Bardstown is about 154 miles from downtown Indianapolis, roughly 3 hours by car, and nearly all of it is one road: I-65 south through Louisville to Exit 112 at Clermont, then KY 245 east for 15 miles into town. Both cities are on Eastern Time. The one thing to plan is the Ohio River crossing at Louisville, where the I-65 bridges are tolled by camera. Take the free Second Street Bridge instead and you land downtown, a few blocks from Whiskey Row, which makes an ideal lunch stop an hour short of Bardstown.
Why Indianapolis people should go
Bourbon country starts about two hours from your front door, and Bardstown is its busiest corner. Visit Bardstown counts 11 distillery experiences within 16 miles of Court Square: Heaven Hill’s home campus, the family-run Willett, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Lux Row, Preservation and more. The town itself, settled in 1780, is compact enough to park once and walk to dinner.
Route options from Indianapolis
| Route | Distance and time | Tolls |
|---|---|---|
| I-65 south straight through, Exit 112, KY 245 | About 154 miles, about 3 hours | I-65 bridge toll |
| I-65 to Jeffersonville, Second Street Bridge into downtown Louisville, then I-65 south | Slightly slower | None |
| I-65, then I-265 (Lewis and Clark Bridge) east of Louisville | Longer | Tolled |
Once you are in Kentucky, the directions are the same ones the tourism office gives from Louisville: I-65 south to Exit 112 (Clermont-Bardstown), left on KY 245 for 15 miles, then right at the fourth traffic light onto US 31E into town.
The Ohio River tolls, explained
Three Louisville bridges are tolled: the Abraham Lincoln and Kennedy bridges that carry I-65, and the Lewis and Clark Bridge on I-265 east of the city. There are no toll booths. Cameras read a transponder or photograph your license plate, and you pay through RiverLink. If you have no account, go to the site, choose Pay Tolls and enter your vehicle details. Rates differ by payment type. New toll rates took effect July 1, 2026, so check the rate card before you go.
Two crossings stay free: the Clark Memorial Bridge, also called the Second Street Bridge, from Jeffersonville into downtown Louisville, and the Sherman Minton Bridge on I-64 between New Albany and West Louisville. The Second Street Bridge is the one to use if you want to stop downtown anyway.
Where to stop on the way
Louisville’s Whiskey Row
Cross on Second Street and you are minutes from West Main Street. Some stops within walking distance of one garage:
| Stop | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, 800 W. Main | Adults $24 | Bats made on every tour; allow about 2 hours |
| Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, 528 W. Main | From $23 (21+); $18 for 20 and under | Heaven Hill brand; opens 10 a.m. Fri-Sat |
| Old Forester Distilling Co., 119 W. Main | Tour $32 | Tours cap at 14; booking opens 3 months ahead |
Evan Williams is a clever pick for a Bardstown trip, since it belongs to Heaven Hill, whose main campus you will tour the next day. Old Forester is a working distillery with its own cooperage in its pre-Prohibition Whiskey Row building. The Slugger museum is the family-friendly choice. Eat on Main Street, then back to I-65. Our Louisville day trip guide has more.
One tour in Louisville is plenty if you are driving on. Save the tasting for the person not behind the wheel.
Clermont: Jim Beam and Bernheim
Exit 112 is the last stop before Bardstown. James B. Beam Distilling Co. runs its Beam Made Bourbon tour, about 1 hour 15 minutes, and serves lunch at The Kitchen Table; the main still is paused in 2026 but visitors are welcome. Next door, Bernheim Forest ($15 per car) has the Forest Giants sculptures and a Canopy Tree Walk 75 feet above the forest floor. Both are about 25 minutes from Court Square. See our Clermont day guide.
How to spend a weekend
Friday: leave Indianapolis by mid-afternoon, cross on Second Street, grab dinner in Louisville or push on to Bardstown for a late pour at the Old Talbott Tavern, whose bar stays open until midnight on Friday live-music nights.
Saturday: book the two tours Bardstown is known for. Start at Willett, whose walking tour runs about 1 hour 15 minutes with a progressive tasting (reserve ahead; closed Sundays), then lunch at the Bar at Willett. In the afternoon, try Lux Row for its six-story barrel wall, then dinner downtown.
Sunday: Preservation Distillery opens at 9:30 a.m., the earliest Sunday start in town, with tours from $24 on a farm with longhorn cattle. Then head north on US 31E. Four Roses’ Warehouse & Bottling site in Cox’s Creek, open Sunday noon to 4 p.m., is free to walk into for a drink at the bar. From there, take the Gene Snyder to I-65 north and home. Our three-day Bourbon Trail itinerary stretches this into a long weekend.
Booking and timing
Three hours is long enough that a sold-out tour hurts, so book before you drive. Willett, Bardstown Bourbon Company and Heaven Hill’s $55 Springs tour all need reservations, and fall weekends are best booked about three months ahead. Old Forester, if you want it for the Louisville stop, opens its calendar three months out and caps each tour at 14 people.
Watch the days of the week. Bardstown Bourbon Co. runs no tours on Monday or Tuesday, Willett is closed Sunday, and the Rickhouse, downtown’s best dinner room, is closed Sunday and Monday. A Friday-to-Sunday trip works well if you do Willett on Saturday. Heaven Hill opens at 1 p.m. on Sundays, which fits a late start before the drive home.
Spring and early summer are the easy seasons: April and May highs run about 69°F and 77°F, and rooms are simpler to find. On a late-September weeknight in 2026, most chain hotel rooms in Bardstown cost $64 to $124.
Traveling with kids from Indianapolis
The Louisville Slugger Museum makes the Louisville stop worthwhile for families, with a miniature bat for every visitor. In Bardstown, many production tours allow under-21s though tastings are 21 and over, Preservation’s longhorn cattle are a hit, and the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, 21 minutes south, runs a Saturday excursion train. Our guide for non-drinkers and families sorts the distilleries by age policy.
What’s different coming from Indianapolis
The bridge is the obvious one: budget for the toll, or use the free Second Street crossing and make Louisville part of the trip.
The other is distance. Three hours each way is the far edge of a weekend, so stay two nights, and book the room first: the Kentucky Bourbon Festival (September 16 to 19, 2027) and October weekends fill Bardstown early. Our where to stay guide compares downtown inns with the hotels on the bypass, and getting to Bardstown covers every other approach.
