Driving into the Bardstown, Kentucky, historic district is like stepping back in time. And why shouldn’t it be? Established in 1780, it is the second oldest city in Kentucky. Located just off the main road, Old Bardstown Village beckoned us to stop and explore. Ten log structures from the 18th and 19th century, along with a covered bridge provide a quaint look into the past, accurately describing what life would have been like for the pioneers. Some of these cabins look large until we were told they were used as inns or had families with eight or more children!
The $10 admission fee includes all the museums on the row; The Civil War Museum, the Women of the Civil War Museum, Old Bardstown Village and the War Memorial of Mid-America. It is a history buff’s delight! The Civil War museum was very tastefully done, including a timeline of the Civil War battles and providing plenty of artifacts. While many museums have artifacts belonging to soldiers, the Civil War Museum provides complete outfits belonging to one soldier. Women are not often recognized in the history of the Civil War, but the Women of the Civil War museums showcases their place in history. The collection is not extensive, as many of the artifacts have been destroyed over time, but this is the only Civil War museum in the country dedicated to women.
The War Memorial of Mid-America provides a tribute to all soldiers, from the Revolutionary War to the present. Take a look at the early pictures of leaders section and see if you can guess who they are! The staff is very knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions. Plus, they have fascinating stories about some of the men in the displays that bring these characters to life.
For anyone who has ever heard the song “My Old Kentucky Home.” or even if you haven’t, My Old Kentucky Home State Park is worth a visit. The beautiful grounds have a campsite, golf, outdoor theater, tennis courts and a picnic area. We arrived during a slight drizzle and walked to Federal Hill Mansion, an optional tour costing $10 for adults. We were greeted at the door by a hostess dressed in period costume who took us inside and explained the history behind Federal Hill Mansion.
Originally built by John Rowan, the home was owned by the Rowan family until 1922 when it was sold to the state of Kentucky. The home is carefully preserved and contains many pieces belonging to the Rowan family. Here’s an interesting bit of history; John Rowan got into a fight at the local tavern with the town doctor. Both men decided the only way to settle their differences was with a duel. During the duel, Mr. Rowan shot and killed the doctor. Feeling guilty over his actions, Mr. Rowan worked on a law that made dueling illegal in the state of Kentucky. His infamous dueling pistols are on display in the nearby Bardstown History Museum.
Want to learn more about the history of Bardstown? Visit their visitbardstown.com tourism site.
That looks like such a great place to visit!!!
I love museums like this but I’ve never been to any in Kentucky before. This looks like a great place!
I love going to museums and learning history. I will have to check this one out the next time i am in the area.
That’s interesting that they sold it to the state. Looks like the state’s made good use of it too.
Wow, very cool. I don’t know much about American History but I will say I do find it fascinating finding out about these types of places and the history behind them.
My husband is a huge fan of historical sites like this. I think he has actually been to this one. I know him and his dad did a lot of traveling to war historical sites over the years.
I’ve studied a lot about the Civil War, but haven’t spent much time focusing on women’s roles during the war. That museum would be of particle interest.
I love American History, and this sounds like a fun place to learn a little bit more. I could definitely use a road trip and this’ll be one of my stops.
I love visiting historical sites. I’ll have to add this to my list of places to visit!
The Civil War museum would definitely be the most interesting to me. I love American history! Great $10 price tag too
We just visited some places like this on vacation. It’s so fascinating to me to get a sense of people’s lives historically. It’s not something I think about often but you can really ‘try it on’ when visiting places like Bardstown.
Oh I love places like this. So neat to take a look back in time.
I would for sure have to check out all of those museums when visiting Bardstown. It would be great just to walk the grounds of the state park too.
This looks like a fascinating place to visit. I had no idea there weren’t more civil war museums dedicated to women.
Historical places like this are so much fun to visit with the kids. It’s a great way to learn.
That looks like an amazing place to visit. I think the kids would love learning about how everyone lived back then.
I love visiting historical sites like this. It gives you just a glimpse into what it really was like living during that period – and what a difference their homes vs ours are like!
I love learning more about the civil war. That sounds like a really interesting museum.