Top 10 Specialty Museums in Kentucky, United States

The Conrad-Caldwell House Museum is a historic, Victorian mansion located in the heart of Old Louisville on St. James Court. It is one of the finest examples of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture and was the masterpiece of famed local architect Arthur Loomis of Clarke & Loomis. Surrounded by a beautiful courtyard neighborhood at the center of the largest collection of Victorian Homes in the US, "Conrad's Castle" featured all the latest innovations of its day, including interior plumbing and electric lighting. Known for its beautiful woodwork and parquet floors, this massive Bedford limestone home, covered with gargoyles, beautiful archways, and elaborate stone designs, incorporated 7 types of hardwoods and magnificent stained glass windows in the interior design, making it one of the most stunning homes in Old Louisville. The Museum has been lovingly restored to the Edwardian Age, housing a massive collection of period items including many original pieces.

"... a wonderful collection, and it's FREE! Thank you" a recent visitor. The Swope's Cars of Yesteryear Museum features vehicles ranging from the early 1900's to the 1960's in a variety of makes and models in both original condition and restored condition. After years of planning and nine months of construction, Swope`s Cars of Yesteryear opened in May 1999. The collection consists of sixty magnificent machines of the past, all museum quality. These are exciting automobiles that stir memories of long ago days when motoring was a fun-filled adventure. Our museum allows car fans and collectors to admire the progression of automobiles over time. Our collection includes antique cars like the 1914 Model T and the 1925 Pierce Arrow to classics like the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro and the 1956 Thunderbird.

Kentucky Gateway Museum Center: Three Historic Collections in One Dynamic Place!Explorers. Movie Stars. Artists. Pioneers. Slaves. Everyone who ever passed through this part of Kentucky or called it home left a story behind. Some are stories of courage and great achievement, others of love and everyday survival. The more we explore those struggles and dreams, the more we understand our own. Now, by showcasing three dynamic collections in one place, the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center brings all the stories of the region into fascinating focus: Our Genealogical and Historical Research Library, sheds light on the people and events of a seven-county area through an extensive collection of books, manuscripts and documents from colonial times. Our Regional History Museum illuminates the past through award-winning dioramas, more than 4,000 regional artifacts and a gallery of fine art related to the area. Our KSB Miniatures Collection looks at the world from a new perspective through mesmerizing, 1/12-scale reproductions of homes, furnishings, clothing, artwork and people. And our Changing Exhibits Gallery that has been host to award-winning traveling exhibits such as the "The World We Create", "Children Just Like Me", "The Cabaret Mechanical Theatre", "Brain Teasers", "Everybody Eats", "Herblock" and many others. Step outside the Center, and you'll discover that Maysville's stately architecture has more than a few great tales to tell, as does the pioneer graveyard located behind the Center. Before tomorrow becomes yesterday, we invite you to get the whole story at the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center!

When you were a kid, did you take stuff apart just to find out what was inside? Today's stuff is harder to see without specialized equipment, so we tear apart old analog phones to see the componentry that converts voice to electric current and back again. Then we compare this seemingly larger than life componentry of the 19TH century to today's semiconductor based versions. All things being equal, Ohm's Law is why smartphones work the same way as a candlestick phone. Furthermore, Ohm's Law is the fundamental principle of all circuit design including smartphone RF and Logic circuit designs. So, in the spirit of taking stuff apart that is meaningful, we offer telephone workshops at our museum.

The only park of its kind in the world, the Kentucky Horse Park is a working horse farm, educational theme park and equine competition facility dedicated to man's relationship with the horse. Set on more than 1,200 acres in the heart of the Kentucky's famous Bluegrass region, the park is THE place to get close to horses! Featuring dozens of breeds of horse at work and at play, the park showcases the horse in daily equine presentations, horse drawn tours, horseback and pony rides, and an array of horse shows and special events throughout the year. The park's International Museum of the Horse, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is the world's largest equestrian museum. Offering both the experienced horseman and novice an opportunity to explore the many facets of humanity's relationship with the horse, the museum is dedicated to all breeds and disciplines of horse and covers some 50-million years of equine history. State-of-the-art technology complements rare artifacts and scholarly research to present a unique, educational, museum experience for all ages. The American Saddlebred Museum, the Showplace for Saddlebreds, celebrates Kentucky's first native breed of horse. The museum features interactive exhibits and a movie. With the park's own tourist activities and the numerous additional horse shows that take place in the equine competition facilities throughout the year, there can be a fair amount of walking involved, depending on visitor interest level. Comfortable shoes and clothing is recommended, appropriate for Kentucky's seasonal weather. Dogs and other pets are permitted on park grounds, as long as they are on a leash or in an approved carrier, although they may not be permitted in some buildings.

The site of celebrated statesman Henry Clay's original 672-acre estate that once grew hemp, tobacco and grain is now a museum and National Historic Landmark, where visitors can tour the reconstructed 18-room mansion, grounds and beautiful gardens. *New for 2019: We now allow non-flash photography on all of our tours!*

The Kentucky Derby Museum, where every day is Derby day, is the official tour provider of historic Churchill Downs. When you visit the Museum, you will find yourself immersed in the next best thing to actually being at the Derby! As the exclusive tour provider for the track, various tours are offered throughout the year even when the track isn’t in session with live racing. General admission includes two levels of family-friendly interactive permanent & temporary exhibits, "The Greatest Race," a 360-degree immersive sound and visual experience that'll get your heart racing and emotions soaring, Historic Walking Tour of Churchill Downs Racetrack, access to the Gift Shop, Kentucky fare in the Derby Cafe Express and much more!

Spalding Hall is home to the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History and the Bardstown Historical Museum. The Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History displays a 50 year collection of rare artifacts and documents concerning the American whiskey industry dating from pre-Colonial days to post-Prohibition years. The museum includes exhibits on President Washington, Abraham Lincoln, authentic moonshine stills, antique bottles and jugs, medicinal whiskey bottles, unique advertising art, novelty whiskey containers, and much more. The Bardstown Historical Museum contains items relating to 200 years of area history. You will find indian relics, Lincoln documents, pioneer papers, John Fitch land grant, a replica of his first steamboat, Stephen Foster memorabilia, a new Trappist monks’ exhibit, gifts of Louis Phillippe and Charles X of France, Civil War artifacts and guerrilla Jesse James hat and wine bottle, St. Joe Preparatory School momentos and much more. Guided tours available.