Kentucky History Drive

History is all around us.

Pioneers, Native nations, long hunters, soldiers and distillers. Explore the stories that made Kentucky, on a living map you can travel through time.

← Back to all drives

All drives · Plan a history drive · Distillery start

Buffalo Trace · Loop 1: Capital and the river

Starting at Buffalo Trace on the Kentucky River at Frankfort: where Leestown stood, the capital that grew beside it, and the Glenn's Creek distilleries a few miles south.

I'm at Buffalo Trace Distillery: what history is near here?

Sites within about 30 minutes by road, nearest first. Times and miles are estimates from OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), not live traffic.

SiteFrom the distillery (est.)AccessStory
Leestown marker (KHS #103)
Hancock and Willis Lee settled Leestown by 1775; it was abandoned in 1777 after attacks, then re-established as a river port shipping tobacco, hemp, corn and whiskey to New Orleans. Sources: KHS marker #103: Leestown		about 1 min, 0.4 miMarker onlyRead the story
Leslie Morris Park at Fort Hill
A promontory above downtown Frankfort with two Civil War earthwork forts, built by the 103rd Ohio Infantry to protect the capital; now a public park. Sources: Wikipedia: Fort Hill (Frankfort, Kentucky); City of Frankfort: Leslie Morris (Fort Hill) Park		about 3 min, 0.9 miPublic
Liberty Hall Historic Site
Senator John Brown built Liberty Hall in 1796–1800; it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971. Sources: Wikipedia: Liberty Hall (Frankfort, Kentucky); Liberty Hall Historic Site		about 3 min, 1.7 miPaid, Limited hours
Kentucky Military History Museum (State Arsenal)
The State Arsenal was built in 1850, seized by Confederates in September 1862 and retaken by Union forces in October; it became a military history museum in 1973. Sources: KHS marker #1490: State Arsenal; Kentucky Historical Society: Kentucky Military History Museum		about 4 min, 1.9 miLimited hours
Old State Capitol
Gideon Shryock's Greek Revival capitol housed the Kentucky General Assembly from 1830 to 1910 and has been a Kentucky Historical Society museum since 1920. Sources: Kentucky Historical Society: Old State Capitol; Wikipedia: Old State Capitol (Kentucky)		about 4 min, 1.8 miPaid, Limited hours
Frankfort Cemetery (Daniel Boone grave)
Daniel and Rebecca Boone were reinterred here in 1845; Boone had died in Missouri in 1820. Sources: KHS marker #113: Daniel Boone's Grave; Grokipedia: Frankfort Cemetery		about 6 min, 2.5 miPublic
Lexington & Ohio Railroad marker (KHS #69)
Site of the first railroad west of the Alleghenies, built 1833–34; the 23-mile Lexington–Frankfort run took four hours. Sources: KHS marker #69: Lexington & Ohio R.R.		about 8 min, 4.5 miMarker onlyRead the story
Switzer Covered Bridge
Franklin County's only covered bridge, over North Elkhorn Creek. Sources: HMdb: Switzer Covered Bridge; Wikipedia: Switzer Covered Bridge		about 16 min, 8.8 miPublic
Castle & Key (Old Taylor Distillery)
Col. E.H. Taylor Jr. founded the distillery in 1887; the restored grounds are now Castle & Key. Sources: Castle & Key		about 18 min, 8.7 miPaid, Reservation
Woodford Reserve (Old Oscar Pepper Distillery)
Elijah Pepper's distillery, later the Oscar Pepper Distillery, where James C. Crow worked in the mid-1800s on sour mash and barrel-aging methods; a National Historic Landmark. Sources: Grokipedia: Woodford Reserve; Woodford Reserve		about 20 min, 11.8 miPaid, Reservation
Glenns Creek Distilling (former Old Crow Distillery)
Glenns Creek Distillery began operating in 2013 in part of the former Old Crow Distillery. Sources: Grokipedia: Old Crow; Glenns Creek Distilling		about 20 min, 9.6 miLimited hours, Paid

Loop 1: Capital and the river · Loop 2: Glenn's Creek distilleries

Stops

  1. 1. Buffalo Trace Distillery (George T. Stagg Distillery)

    PublicReservation neededNHL 2013. Working distillery; visitor tours by reservation.

    Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2013 under the George T. Stagg Distillery name; it was allowed to keep operating during Prohibition to make whiskey for "medicinal purposes." Sources: Grokipedia: Buffalo Trace Distillery; Buffalo Trace Distillery

    No story yet for this stop.

  2. 2. Leestown marker (KHS #103)

    PublicMarker onlySettled 1775. Roadside marker at the Buffalo Trace entrance.

    Hancock and Willis Lee settled Leestown by 1775; it was abandoned in 1777 after attacks, then re-established as a river port shipping tobacco, hemp, corn and whiskey to New Orleans. Sources: KHS marker #103: Leestown

    0.4 mi, about 1 min from stop 1
    Leestown →

  3. 3. Frankfort Cemetery (Daniel Boone grave)

    PublicBoones reinterred 1845. Cemetery grounds open daily; please be respectful of burials.

    Daniel and Rebecca Boone were reinterred here in 1845; Boone had died in Missouri in 1820. Sources: KHS marker #113: Daniel Boone's Grave; Grokipedia: Frankfort Cemetery

    2.2 mi, about 4 min from stop 2
    No story yet for this stop.

  4. 4. Old State Capitol

    PublicPaid admissionLimited hoursLegislature 1830–1910. Kentucky Historical Society site; open on set days, admission charged for tours.

    Gideon Shryock's Greek Revival capitol housed the Kentucky General Assembly from 1830 to 1910 and has been a Kentucky Historical Society museum since 1920. Sources: Kentucky Historical Society: Old State Capitol; Wikipedia: Old State Capitol (Kentucky)

    0.8 mi, about 3 min from stop 3
    Frankfort: Frank's Ford becomes the capital →

  5. 5. Liberty Hall Historic Site

    PublicPaid admissionLimited hoursBuilt 1796–1800. Guided house tours on a seasonal schedule; admission charged.

    Senator John Brown built Liberty Hall in 1796–1800; it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971. Sources: Wikipedia: Liberty Hall (Frankfort, Kentucky); Liberty Hall Historic Site

    0.7 mi, about 2 min from stop 4
    Liberty Hall: John Brown's house in the new capital →

  6. 6. Kentucky Military History Museum (State Arsenal)

    PublicLimited hoursArsenal built 1850. Kentucky Historical Society museum; check open days.

    The State Arsenal was built in 1850, seized by Confederates in September 1862 and retaken by Union forces in October; it became a military history museum in 1973. Sources: KHS marker #1490: State Arsenal; Kentucky Historical Society: Kentucky Military History Museum

    0.5 mi, about 2 min from stop 5
    No story yet for this stop.

  7. 7. Leslie Morris Park at Fort Hill

    PublicCivil War earthworks. City park, open dawn to dusk.

    A promontory above downtown Frankfort with two Civil War earthwork forts, built by the 103rd Ohio Infantry to protect the capital; now a public park. Sources: Wikipedia: Fort Hill (Frankfort, Kentucky); City of Frankfort: Leslie Morris (Fort Hill) Park

    1.6 mi, about 4 min from stop 6
    No story yet for this stop.

  8. 8. Lexington & Ohio Railroad marker (KHS #69)

    PublicMarker onlyBuilt 1833–34. Roadside marker on US 421.

    Site of the first railroad west of the Alleghenies, built 1833–34; the 23-mile Lexington–Frankfort run took four hours. Sources: KHS marker #69: Lexington & Ohio R.R.

    4.9 mi, about 8 min from stop 7
    Lexington & Ohio Railroad →

  9. 9. Switzer Covered Bridge

    PublicCovered bridge. Pedestrian bridge beside the road; small roadside park.

    Franklin County's only covered bridge, over North Elkhorn Creek. Sources: HMdb: Switzer Covered Bridge; Wikipedia: Switzer Covered Bridge

    8.1 mi, about 15 min from stop 8
    No story yet for this stop.

Directions cover the public stops only. Access, fees and hours are general; verify before visiting.

Route map