their path from the Ohio River to what is now central Kentucky’s bluegrass country. Before the Civil War, escaped enslaved people went the other direction, with Maysville as a key stop on the Underground Railroad to freedom across the river. The Harriet Beecher Stowe Slavery to Freedom Museum, located in an 1807 house, recounts this important part of Maysville's history. Maysville also has a lovely and welcoming downtown area and ample options for outdoor recreation along the river.
Murray
Murray was named “friendliest town in America” by Rand McNally and USA Today in 2012, a big honor for this southwestern Kentucky community of about 17,000. Murray State University calls the town home, giving downtown Murray a youthful vitality and a diversity of dining and shopping options. Murray also has an art gallery (Eagle Gallery) and a history museum (Wrather Museum), as well as numerous historical sites and markers. Murray is still grappling with parts of its past but also feels like a community that is ready to step into the future with enthusiasm.
Somerset
Somerset proudly proclaims itself the “Official Car Cruise Capital of Kentucky,” and its popular annual “Somernites Cruise” series brings big crowds to this community of 12,000 from April to October. Somerset also hosts an excellent Master Musician’s Festival and other events that highlight its picturesque and historic downtown area. Somerset is also home to a fascinating museum called the International Paranormal Museum and Research Center, which investigates paranormal activity. Somerset is also a gateway to a pair of Kentucky’s outdoor gems, Lake Cumberland and Daniel Boone National Forest.
Kentucky is synonymous with bluegrass, bourbon, and thoroughbreds, but these are far from the only reasons to visit this state, established in 1792. While touring big cities like Louisville and Lexington is definitely rewarding, exploring Kentucky’s small towns offers visitors a distinctive combination of history, heritage, and hospitality. Use our list of eight welcoming towns as a starting point, but also take some time to hit the road and discover some hospitable Kentucky towns for your own personal list. The Bluegrass State awaits your visit!
