Frankfort: Recreation
Sightseeing
The Frankfort/Franklin County Tourist and Convention Commission's Visitors Center, located five blocks from the Kentucky statehouse, offers maps and information about local sites. Two good places to get a feeling for the personalities that formed Frankfort's history are the Corner of Celebrities, which is actually one square block behind Wilkinson Street in the north part of town, and the Frankfort Cemetery, located on a high cliff overlooking the city. Dozens of famous Kentuckians have lived on and near the Corner. Historic residences there that are open to the public include Orlando Brown House, a Greek Revival home designed by architect Gideon Shryock; and the adjacent Liberty Hall, built in 1796 in the Federalist style for John Brown, Orlando Brown's brother and Kentucky's first U.S. Senator. The Frankfort Cemetery is dominated by the marble marker over the graves of Daniel and Rebecca Boone; it is carved with scenes from the lives of the pioneer couple. In addition to the graves of at least 16 Kentucky governors, the cemetery features the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a 65-foot-tall monument that acts as a giant sundial.
The 1910 Kentucky State Capitol's Beaux Arts design features 70 Ionic columns, decorative murals, and sculptures of Kentucky dignitaries, as well as the First Lady Doll Collection. Tourists throw coins for good luck at the floral clock that is located on the West Lawn of the Capitol Grounds. Next to the Capitol and overlooking the Kentucky River, the Executive Mansion, built of native limestone, was modeled after France's Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette's Summer villa. The Greek Revival Old State Capitol, which served as the seat of state government from 1830–1910, features a self-supporting staircase held together by precision and pressure. These state buildings are open for touring. Another outstanding local site is the 1910 Prairie-style Ziegler-Brockman House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Nature lovers will find native flora and fauna at the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Game Farm and Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort. Bird watchers will be particularly interested in the Clyde F. Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary-Trust; a 374-acre haven with hiking trails, a bird blind, and a nature center operated by the National Audubon Society.
Kentucky is famous for its whiskey, and visitors may tour the Woodford Reserve Distillery, which dates back to 1812, to see how it is produced. Guides lead tourists to see the bulb-shaped stills, huge fermenting vats, and a warehouse where the charred white oak barrels are stored. Bottling into the distillery's unique-shaped bottles still is accomplished by
Arts and Culture
The site of many major cultural, musical, and sporting events is the Farnham Dudgeon Civic Center, which seats 5,365 people. The RiverPark Center in nearby Owensboro is another multi-purpose cultural and events facility that hosts touring productions as well as community theater, recitals, children's theater, and ensemble concerts. The Bluegrass Theatre Guild offers musicals, workshops, and touring productions of its shows. The Capital Art Guild promotes public knowledge of the visual arts by educational activities by way of art exhibits, technique demonstrations, art classes, and community art projects.
The new Kentucky History Center displays the survey notes penned by Daniel Boone as he helped to map the new frontier. Also on display are early civil rights documents. Visitors may take a journey along Kentucky's time line, from the rustic life of early pioneer times through modern life. The Center, which houses a gift shop as well as the state museum and research library, presents educational programs and special events. It features the Hall of Governors of Kentucky, and a permanent exhibit gallery showcasing "A Kentucky Journey," which tells the state's story, and a changing exhibit gallery spotlighting the artifacts of the Kentucky Historical Society.
Displays of weapons, uniforms, flags, and other memorabilia at the Kentucky Military History Museum honor the service of the state militia, state guard, and other volunteer military organizations. The museum is located in the 1850 Old State Arsenal, a brick Gothic Revival "castle" on a cliff overlooking the Kentucky River.
Festivals and Holidays
The festival season begins with May's Governor's Derby Breakfast, featuring guided tours of the Capitol building and gardens. The first full weekend in June brings the Capital Expo Arts & Crafts Festival, three days of arts and crafts, live entertainment, an antique car show, hot air balloon rides, and fireworks; June also brings Boone Day, the Kentucky Historical Society's annual symposium to commemorate Daniel Boone's first observance of Kentucky. The Kentucky Herb Festival takes place on the second Saturday in June; it offers lectures on gardening, music, and an outdoor herbal luncheon. July's Franklin County Fair & Horse Show features antiques, a flower and doll show, a demolition derby, a gospel sing, a beauty contest, and childrens' events. Also in July, Frankfort teams with other central Kentucky cities to host the week-long Central Kentucky Civil War Heritage Trail.
In September, the state's diverse job, ethnic, and family traditions are celebrated at the Kentucky Folklife Festival downtown. The Great Pumpkin Festival features the Black Cat 5K run, a haunted house, hayrides, and a costume parade down Main Street. The Candlelight Tour of the downtown takes place in November. An evening of food, music, and shopping kicks off the holiday season. Also in November, the Kentucky Book Fair at the KSU draws more than 100 authors of national and worldwide renown. The city rings in December with a parade, tree lighting ceremony, caroling and viewing the wares of more than 100 craft exhibitors.
The Center of Excellence for Study of Kentucky African Americans at Kentucky State University sponsors a number of exhibits and displays throughout the year. They include an annual "Many Cultures, One Art" quilt exhibit, a Civil War symposium, a forum on the Great Black Jockeys, and other special events. Dates vary from year to year.
Sports for the Spectator
Kentucky State University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). At present, all sports are classified in Division II. KSU is affiliated with the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and competes for conference championships in all sports. Men's Thorobreds teams include basketball, football, baseball, cross country & track, golf, and tennis. Football games are played at the university's Alumni Stadium. Many of the indoor sports, including basketball, are played at the William Exum Center on campus. The Thorobrettes women's teams include basketball, softball, cross country and track, volleyball, and tennis.
Sports for the Participant
When urban planners first noticed, back in the 1950s, that Frankfort was one of the few cities in the country with no public parks or recreational areas, city officials went to work to create a parks system. Beginning with the creation of Juniper Hills Park, the system expanded into six large public parks offering picnic areas, courts for basketball, tennis, and volleyball, plus baseball, softball, and soccer fields. Riverview Park offers trails along the Kentucky River. Headquartered in Peaks Mill, 8 miles north of Frankfort, Canoe Kentucky offers canoeing, kayaking, innertubing, and guided or self-guided canoe and kayak trips over whitewater Class 1 and 2 waters.
Shopping and Dining
On downtown Frankfort's tree-lined streets, shops offer such items as art pieces, gifts, clothing, books, antiques, and model trains. Shaded under flowering trees, the St. Clair Mall features an old-fashioned general store as well as boutiques. Visitors flock to Rebecca-Ruth Candy shop on the East Side of town to buy bourbon-flavored sweets made on the same curved marble bar top where the secret recipe was developed more than 60 years ago. The city's major mall is Franklin Square, which features a department store, music, clothing, and gift shops, as well as cinemas and restaurants.
Dining choices in Frankfort run the gamut from homestyle and barbecue, to ethnic varieties including Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Irish, and Italian, to seafood and steak. Gabriel's Chop House in the Holiday Inn Capital Plaza has Kentucky Bourbon ribs and steak. Visit Tink's on St. Clair Street for barbecue in an outdoor setting. Cajun cooking is the draw at Rick's White Light Diner, while Jim's Seafood specializes in catfish, trout, and fried banana peppers. At Daniel's Restaurant patrons may enjoy a bourbon-tasting experience.
Visitor Information: Frankfort/Franklin County Tourist & Convention Commission, 100 Capitol Ave., Frankfort, KY 40601; telephone (502)875-8687; toll-free (800)866-7925; fax (502)227-2604