Bardstown is the Bourbon Capital of the World, but it is a surprisingly good family trip. Take the kids through a real 1818 mansion where a costumed guide sings “My Old Kentucky Home,” ride a heritage train out of New Haven, climb Mama Loumari’s legs among Bernheim Forest’s giant wooden sculptures, and finish with a malt at a 1950s-style soda fountain on Court Square. Most of it is cheap: the mansion is $12 for ages 6 to 17 and free for 5 and under, and the Scarecrow Trail costs nothing.
Best things to do in Bardstown with kids
| Activity | Best for | Kid price | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Old Kentucky Home mansion tour | Ages 6 and up | $12 (6 to 17); 5 and under free | 1 mile from Court Square |
| Kentucky Railway Museum train | All ages | Rides from $14; museum $3 | New Haven, about 25 minutes |
| Bernheim Forest Giants and Playcosystem | All ages | $15 per car recommended | Clermont, about 30 minutes |
| Civil War museum complex | Ages 8 and up | $6 (7 to 15); 5 and under free | Downtown, E. Broadway |
| The Stephen Foster Story (summer) | Ages 6 and up | $15 (6 to 12); $9 (2 to 5) | State park amphitheater |
| Hurst Drug soda fountain | Everyone | About $7 for a banana split | Court Square |
| Scarecrow Trail (fall) | All ages | Free | State park amphitheater drive |
My Old Kentucky Home: the tour with a song
Kids who groan at house museums tend to perk up at My Old Kentucky Home. The guides wear period costume, more than three-quarters of the contents are original to the house, and every tour ends with the guide singing the state song. Tours run on the hour from 9 a.m., with the last at 4 p.m., and each is capped at 25 people, so arrive early on summer weekends. Admission is $18 for adults, $12 for ages 6 to 17 and free for 5 and under. In winter (Jan. 2 to March 15) the mansion opens Wednesday through Sunday only.
The park around it is free to roam, with a playground, a picnic area with grills and the new free Tulip Grove disc golf course. Pack sandwiches, tour the house and let everyone run it off outside.
Trains, trains and more trains
Few things please a 6-year-old like a real locomotive. The Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, about 25 minutes south, runs heritage excursions on an old L&N branch line from April to mid-December, with a regular Saturday 2 p.m. departure. The ride menu is built for families: the Gethsemane Excursion (from $14, about an hour), the Train Ride to Boston (from $17, 1.5 hours), the “family friendly, not scary” Trick and Track Express on Oct. 24 and 31, 2026, and Santa Claus Express trains on six December dates. Day Out With Thomas takes over the first two weekends of June each year.
The museum itself has an HO model train layout and historic cars displayed outdoors, and admission is $3 for kids 2 to 12. One tip parents need: the train cars are climate controlled but have no restrooms, so use the depot before boarding.
Back in Bardstown, the My Old Kentucky Dinner Train runs 1940s dining cars on a 35-mile round trip. Most of its excursions are for ages 5 and up, but the Princess Tea Party and North Pole Express welcome all ages, and North Pole Express tickets go on sale Oct. 1. Pajamas are welcome on that one; book the day sales open.
Bernheim Forest: giants, a treetop walk and a huge natural playground
If you only do one outdoor thing, drive 30 minutes northwest to Bernheim Forest. Danish artist Thomas Dambo built three giant sculptures from recycled wood here in 2019: Mama Loumari, Little Nis and Little Elina, linked by a route of about 2 miles round trip from the visitor center. Bernheim’s rules are simple and worth reading to the kids in the car: climb only Mama Loumari’s legs, and use only hands and feet on the two little ones. Little Elina keeps a “writing capsule” of notebooks and pencils for visitors’ notes.
Also on Bernheim’s highlights list: Playcosystem, a 17-acre natural playground, and the Canopy Tree Walk, a boardwalk pier on a gentle paved grade that ends 75 feet above the forest floor, easy going for most strollers. Bernheim asks $15 per car, and a morning here can easily become a whole day.
History that holds a kid’s attention
The Civil War museum complex on E. Broadway bundles four museums and Old Bardstown Village, a cluster of buildings built in Nelson County between 1776 and 1820, into one ticket. Admission is $6 for ages 7 to 15 and free for 5 and under, with adults $15. It is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 27, weekends only through Dec. 1, then closed until March. Younger kids can poke around the village buildings, while older ones who have studied the war will linger over captured flags and the Gen. Hal Moore Military Museum.
In summer, The Stephen Foster Story plays outdoors in the state park, with tickets at $15 for ages 6 to 12 and $9 for ages 2 to 5. Shows start at 8 p.m., which is late for small children, so bring a cushion and a sweatshirt and plan on a sleepy walk to the car.
Treats downtown
Hurst Drug Store on N. Third Street keeps one of the few surviving old-fashioned soda fountains. Milkshakes and malts come in a glass with the extra in the tin, and banana splits run about $7. It is closed Sundays and prefers cash, since card payments carry a surcharge. See the Hurst Drug soda fountain page. For breakfast, Hadorn’s Bakery on W. Flaget sells Yum Yums, a cinnamon twist with a chocolate drizzle, from 7 a.m. until they run out; go early, and not on a Monday.
A few doors away, Bardstown Old Time Portraits at 106 W. Flaget dresses the family in vintage costume, from Wild West outlaws to 1800s finery, for a sepia portrait that beats any souvenir T-shirt. Call (502) 553-4537 to check times.
Seasonal fun
Fall is prime family season. The free drive-through Scarecrow Trail runs Sept. 25 to Nov. 6, 2026, and Boone’s Country Pumpkins in New Haven adds a corn maze, petting zoo and camel rides on fall weekends (call ahead for 2026 dates). The Downtown Halloween Spooktacular brings free trick-or-treating to Court Square on Oct. 27, 2026.
At Light Up Bardstown on Nov. 27, 2026, the town lights its Christmas tree with hot cocoa, face painting and photos with Santa, free and on Court Square. In summer, the Nelson County Fair (mid-July) has midway rides and a petting zoo, and the free Bourbon City Street Concert in June sets up a kids’ zone with bounce houses.
Distilleries, pools and what Bardstown doesn’t have
Bourbon is why many families come, so plan for it. Tastings everywhere are 21 and over with photo ID, and whether children can join a tour depends on the distillery and the specific experience. The guide to distilleries for non-drinkers and families sorts it out.
Be ready for a few gaps. Bardstown has no movie theater (the nearest are in Elizabethtown, about 35 minutes west), no miniature golf and no escape room. The city pool is closed while the new Bardstown Aquatic & Sports Center is built, with opening anticipated in late 2026 or early 2027. The Bardstown Motor Lodge’s Swim Club sells day passes to adults 21 and over only, while The Trail Hotel sells daily pool passes. For bad-weather backups, the free Oscar Getz Museum in Spalding Hall, the Civil War museums, the portrait studio and the Sipz & Scentz candle-pour bar on N. Third Street all keep everyone dry.
Where to eat and sleep with kids
Downtown’s casual spots handle families well, and the family-friendly restaurants guide lists the best of them. Motels and inns along Stephen Foster Avenue put you close to the state park, and the chain hotels on the bypass are handy for day trips by car. Compare the options in the Stay section before you book.
