Best things to do in Bardstown

Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully operating distillery in Bardstown, KY. Barton is the proud producer of 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey and Very Old Barton Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Tours are always complimentary. Monday-Friday, Tours: 9am-3pm departing every hour on the hour. Gift Shop Open: 9am-4:30pm Saturday, Tours: 10am-2pm departing every hour on the hour Gift Shop Open: 10am-4pm Sunday: Closed To learn more about the Distillery visit www.1792bourbon.com.

*Alcohol by volume varies by product.

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Family-owned and -operated Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience will teach you everything you want to know about the production of Kentucky's favorite tipple--and then give you a taste afterward. Check out the displays in the visitor's center, and then take a tour of the production facilities. You'll also learn how to taste whiskey. Pick from a variety of tour options based on your level of bourbon knowledge and what areas of the center you would like to see.

Come home to Kentucky's globally celebrated historic landmark destination "My Old Kentucky Home."

Explore the 235-acre estate that offers fun and exciting ways to connect to nature & history. Tour the 19th century farm & mansion "My Old Kentucky Home," with your tour guide, or enjoy one of our mint julep tours, culinary biscuit tours, and more!

Unique on-site shopping, 18 holes of golf, overnight camping, great hiking through wooded trails with waterfalls, lakes, and cliffs, & R.V. accommodations. Nearby historic Bardstown, rated the "Best Small Town in America," by USA Today offers excellent restaurants that accommodate both traditional and adventurous palates. Bardstown's beautiful town square features unique shopping venues and opportunities to scout and collect beautiful antiques, interesting gifts, & clothes.

Bardstown is surrounded by the biggest names in bourbon distilleries, all offering tours of the bourbon manufacturing process to guests. It's an experience you won't want to miss. Isn't it time you made a trip back home?

In the woods of Kentucky, Maker's Mark produces small batches of bourbon whiskey. Recognizable by bottles sealed with red wax, the company distills its spirits at 45 percent alcohol by volume (90 proof) using red winter wheat instead of rye. Take a regular tour of the distillery and taste its bourbon, or book an extended tour, where you'll witness the inner workings of crafting this spirit (and you'll get a set of wax-dipped rock glasses as a souvineer). There are plenty of stairs to climb, so dress comfortably. Check out the gift shop, where you can get items such as bourbon chocolates, fleece sweaters, cigars, and coffee.

According to Guinness Book of World Records, Buffalo Trace Distillery represents the oldest operating bourbon distillery. In fact, it is a National Historic Landmark for operating before, during, and after Prohibition. Its origins date back to 1773, and it has a 1792 building still standing on the grounds. The site produces award-winning bourbons, as well as several rye whiskey labels and vodka. You can reserve a guided tour that focuses on the history of the site or take a behind-the-scenes tour. But you don't need reservations for the basic tour which takes you through the barrel-filled warehouses and the production line where bourbons are packed and sealed by hand. All tours are complementary. Ghost hunters believe that supernatural spirits can be found at the site; hear about it during the free ghost tour--with tasting included.

Spalding Hall is a building listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Bardstown, Kentucky. It was built in conjunction with the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral. The hall was originally built in 1826 and named for Bishop Martin John Spalding.
It was the main building of St. Joseph's College, a Catholic college in the 19th century, which was the first Catholic college in Kentucky. The current building was built in 1839 to replace the previous building, which had been destroyed in a fire. The college was closed during the American Civil War and the building briefly served as a hospital for Union soldiers.
It served as St. Joseph's Preparatory School from about 1911 until 1968.
The building houses the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History and the Bardstown Historical Museum.

Nestled on 113 acres of rolling hills in a castle that holds more than a century of distilling history, Castle & Key is home to well-crafted spirits.

A tribute to Old Taylor Distillery which once sat at this location, Castle & Key will uphold Taylor's legacy of quality.

Castle & Key's Restoration Release Gin and Vodka are available now while Bourbon Whiskey and Rye Whiskey age.

Located outside of Lexington at 4445 McCracken Pike Frankfort, KY, visitors can learn more at www.castleandkey.com.

Must be 21 + to follow.

Tours are only available at 9:30 or 1:00. Please contact directly to arrange for your visit.

The Basilica of Saint Joseph Proto-Cathedral is a Catholic parish church at 310 West Stephen Foster Avenue in Bardstown, Kentucky. It is the original cathedral of the present Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville, originally erected as the Diocese of Bardstown — "proto-cathedral" means the former cathedral of a see that has transferred or moved. During its years as a cathedral, the pastor was Benedict Joseph Flaget, the first bishop of Bardstown.