MUSEUM & WALKING TOURS

Monday – Saturday at 11:30 am and 1:00 pm. – Liberty Hall Historic Site – A National Historic Landmark.  Liberty Hall, the 1796 home of one of Frankfort’s most important families, John & Margaretta Brown. Guests will tour this early Kentucky mansion and learn about John Brown’s civic action on national, state, and local levels. Guides also share Indigenous histories of Frankfort, enslavement at Liberty Hall, and the many generations of Brown family descendants who made their mark on the commonwealth. Guests are encouraged to visit the three rotating exhibitions on display at Liberty Hall and the Orlando Brown House, shop in the Museum Store, and spend time in the nearly 5 acre public garden. For tickets and more information, visit www.libertyhall.org. 

Tuesday – Saturday at 1:00 pm. – Kentucky Historical Society - Guided by Kentucky Historical Society staff, visitors will explore the State Arsenal’s history, architectural features, and unique artifacts. The role of the Arsenal in the Civil War era will be highlighted, including its capture by Confederate forces in 1862 and its centrality in the Union defense of Frankfort against John Hunt Morgan’s final raid in 1864. This tour convenes at the Kentucky Military History Museum Duration: 30 minutes. General admission applies. 

Tuesday - Saturday at 2:00 pm. – Kentucky Historical Society – A National Historic Landmark. Guided by Kentucky Historical Society staff, visitors will explore the Old State Capitol building’s history, unique architectural features and works of art. We’ll also delve into the politics and personalities of 19th and early 20th century leaders who walked these halls and the major issues they debated, such as slavery, response to the Civil War, women’s rights, and civil rights. This tour convenes at the Old State Capitol. Duration: 30 minutes. General admission applies.

Tuesday – Saturday at 3:00 pm. – Kentucky Historical Society - Guided by museum staff, visitors will explore “A Kentucky Journey,” the cornerstone exhibit of the Thomas D Clark Center for Kentucky History. Guests will learn about key events in Kentucky’s history through interactive components of the exhibit and unique artifacts such as a cast of Daniel Boone’s skull and President Abraham Lincoln’s pocket watch. This tour convenes at the Admissions Desk at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, Duration: 30 minutes. General admission applies.  

Friday from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm – Kentucky Historical Society - BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! This ain’t your average walking tour. Sip and stroll your way across Downtown Frankfort, as we regale you with local tales of drunkenness and debauchery, corruption and criminal activity – stories not safe for the history textbooks! You can taste the history too, with special drinks available for purchase when we stop in at some local pubs. Come have some fun with history! Must be of legal drinking age to participate. Register by Friday at noon here: Events | Kentucky Historical Society; Location: Meet at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History; Cost: $25 non-member; $15 member; Partner Organizations: Sig Luscher Brewery, Mortimer Bibb’s Public House, and Goodwood Brewing and Spirits. Registers here: https://history.ky.gov/events/tipsy-town-tales-137 

 Saturday from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm – Kentucky Historical Society - Guided by Kentucky Historical Society staff, Did you know that Franklin County has the fourth highest concentration of roadside historical markers in the entire Commonwealth? Please join us for a walking tour of some of our favorite historical markers and associated sites conveniently located around downtown Frankfort. In addition to these stories, we’ll share some fun facts about the history of the Kentucky Historical Society's Historical Marker Program through the years! Our 90-minute tour will start at the Kentucky History Center on Broadway, loop west through downtown Frankfort, and conclude back up East Main Street at the Kentucky Military History Museum. We encourage you to wear good walking shoes and dress for the weather! This is a rain or shine tour. Register online here: https://history.ky.gov/events/frankfort-history-on-a-stick-a-walking-tour-of-the-capital-citys-historical-markers Location: Meet at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History; Cost: $11 Non-Members, $5 Members. Phone: 502.564.1792 

Friday at 10:00 am. – Frankfort-Franklin County Tourist & Convention Commission - Join Colonel E. H. Taylor Jr. for a 45-60 minute guided walking tour in historic downtown Frankfort. Historian Russ Kennedy portrays Col. Taylor, the father of the modern bourbon industry and will be your guide. You will be entertained and informed as you learn about Frankfort’s rich and spirited bourbon history! The tour is 1 mile in length and begins promptly at 1pm in front of the Frankfort Visitor Center, 300 St. Clair, Suite 102. Cost: $11/person; Registration required. To register, visit: www.visitfrankfort.com/ Phone: 502.875.8687 

Scheduled as requested, reservations required. – Charles Bogart - Given by railroad historian Charles "Chuck" Bogart, these tours start at the L & N depot adjacent to the Capital City Museum. The hour-long tour covers early Frankfort railroad history to the present. Tours are scheduled as requested. Please contact the Capital City Museum front desk to schedule your tour: 502.682-9491. Cost: FREE