By Claire A. Johnson
NKyTribune intern
Tourists spent $13.7 billion in Kentucky in 2015, an increase of 5 percent over 2014, and the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet predicts that trend will continue this year.
The state’s natural wonders and location are major factors in drawing visitors, according to Laura Brooks, deputy communication director in the office of communications for the cabinet.
“We’re (within) a days drive of two-third of the U.S. population,” Brooks said. Many natural exhibits in Kentucky are free.
Some of the destinations, in no particular order, expected to be on the Cabinet’s “most popular” list this year — including some new attractions or popular attractions with new features:
State Parks
Kentucky has 49 state parks scattered across every region of the state. Each park has lodging and picnic areas for anyone wanting to stay right on the grounds. Tourists can dig into the state’s history at places such as General Butler State Resort Park in Carrollton or explore underneath the surface through immense cave systems at Carter Caves State Resort Park in Olive Hill. Visitors have a surplus of options when searching for recreational lake activities. “Kentucky is blessed with so much natural beauty,” Brooks said. “Many of our natural destinations do not charge admission.” A list of the parks is available at www.parks.ky.gov
National Parks and National Forests
Visitors can find adventure-worthy experiences in any of Kentucky’s five national parks and the Daniel Boone National Forest. Rock climbing and spelunking are available at Mammoth Cave National Park, home to the longest cave system in the world. Daniel Boone National Forest and Red River Gorge Geological Area, both located in the eastern region of the state, are steadily increasing as a draw for adventure tourism, offering zip-lining, kayaking, rock climbing and several other activities. “Expanding on adventure tourism is hugely beneficial to Eastern Kentucky,” Brooks said. According to a study from Eastern Kentucky University, rock climbers at Red River Gorge add $3.6 million to the local economy. The list of attractions is available at www.kytourism.com
Bourbon Trail
Visitors can plan a trip to Kentucky’s nine member distilleries as part of the trail that allows tourists to explore almost the entire commonwealth along their bourbon journey. Kentucky is well known for its bourbon, and according to a Kentucky Bourbon Affair Release, the trail drew nearly 900,000 visitors in 2015. Visitors can drive through some of Kentucky’s finest back roads, passing horse farms on the way to distilleries such as Woodford Reserve and Jim Beam, which calls its product the world’s top-selling bourbon. All the destinations are available at
Churchill Downs/Kentucky Derby Museum
People from all over the world come to witness “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” The Kentucky Derby, held at Churchill Downs, is known for one-of-a-kind traditions tourists desire to experience. The 2016 Kentucky Derby had the second-highest attendance in history with 167, 227 fans, according to Churchill Downs Communications.
More information is available at www.churchilldown.com
Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory
The Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory offers guided tours for visitors to see how bats are made for more than 60 percent of Major League baseball players. Guests can buy a bat that carries their name at the factory. The museum and factory also has Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Exhibitions. In 2015, the museum and factory set a record for attendance with 314,149 visitors. More information is available at www.sluggermuseum.com
Kentucky Horse Park
The Kentucky Horse Park is open to guests year-round with horse shows and special events throughout the year. Guests can explore more than one thousand acres of grounds and are welcome to picnic at their leisure while taking in the scenery. Tours and equine presentations are offered throughout the day, along with horseback riding and pony rides for children. The Horse Park’s Southern Lights Holiday Festival, presented annually during November and December, attracts more than 120,000 visitors. Details are available at Kyhorsepark.com
Newport Aquarium
The aquarium, a million-gallon facility along the Ohio riverbank, was ranked the top aquarium in the country in a reader survey by 10best.com. Visitors can participate in several interactive exhibits; they can touch a shark or even be introduced to a penguin in the daily penguin parades. Visitors can choose from 15 animal exhibits and a multitude of hands-on experiences with the animals. More than 11 million visitors have seen the marine life since the facility opened. More information is available at www.newportaquarium.com
Louisville Zoo
More than 15,00 animals live on hundreds of acres at the zoo. The zoo, which opened in 1969, boasts its land is of natural settings that display habitat types specific to the animals. It is working with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to preserve endangered species and is one of only a few places where the black-footed ferret, the most endangered mammal in North America, can be seen. Children can enjoy wildlife, multiple rides, games and even a splash park located inside the zoo. One hundred thousand students come to the Louisville Zoo annually, according to a demographic report from the zoo.
Details can be found at www.louisvillezoo.org.
Kentucky Kingdom
Kentucky Kingdom attracts visitors every year with its numerous selection of amusement rides and its water park, Hurricane Bay. Out-of-state visitors receive a discount on their tickets. Kentucky Kingdom also has showings of 5D cinema rides, aqua theater shows and jesters who roam the grounds with impromptu street theater. With its re-opening in 2014, Kentucky Kingdom drew nearly 600,00 visitors. A list of attractions can be read at www.kentuckykingdom.com
Creation Museum
Located in Petersburg in Northern Kentucky, this 75,000 square-foot museum aims to bring the bible to life for its visitors. There are 160 exhibits spread across the land for guests to interact with the museum. The Creation Museum is set to open the Ark Encounter to visitors on July 7 in Williamstown, halfway between Lexington and Cincinnati. Answers in Genesis, the parent organization, estimates the opening of the ark will dramatically increase the number of visitors to the museum from its current average of 3,000 annually. A consultant for the state said the Ark Encounter could draw more than 600,000 visitors a year. Website information can be found at www.creationmuseum.org and www.arkencounter.com
Brooks, of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, stressed the wide range of one-of-a-kind features visitors can see in Kentucky.
“Some say we are in the golden age of bourbon,” Brooks said, “but I think we can expand even more.”
Claire A. Johnson from Paintsville is a journalism senior at the University of Kentucky.