With the snow and cold that have arrived in Kentucky over the past couple of weeks, it would take a hardy visitor indeed to enjoy any number of the capital city’s attractions. It will be a couple of months before many of us can fully appreciate the gentle breeze that blows across the river during a bourbon cruise; or overlooking that same river from the deck of restaurants such as Bourbon and Main or Goodwood Brewing, or leisurely strolling through wildflower meadows at Josephine Sculpture Park.
But that doesn’t mean January and February have to be written off entirely. You may not want to hike, bike or revel in the great outdoors, but Frankfort has plenty to do indoors as well. Two incredible museums and a historic site are all waiting to welcome you.
Liberty Hall Historic Site:
The 18th century home of John Brown offers an intriguing peek into the life of an important colonial-era figure. Brown, who served as the first senator from the newly formed state of Kentucky, welcomed many of the most influential men of his day – from President James Madison to the Marquis de Lafayette – to his elegant red brick mansion on Wilkinson Street in Frankfort’s Historic District.
Today’s visitors can see original pieces collected by the Brown family, from fine china and crystal to clothing, furniture and art (of particular note is a portrait of Brown painted by famed Kentucky artist Matthew Jouett hanging in the first-floor parlor.)
The second-floor features Brown’s library and archives, a furniture exhibit, and the bedroom where the Gray Lady ghost has frequently been spotted. The benevolent ghost is that of a Brown family member who died here in 1817 while visiting Brown’s wife, who was her niece.
Unless visitors are especially hardy, they’ll probably want to wait for more clement weather to stroll the lovely gardens, but they can use this cold weather opportunity to become better acquainted with the house and learn more about the man often described as “the father of Kentucky.”
Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History:
It is only fitting that a museum which encapsulates so much of the commonwealth’s history be named in honor of its premier historian. Operated by the Kentucky Historical Society, this Smithsonian affiliate has much to engage visitors – whether their interest is bourbon or baseball bats, carriage racing or Corvettes.
Visitors can learn all about the things that define the Bluegrass State on a Kentucky Journey that will take them about two hours to complete. That’s pretty good considering it took prehistoric people, settlers, pioneers, Native Americans and all those who followed about 12,000 years. From president Abraham Lincoln’s pocket watch to Madam Belle Brezing’s parlor mirror, museum artifacts help tell the story of famous Kentuckians.
Those interested in Kentucky’s often volatile politics will want to check out the Hall of Governors, a portrait gallery of chief executives who often were as colorful as the Bluegrass State itself. Learn about one governor (Augustus Owsley Stanley), who – caught in the battle between irate bourbon barons and the even more irate Women’s Temperance Union – did the sensible thing…. he resigned, and another (William Goebel) who became the victim of an assassin’s bullet (he died a mere four days after being sworn in on his deathbed).
The museum’s current special exhibition, “Our Stories, Our Service: Kentucky Women Veterans,” tells the compelling story of how women’s role in the military has changed since the passage of the Women’s Armed Forces Integration Act in 1948, legally permitting them to serve.
The exhibition deals with a variety of issues affecting women in the military, from combat and accommodations to sexual harassment and PTSD. This impactful exhibition, with its storytelling through personal objects, images, documents and oral histories, runs through the fall of this year.
The Capital City Museum:
For those who think museums have to be stuffy in order to qualify as such, let us introduce you to the Capital City Museum. This small gem holds the title of quirkiest museum in Frankfort, maybe even the entire state of Kentucky, covering everything from history and politics to architecture and commerce.
Here are some of the interesting tidbits gleaned from past and present exhibits.
* The 1825 murder of Kentucky Solicitor General Solomon P. Sharp by the husband of a former lover inspired Edgar Allan Poe’s only attempt at writing a play – his unfinished Politian.
* Bibb lettuce was developed by amateur horticulturist John B. Bibb in his Wapping Street backyard in 1865.
* Vest Lindsay House, also on Wapping Street, was the boyhood home of George Graham Vest, who might not be remembered for his political achievements as a U.S. senator from Missouri, but who should be acknowledged for coining the phrase “a dog is man’s best friend.”
* General James Wilkinson, known as Silky Wilky to most and Agent 13 to a few, may have been a spy for the Spanish government (he was accused of treason and fled to Mexico where he died), but he is also credited with developing Frankfort as a port for shipping goods to New Orleans.
* In a reversal of London’s Fleet Street barber Sweeney Todd, whose victims were his customers, Frankfort had a serial murderer in the 1870s who preyed on butchers.
Not everything about the Capital City Museum is quite so grisly or dramatic. There are also exhibits on the city’s founding, on its citizens (both famous and ordinary), on its bourbon, and on a revolutionary fishing reel first crafted here and is still the standard today, known for both its beauty and functionality.
And best of all, the Capital City Museum has free admission. With a nip in the air outside, what better way to spend you time than to come inside and learn Frankfort’s story in cozy, comfortable surroundings?