Top 5 Things to Do in Lexington, Kentucky

Updated: Aug 8, 2022

Lexington, Kentucky or shall we say, ‘The Horse Capital of the World’ is filled with gorgeous race horses, bluegrass, southern food and bourbon! I mean, what more do you need 😉

Here are my top 5 things to do in this beautiful bluegrass city.

1. Visit the beautiful horses

There are many places to see horses in Lexington, here are a few of my favorites. Kentucky Horse Park and Thoroughbred Farm are both great for tours, beautiful landscape, learning about the horses and champions. Make sure to get your ticket online or in person for a private or group tour. Keeneland is an internationally renowned horse race track since 1936. You can take a tour of the Keeneland grounds, eat at their restaurant and bet on horses. The best time to go to a race is in April and October.

2. Bourbon Trail

My husband and I took a tour through Bottled in Bond, stopping at four bourbon distilleries; Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam and Willett. The tour guide was knowledgeable throughout our drive and the tours were informative + fun! The tour included breakfast, we stopped for coffee and donuts and lunch we had pulled chicken/pork with sides at the Jim Beam grounds.

Another great distillery, not part of our tour is James E Pepper in Lexington’s distillery district. Learn about the rise, fall and comeback in person or on their site. A definite place to stop by, have a tasting and learn about this interesting family. Also, Mr. Pepper introduced and made famous the Old Fashion cocktail.

3. Historic Homes + Gratz Park

There are lovely historic homes in Gratz Park. We visited Mary Todd Lincoln’s home and Henry Clay’s home and gardens. Mary Lincoln Todd was married to former President Lincoln and grew up in Lexington until she moved to Illinois. Henry Clay was an attorney and statesman in the Senate and House representing Kentucky. He also introduced the Mint Julep to D.C. in 1850 and is now the official drink of the Kentucky Derby.

4. The Kentucky Castle

Yes, there is a castle in Kentucky and it’s beautiful! Make reservations for lunch or dinner and explore. You can also book a room to stay the night. It’s around 15 miles outside of Lexington in Versailles and so worth going to!