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.

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All drives · Plan a history drive · Distillery start

Wild Turkey · Loop 1: Tyrone, Versailles and Jack Jouett

Starting at Wild Turkey above the Kentucky River: the Tyrone distilling past, Versailles and Jack Jouett, and the Shakers of Pleasant Hill.

I'm at Wild Turkey 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
Anderson County History Museum
Lawrenceburg was first settled in the early 1780s by German immigrant Jacob Kaufman as Kaufman's (Coffman's) Station; the county museum tells the story from settlement on. Sources: Grokipedia: Lawrenceburg, Kentucky; Visit Lawrenceburg: Anderson County History Museum		about 5 min, 2.4 miLimited hours
Woodford County Historical Society Museum (Versailles)
Versailles was founded on June 23, 1792, on land owned by the child Hezekiah Briscoe; his guardian Marquis Calmes named it for Versailles, France, in honor of Lafayette. Sources: Grokipedia: Versailles, Kentucky; Woodford County Historical Society: Museum		about 13 min, 8.0 miLimited hours
Four Roses Distillery
The Spanish Mission-style distillery on the Salt River was built in 1910 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Sources: Grokipedia: Four Roses; Four Roses		about 15 min, 9.1 miPaid, Reservation
McCrackin Distillery and Mill (Tyrone)
A historic distillery and mill site at Tyrone listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Sources: NPGallery: NRHP 83002903		about 17 min, 9.0 miPrivate land
Jack Jouett House Historic Site
Home of Jack Jouett, who in 1781 rode about 40 miles to warn Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia legislature that British cavalry were coming; he later served in the Kentucky legislature. Sources: Grokipedia: Jack Jouett; Jack Jouett House Historic Site		about 19 min, 9.8 miLimited hoursRead the story
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 23 min, 11.5 miPaid, Reservation
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 31 min, 14.9 miPaid, Reservation

Loop 1: Tyrone, Versailles and Jack Jouett · Loop 2: Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill

Stops

  1. 1. Wild Turkey Distillery

    PublicPaid admissionReservation neededRipy distillery 1891. Working distillery; tours by reservation, fees apply.

    In 1891 Thomas Ripy built the Old Hickory Distillery at Tyrone near Lawrenceburg; the Ripy family rebuilt after Prohibition, and the Wild Turkey brand dates to 1940. Sources: Grokipedia: Wild Turkey (bourbon); Wild Turkey

    No story yet for this stop.

  2. 2. McCrackin Distillery and Mill (Tyrone)

    Private land: marker onlyNRHP 1983. Private property; view only from KY 1659.

    A historic distillery and mill site at Tyrone listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Sources: NPGallery: NRHP 83002903

    9 mi, about 17 min from stop 1
    No story yet for this stop.

  3. 3. Woodford County Historical Society Museum (Versailles)

    PublicLimited hoursTown founded 1792. Free museum; limited open days.

    Versailles was founded on June 23, 1792, on land owned by the child Hezekiah Briscoe; his guardian Marquis Calmes named it for Versailles, France, in honor of Lafayette. Sources: Grokipedia: Versailles, Kentucky; Woodford County Historical Society: Museum

    4.7 mi, about 12 min from stop 2
    Versailles Takes Shape →

  4. 4. Jack Jouett House Historic Site

    PublicLimited hoursRide of 1781. Historic house; tours by appointment in the off-season.

    Home of Jack Jouett, who in 1781 rode about 40 miles to warn Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia legislature that British cavalry were coming; he later served in the Kentucky legislature. Sources: Grokipedia: Jack Jouett; Jack Jouett House Historic Site

    4.1 mi, about 11 min from stop 3
    Jack Jouett, Kentucky's midnight rider →

Directions cover the public stops only. McCrackin Distillery and Mill (Tyrone): private property; view from public roads only. Access, fees and hours are general; verify before visiting.

Route map