Top 12 Kentucky Towns To Visit In 2025
Known for some stunning cities like Louisville, the amazing state of Kentucky has a plethora of awesome small towns worth visiting this year as well. While Louisville is home to the Kentucky Derby Museum, it has around 1.4 million people and might be too chaotic to enjoy properly with the family. From the town of Somerset and the Paranormal Museum to picturesque Greenville and the Brizendine Brothers Nature Park, the Bluegrass State is home to several towns with some of the most phenomenal natural, historic, and cultural attractions. From Somerset to Pikeville, the following dozen top towns in Kentucky are ideal for any and all who plan to visit in 2025.
Somerset - Pulaski County
Just under forty miles north of the Tennessee border, Somerset has some fantastic attractions for those who want to live on the edge. The International Paranormal Museum and the Paranormal Roadtrippers Nightmare Gallery are both within Somerset. Both of these awesome venues allow for a better comprehension of the paranormal, including aliens, ghosts, and even Bigfoot.
Another phenomenal attraction, located on Hwy 2227, the SomerSplash Waterpark is the perfect place to stop in and check out, especially if you have children to entertain. With everything from wave & wading pools to a kiddie slide to speed & body slides, this awesome amusement park is the perfect place to be during those hot summer days.
Versailles - Woodford County
The picturesque small town of Versailles, just west of the city of Lexington, has some great attractions which remind people of one of the most common symbols of the state, the Thoroughbred horse. Home to Three Chimneys and WinStar, as well as several other horse farms, guests can experience the power and grace of champion Thoroughbred horses.
Versailles is also known for being home to the Kentucky Castle and Falling Springs Water Park. The Kentucky Castle, constructed in 1969 and known by several names, including a B&B named the Castle Post at the start of the 21st century, is now an elegant hotel with an accompanying farm-to-table restaurant. Falling Springs, on Beasley Rd., provides great water-based activities for every age.
Shelbyville - Shelby County
Between Louisville and Lexington, the quaint town of Shelbyville is home to another great aspect of the state of Kentucky: Kentucky Bourbon. Home to a plethora of distilleries, including Jeptha Creed and the Bulleit Distilling Company, Shelbyville is ideal for anyone who wishes to experience bourbon at its very best. Jeptha Creed also produces vodka and moonshine, along with award-winning Kentucky Bourbon.
Another significant aspect of Shelbyville, the Shelby County Community Theater, located on Main Street between Bell House Restaurant and the German American Bank, has provided guests and residents of Shelbyville alike for around fifty years, with phenomenal plays, Shakespeare acting classes, and the iconic Wizard of Oz acted out on the mainstage.
Harrodsburg - Mercer County
The pastoral town of Harrodsburg is home to a variety of amazing attributes and attractions, like Devine’s Corn Maze and Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. The corn maze, along with an accompanying pumpkin patch, provides guests with field trips, wagon rides, and of course pumpkin picking. Shaker Village, with 34 buildings surviving today, is the most extensive private collection of buildings from the 1800s.
Harrodsburg is also home to Old Fort Harrod State Park, which allows guests to experience the first permanent settlement in Kentucky. Along with exploring how Daniel Boone lived during frontier days, visitors can visit the log cabin where Abraham Lincoln’s parents were married at the beginning of the 19th century and view numerous American Civil War artifacts.
Bardstown - Nelson County
Picturesque Bardstown, another well-known small town in Kentucky that honors the creation of Kentucky Bourbon, is home to a plethora of awesome distilleries and wineries, including Lux Row, Willett, Heaven’s Hill, and McIntyre’s. Also home to the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History, visitors can gain some insight into whiskey from as far back as Colonial days.
Bardstown is also well known for being home to Spalding Hall, which houses both the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History and the Bardstown Historical Museum. Old Bardstown Colonial Village & Park also calls this town home. This is a stunning recreation of a 1790s frontier village, with cabins that are 150 to 200 years old.
Greenville - Muhlenberg County
Another awesome small town in Kentucky, with less than five thousand permanent residents, Greenville is ideal for those who wish to stretch their legs in nature. Home to Rails to Trails, which includes biking, hiking, and even equestrian trails, as well as Morgan Memorial Park and Luzerne Lake City Park, outdoor enthusiasts are always welcome in Greenville.
Greenville is also known for being the home of Brizendine Brothers Nature Park. This nature park provides opportunities for enjoying twelve acres of wonderful wilderness. Guests can identify trees native to the area and see deer, raccoons, and squirrels while hiking the Nature Park Trail. They can also enjoy a tasty picnic with friends or family.
La Grange - Oldham County
About ten to fifteen miles from the Ohio River, the picturesque town of La Grange is home to the La Grange Railroad Museum, which includes train displays outside, artifacts relating to the railroad inside, and model railroads that will astound kids and adults. They even have on display a 1952 Steam Engine from England, a 1929 Dining Car, and a 1963 Caboose.
Another incredible attraction in the town of La Grange, situated alongside the Railroad Museum in the Train Depot on Main Street, the Little Kentucky River Winery’s tasting room provides a unique experience. Furthermore, Oldham County History Center has a fabulous World War II exhibit with an interactive display on Pearl Harbor.
Berea - Madison County
The quaint town of Berea, located on the edge of the Daniel Boone National Forest, is perhaps known best for its festivals, especially the Spoonbread Festival, which takes place in September, and the Berea Craft Festival every July. While the craft festival displays crafts from over a hundred creative artists, the Spoonbread Festival honors a variety of delicious spoonbread dishes.
Another great attraction in Berea is the Boone Trace Marker, which showcases Daniel Boone’s trail from North Carolina through Cumberland Gap to Boonesborough, South Carolina. Also located in downtown Berea is Berea College, founded in 1855, the first racially integrated college in the southern United States.
Maysville - Mason County
Home of the National Underground Railroad Museum and the Kentucky Gateway Museum, the small town of Maysville, located along the banks of the Ohio River, is the place for those who love history. The Underground Railroad Museum, in the historic Bierbower House, is dedicated to preserving the fight for freedom. At the same time, the Gateway Museum has some phenomenal exhibits, including a 1789 diorama of the Limestone Landing during the Revolutionary War.
For those who love a taste of culture, Maysville is home to the Washington Opera House, built in 1860. It features live productions throughout the year and is the fifth oldest theater in the United States. Russell Theater was built in 1930, and in 1953, it premiered “The Stars are Singing” with Rosemary Clooney, who was born in Maysville in 1928.
Paris - Bourbon County
The picturesque town of Paris is home to several great attractions, like Claiborne Farm, first founded in 1910 and the home of numerous famous racehorses, including Secretariat, who was born in 1970. Runnymede Farm is also located in Paris. This great racehorse farm first started in 1867 and is the longest-running racehorse farm in Kentucky.
Paris is also known for the Cane Ridge Meeting House and the Hopewell Museum. These two venues, along with several others, provide a sense of historical value to Paris. Cane Ridge Meeting House, built in 1791, is the largest one-room log structure in North America, while the Hopewell Museum offers guests the history of Paris and Bourbon County.
Midway - Woodford County
Situated midway between Frankfort and Lexington, the tiny town of Midway has been given an incredibly fitting name. Home of Equus Run Vineyard & Winery and Bluegrass Distillers at Elkwood Farm, Midway, with less than 2,000 permanent residents, is best known for its distilleries and wineries. Bluegrass Distillers even offers cooking classes to visitors.
The quaint town of Midway is also home to Weisenberger Mill, which is located on South Elkhorn Creek and has been in business distributing high-quality flour since 1865. If visiting Midway in the latter part of the year, the downtown area hosts the Midway Fall Festival, which has been in operation for half a century with vendors, entertainment, and much more.
Pikeville - Pike County
The town of Pikeville, situated in the southeastern corner of the state, three hours north of Knoxville, is well known for being home to several natural, historic, and cultural attributes. Two natural attractions in Pikeville are Bob Amos Park and Coal Run City Park. Both provide plenty of sunshine, great picnicking opportunities, and ample fresh air.
Some other great attractions in Pikeville, ones that lean more to the cultural side, are the Big Sandy Heritage Center Museum on Division Street and the Appalachian Center for the Arts on 2nd Street. The Heritage Center Museum has exhibits featuring Native Americans, Daniel Boone, and Thomas Walker. The Center for the Arts has productions, summer camps, and theater & art classes throughout the year.
The majestic state of Kentucky, consisting of 40,000 square miles of land, has many cities, towns, villages, and even townships. One can visit only so many of these places. From Greenville and Brizendine Brothers Nature Park to Somerset and the Paranormal Museum, the wonders of nature, history, and culture can best be experienced in the small towns of Kentucky. And yet, these were only a dozen of the top towns worthy of visiting in 2025.
