2 Days in the Farm Tour Capital of Kentucky
Nestled just 20 minutes from downtown Louisville on I-71, Oldham County is a true hidden gem for those looking to experience an authentic Kentucky getaway outside the city. It's close enough to visit city favorites yet provides a serene escape. Oldham County offers horse farm tours, renowned farm-to-table dining, high-end craft bourbons for tasting, and great consignment and antique shopping. Additionally, it is home to the state's largest beer garden, Trains on Main shopping and dining, and 10 attractions found only in Oldham County, KY.
Oldham County is renowned as the Farm Tour Capital of Kentucky, with 13 farm and garden tours and various unique accommodation options such as hotels, horse farm B&Bs, and over 50 excellent, licensed vacation rentals. Whether your visit is to explore local bourbon distilleries, visit farm tours and botanical gardens, or take the scenic byway for a picnic on the Ohio River in Westport, Oldham County serves as the perfect starting and ending point for your adventure in Kentucky—or for experiencing the Kentucky Garden Trail!
If you are planning to stay overnight in Oldham County, Crestwood (Exit 14 off I-71) is the perfect place to stay. It is close to both Yew Dell Botanical Gardens and Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve, the two Oldham County stops on the Kentucky Garden Trail.
Visit Oldham County Tourism at https://touroldham.com/oldham-kentucky-garden-trail.
Full Day 1
A Day with Yew Dell Botanical Gardens
Do you like to walk early in the mornings? Head over to The Maples Park for a nice walk in one of the prettiest, greenest parks in the county. Then, start the day at your bed and breakfast or at Wilder's Café in Crestwood to prepare for a day filled with fun activities. Be sure to reserve your tour and tasting at Kentucky Artisan Distillery in advance, then you can enjoy a homemade breakfast and a great cup of coffee at Wilder's Café.
Kentucky Artisan is located next door to Yew Dell Botanical Gardens - your first stop on the Kentucky Garden Trail. The distillery offers a unique tour experience and was originally an ice cream factory before being converted into a distillery, focusing on Jefferson's and Whiskey Row bourbons. One of the tour's highlights is the story of Jefferson’s and their bourbon aged at sea. KAD is one of the best Craft Distillery Tours & Tastings in Kentucky!
After the distillery tour, you can visit the Yew Dell Botanical Gardens. There, you can explore formal and informal gardens, a hidden fairy forest, greenhouses, and historic architecture at your own pace. After your exploration, you can enjoy a delicious lunch and a glass of wine at Martha Lee’s Kitchen, which is the onsite restaurant. Don't miss the chance to relax and soak in the serene surroundings of the Pollinator Meadow and the castle.
Before you head to the next stop, plan to shop at Crestwood’s newest 3-story attraction, the new Crestwood Mercantile, a boutique-style vendor market featuring 60+ vendors with clothing, home décor, gifts, art, antiques, and more! Speaking of antiques, for those interested in antiques and vintage finds, you must visit Sugar Babe Antiques and The Cottage at Tingle’s Antiques, just down the street from Yew Dell. Love thrift shopping? Check out one of the state’s best Goodwill shops, and the Clothes Boutique consignment.
For a Farm Tour Experience, plan a tour at Harvest Moon Dairy Farm to learn about life on a working dairy farm and enjoy hands-on experiences such as milking and feeding the baby calves. Suppose you're interested in Kentucky horse farms. In that case, there’s no better place for hands-on racehorse farm tours near Louisville than here in Oldham County: Historic Hermitage Farm visited by Queen Elizabeth, offers Garden & Greenhouse Tours and boxed lunches (ordered in advance), as well as Sanctuary Farm at Chestnut Hall, and Second Stride, both retired racehorse farm tours on farms owned by the CEO of Churchill Downs. All three farm tours can be booked on our website.
Enjoy a relaxing evening at 3rd Turn Oldham Gardens, Kentucky’s largest beer garden – 8 acres! You can have dinner at Backside Grill onsite, enjoy a hand-poured craft beer from 3rd Turn Brewing or a frozen pineapple or peach bourbon slushie, and listen to live music from their ever-changing lineup on the outdoor stage. Open Wednesday through Saturday at 3pm, Oldham Gardens features beautiful, connected greenhouse gardens and outdoor bars where you can enjoy the sunshine. Visit in early spring and the smell of wisteria overhead only adds to your experience!
Full Day 2
A Day with the Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve
Start your day in Oldham County early with Stop #2 on the Kentucky Garden Trail - Creasey Mahan Nature Perserve. Explore the miles of trails it has to offer! This 170-acre, family-friendly destination has over 9 miles of wooded trails that weave through open grasslands, four year-round springs and waterfalls, a frog pond, a 2-acre woodland garden, and forested areas. The preserve is a beautiful place to relax, take a leisurely hike, or simply enjoy the picnic pavilions and native grasslands.
By now, you’ve probably worked up an appetite for lunch! Drive straight up Highway 42 toward La Grange, our scenic byway of racehorse farms. Just before La Grange, you will make a detour onto Highway 524 to our river town of Westport for lunch at Knock on Wood Country Mercantile Café, a true Oldham County hidden gem by the Ohio River. Enjoy a delicious lunch, homemade desserts, and ice cream, and browse their gifts and home decor selection. Order lunch and take it up the street to Schamback Park for a picnic and the best views of the Ohio River! Do you love history? Check out one of three Oldham County stops on the popular Kentucky Black Trailblazers AR Experience across the street from Knock on Wood or take a few minutes to do the Westport River Town Historic Walking Tour to learn about the town that once held the county’s original courthouse and is now a church!
After lunch, follow Highway 42 to Highway 53 for historic Main Street La Grange. Begin with a delightful cup of coffee from beans roasted onsite, and a scone from La Grange Coffee Roasters, then take a stroll down the quaint and walkable street. Spend some time browsing the shops and galleries and listening for the rumble of the freight train that runs ON Main Street – a truly one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found here in Oldham County. Be sure to visit Blooms, Mercantile on Main, Gallery 104, PB&J Stuff, and Spotz Gelato, to name a few cool places on the street!
While in La Grange, if you’re interested in a fun and educational day out, visit the two fabulous museums that bookend Main Street. The Oldham County History Center's Museum, features a life-size bronze sculpture of Bruce Heilman, a WWII veteran from Oldham County, on his marine-issue Harley Davidson that you can “hop on” for a selfie, as well as Underground Railroad history, and features famous people such as Shirley Temple, Rob Morris, Henry Bibb, and Abraham Lincoln’s best friend, Richard Oglesby. If you're a train enthusiast, head to the La Grange Railroad Museum & Education Center on Main Street to learn about the town’s connection to the railroad through outdoor train cars and indoor exhibits.
If dinner is what you're after at the end of your time on Main Street, be sure to check out the huge menu at One Nineteen West Main, delicious Mexican at Ernestos, or more casual food and drinks with great outdoor seating by the tracks at Main Street Bourbon & Ale House. Looking for a snack, don’t miss the locally owned Spotz Gelato!
If you are looking for a truly unique experience for dinner, Barn8 at Hermitage Farm is a must visit. The only one of its kind in Kentucky and often featured in Garden & Gun magazine, Barn8 is a farm-to-table restaurant located inside of a converted horse barn, complete with stalls and a bourbon bar. Following dinner, grab a bourbon cocktail and head outside for ArtWalk, a laser light show along the farm's creek
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @TourOldhamCountyKY while you’re here and upload your selfies so we can see you are having an awesome time in our backyard!
For a printable copy of this Itinerary, click HERE.
