With its enviable location on I-75 and I-64 in central Kentucky, Georgetown is an excellent home base for groups visiting Ark Encounter in Williamstown, the Biblical tale of Noah come to life, and the state capital of Frankfort, both only 30 minutes away.
Within an hour’s drive is Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg, nineteenth century America’s largest and best-known communal society, and the Folk Arts and Crafts Capital of Kentucky at Berea, among other area attractions. With Kentucky’s largest concentration of drystone fences creating a storybook effect to the roads, pastures and farmlands they outline, the drive, no matter which direction the coach is headed, is a scenic one.
Sixteen name brand hotels are conveniently located immediately off Georgetown exits, including the recently renovated Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, the new Home2 Suites by Hilton Georgetown and the reimagined Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Georgetown, upgraded to enhanced Wyndham Micro-Cool standards to reflect a cleaner, crisper, more streamlined look.
Hot Brown at Fava’s of Georgetown
“Groups to Georgetown find the added convenience and variety of dozens of restaurants located near hotels, including popular chains like Cracker Barrel and Applebee’s, and local favorites, Cattleman’s Roadhouse and Wilshire’s where you get a real taste of Kentucky,” said Lori Saunders, executive director at Georgetown/Scott County Tourism. “For on-you-own dining, our beautiful downtown has 12 local eateries and sweetshops, all within a few miles of the majority of our hotels.”
LOCAL COLOR
Known as Kentucky’s Horse Headquarters, Georgetown is home to numerous horse-centric attractions, including Kentucky Horse Park and Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm, both with touring opportunities for groups. It is also where a cast of history makers has left their imprint, from Kentucky Derby champions to North America’s first important portrait and landscape painter to two nineteenth century scandal makers.
Old Friend Tour with Kentucky Derby Winner, Silver Charm
The Georgetown & Scott County Museum displays the work of Edward Troye, the most noted painter of horses during the height of American horseracing in the mid-1800s. It is also home to Pete the Talking Crow, whose three-year reign of trackside squawking confused racehorses, confounded race officials and captivated spectators until he was shot in 1832.
The Greek Revival-style Ward Hall, one of Kentucky’s grandest homes and recognized as one of America’s great architectural masterpieces, once gave refuge to beauty and fashion icon, Sallie Ward, known as the “Belle of Louisville” and famous for raising eyebrows. Open House tours are offered on select weekends April through December.
SPECIAL SIGHTS
Several unique assets distinguish Georgetown, including a beautifully preserved Victorian-era downtown, its tall, trim brick storefronts highlighting locally owned restaurants and boutiques. A Japanese-style strolling garden, the lushly planted Yuko-en on the Elkhorn, is an oasis within the city and the only one of its kind – a serene place to stretch the legs.
Blanketing the county surrounding Georgetown is a patchwork of farms with homegrown produce, fresh-cut flowers, horses and horsemanship experiences. Many of them are family-owned and operated and Kentucky Proud members, like Evans Orchard and Cider Mill, which offers homemade cider and fudge samplings, group hayride tours and an opportunity to sink your teeth into its famous fried apple pies.
