Review of My Old Kentucky Home State Park – Day Trip
On a recent drive through Bardstown, KY I noticed signs pointing to a place I hadn’t been since I was a child: My Old Kentucky Home State Park. Because it was such a beautiful day, we headed toward the park to check out the historic home and beautiful grounds.
Nothing seemed familiar as we first approached the park’s visitor center, but once we purchased our tickets and headed toward the home things began looking familiar. We had a few minutes to explore the grounds before our tour began, so we headed down the limestone stairs to the replica of the law office. It was a tiny log cabin situated at the base of the hill and it contained antique furniture and books arranged as they would have been during the period.
After we climbed the limestone stairs back up to the main grounds, we explored the kitchen, pumpkin patch, stables, and smokehouse. Then it was time for our tour to begin. A woman in period clothes guided us through the rooms, pointing out furniture and art that had been collected by many generations of the Rowan Family. There is a portrait of Steven Collins Foster in the foyer, and he is referred to as the “famous cousin” who put Federal Hill on the map with his writing of My Old Kentucky Home.
There is no wheelchair or stroller access inside the home, but there is plenty of space for your little ones to roam on the grounds. Visiting the park is free, but tours are $3.50 for children 6-12, $7.00 for 13.61 and $5.00 for seniors. There is a AAA discount, as well as military and group discounts. My kids (3 and 5) were just interested enough to make the tour worthwhile since kids under six are free. See the park’s website for more information.
By guest contributor: Maggie
