We try to keep this list of historic house museums for Kentucky current, but it is best to check directly with the museums for their hours and other information.
If you know of a historic house museum not in our list, please submit it.
If you are the director of a museum in our listings and you would like to claim your listing so you are able to maintain your listing yourself, please email us at info@vpa.org and we will set you up.
The Park focuses on Lincoln's life in Kentucky. The Birthplace Unit demonstrates Lincoln's humble beginnings with a symbolic birth cabin enshrined within a neo-classic Memorial Building. The Boyhood Home Unit at Knob Creek Farm was home to Lincoln during his formative years. Events in Kentucky helped mold a young boy into the man who became the nation's sixteenth President. Read More
The former residence of the Smith-Garret families, the 1850s mansion is decorated with various furnishings through the year. Read More
The Ashland mansion is the centerpiece of the Henry Clay estate today just as it was during Clay’s lifetime. The present structure was completed by Clay’s son James in 1857 and stands on the site of the original Ashland mansion. The interior was remodeled by Clay’s granddaughter Anne Clay McDowell in the 1880s. Read More
A magnificent Richardsonian Mansion on St. James Court. The finest in the city. Also known as "Conrad's Castle," this is one of the most stunning of Old Louisville's houses and defines Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. The house was built for Theophilus Conrad, a Frenchman (Alsace) who made his fortune in the tanning business. Read More
Duncan Tavern, built in 1788, is one of the finest examples of an eighteenth century early settlement home later used as a tavern in America. Constructed of native limestone, it was built by Joseph Duncan, an officer in the Revolutionary War, and as a tavern went under the sign "The Goddess of Liberty." The oldest standing tavern in Kentucky… Read More
Farmington was built between 1815 and 1816 for John (1772-1840) and Lucy Fry (1788-1874) Speed. Both of them came from wealthy Virginia families that moved to Kentucky in the last decades of the 1700s. John Speed's father, Captain James Speed, fought in the Revolutionary War and was badly injured. Like many others, he sought to make his fortune in… Read More
Built in 1814, the Federal style Hunt-Morgan House has many beautiful architectural features, including the Palladian window with fan and sidelights that grace its front facade. In 1955, the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation was formed to save the home from impending demolition. The organization restored the home to its Federal appearance and now operates the house as… Read More
The historic Irvinton House Museum is Richmond's only local museum. Exhibits include items from the Irvine family, the community, and Eastern Kentucky University's J.T. Dorris Collection that illustrate the vibrant history of Richmond, Kentucky. The museum features many unique and interesting items, including one of very few remaining Revolutionary War uniforms. Read More
Located in historic downtown Frankfort on the banks of the Kentucky River, Liberty Hall Historic Site was the home of one of Kentucky's most important families. The site contains two houses: Liberty Hall (1796) built by John Brown, one of Kentucky's first United States Senator and the Orlando Brown House (1835), designed by Gideon Shryock, and owned by Senator… Read More
The ca. 1790 Georgian mansion, restored and furnished to its original appearance and situated on 55 rolling acres just six miles up river from downtown Louisville, tells the story of its builders, William and Lucy Clark Croghan. Read More
The girlhood home of Abraham Lincoln's wife was built in 1803. The restored Georgian style home is furnished in period. Read More
The McDowell House was built in three stages. The brick ell was constructed c. 1792-1795. Dr. McDowell purchased this property in late 1802. He had the front, clapboard portion added in 1803-1804. The small brick office to the left of the back porch was added in 1820, as was the formal garden. The house was remodeled at the same… Read More
Built between 1807 and 1830 by Squire Joseph Morgan, this row house is the oldest one standing in the state and the first row house west of the Allegheny Mountains. The Harrodsburg Historical Society carefully restored the northernmost section to serve as a museum and extensive genealogy research library. Read More
The house that came to symbolize Kentucky's gracious hospitality and according to legend inspired Stephen Collins Foster to write his immortal song, "My Old Kentucky Home" is one of the most cherished historical sites in the commonwealth. Built between 1795 and 1818, Federal Hill, the home of Judge John Rowan, became a part of the Kentucky State Parks System… Read More
The reconstructed fort gives visitors a glimpse of life on the Kentucky frontier. The 22-acre park contains the fort, the Mansion Museum, a Greek Revival house built in 1813, the Lincoln Marriage Temple, a brick structure that houses the cabin where Abraham Lincoln's parents, Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, were married, the Pioneer Cemetery, the oldest burial site for… Read More
Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is America's largest restored Shaker community, with 34 carefully restored buildings and 3,000 acres of preserved farmland. The village is also home to more than 25 miles of striking rock fences, the most extensive collection remaining in Kentucky today. Read More
Built in 1825 by John Y. Hill as his home, this warm stately old home was for many years the Hill House, a hotel operated by "Aunt Beck" Hill. Among the guests at the Hill House were General George Armstrong Custer and his wife Elizabeth Custer. General Custer's assignment in Elizabethtown was to combat the influence of the Ku… Read More
Built in 1797-8 in the Federal style, the home was first occupied by Kentuky's second governor, James Garrard and his family. From 1798 until 1914, thirty-five governors and their families lived and entertained here, with James McCreary as the last governor to reside at the mansion. The mansion served as the office of the Governor until the 1872 Annex… Read More
The Vest-Lindsey House, located in Frankfort's historic Corner of Celebrities neighborhood, is clearly one of Frankfort's oldest homes, possibly dating from 1800 to 1820. Owners of the property made important changes to the house over the years. Originally constructed in the Federal style, the Vest-Lindsey house took on many Victorian features as did many homes of the time. The… Read More
Antebellum house with three original outbuildings - slave quarters, smokehouse and ice house. Guided tours focus on the everyday lives of family and slaves who lived and worked at Waveland. Read More
Revolutionary War veteran General Green Clay first built his home Clermont in 1798-99. His son Cassius M. Clay went on to rebuild around the original structure in the 1860s and renamed the house White Hall. The house remained in the Clay family until 1968 when family members donated the home to the state of Kentucky. The state then purchased… Read More
Whitehaven is a majestic landmark cherished by the people of Paducah and the surrounding areas. The original mansion has been around since the 1860's, and throughout it's years has received many additions. This magnificent landmark home along I-24 near Paducah, Kentucky serves as a Tourist Welcome Center. Rescued from possible destruction in 1981 by Paducah Community College, the estate… Read More
The William Whitley House, also known as Sportsman's Hill, stands today as a monument to pioneer ingenuity and resourcefulness. Read More