Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The monument , also known as Percy’s Cross
Battle of Otterburn Memorial
Der Volkskammer
Oiwake Dango
‘Straight Flush’
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Der Volkskammer
Oiwake Dango
Valentine Texas Bar
Front face of Samy’s Curry Restaurant, from the carpark
Samy's Curry Restaurant
Dine beneath the metal ceiling and among the walls decorated with pieces of local history.
Griffith & Feil Soda Fountain
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
This green dot was persistent—following me for 15 minutes and moving around to meet me no matter where I stood.
What the Light Knows
Leaving our mark on the Rattlesnake Saloon: A Place of Wonder!
In the Middle of Somewhere
Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch sits alongside Route 66 in California.
Route 66: The Mother Road
Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens truly come to life in the summer.
The Fight to Save Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Kentucky Corbin Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum

The first KFC is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Corbin, Kentucky

Added By
Anne Ewbank
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Brent and MariLynn/CC BY 2.0
  Dwight Burdette/CC BY 3.0
  SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
  SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
  SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
  SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
The man, the legend.   jcbell764 / Atlas Obscura User
  Sawyerma / Atlas Obscura User
  Sawyerma / Atlas Obscura User
  Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
  Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
  Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
  Sawyerma / Atlas Obscura User
  Sawyerma / Atlas Obscura User
  bsuto / Atlas Obscura User
  bsuto / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
the re-done sign, April 2021   esftripod / Atlas Obscura User
  Brent Moore/CC BY 2.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This white, gabled KFC could be mistaken for a particularly good-looking roadside fast-food restaurant, were it not for the fact that it's on the National Register of Historic Places. This building was the first place to sell what would become known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, and a yellow neon sign with the restaurant's original name, the Sanders Cafe, still retains pride of place.

To be fair, the first place where Colonel Harland Sanders served food to customers was across the street, at a service station he bought in 1930. From a small seating area consisting of his dining table in the back of the station, Sanders launched an empire of franchised chicken restaurants, starting with his first restaurant, the Sanders Cafe. The current site houses both memorabilia and an actual KFC.

Visitors can see a recreation of the kitchen where the colonel perfected his secret chicken recipe and dine in the original, wood-paneled 1940s dining room.

Discover your next hidden gem with the Gastro Obscura
Newsletter—your guide to extraordinary food and drink.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Related Tags

Fast Food Restaurants Chicken Fried Foods Americana Roadside Attractions

Community Contributors

Added By

Anne Ewbank

Edited By

bsuto, julia154brown, Collector of Experiences, esftripod...

  • bsuto
  • julia154brown
  • Collector of Experiences
  • esftripod
  • Edward Denny
  • SemiruralYeti
  • Kkidred
  • jagwire75
  • jcbell764
  • Sawyerma
  • srshellsrs
  • MarcAndr

Published

January 21, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum
688 Hwy 25
Corbin, Kentucky, 40701
United States
36.959931, -84.093819
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Cumberland Falls State Park

Williamsburg, Kentucky

miles away

Chained Rock

Pineville, Kentucky

miles away

Paranormal Roadtripper's Nightmare Gallery

Somerset, Kentucky

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kentucky

Kentucky

United States

Places 91
Stories 11

Nearby Places

Cumberland Falls State Park

Williamsburg, Kentucky

miles away

Chained Rock

Pineville, Kentucky

miles away

Paranormal Roadtripper's Nightmare Gallery

Somerset, Kentucky

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kentucky

Kentucky

United States

Places 91
Stories 11

Related Stories and Lists

18 Fast-Food Landmarks Worth the Pilgrimage

List

By Diana Hubbell

Our Favorite Roadside Attraction in Every State

List

By Hal Koss

Taste History at These 10 Fast-Food Firsts

List

By Anne Ewbank

12 of the World's Most Beautiful Fast-Food Restaurants

List

By Anne Ewbank

Related Places

  • A sign proudly proclaiming the restaurant’s claim to fame.

    Salt Lake City, Utah

    Site of the World's First KFC

    In 1952, this restaurant began selling the Colonel's “secret” recipe.

  • Brooklyn, New York

    Turk's Inn

    A Wisconsin kitsch palace from the 1930s lives its second life in 21st-century Brooklyn.

  • Winston-Salem, North Carolina

    Site of the Original Krispy Kreme Doughnut Shop

    Visit the site where the original Krispy Kreme doughnut was made back in 1937.

  • Gibsland, Louisiana

    Bonnie and Clyde Death Site

    Historical marker at the spot where Bonnie and Clyde were killed.

  • The hat house

    Huntsville, Texas

    Cowboy Hat and Boot Houses

    A pair of whimsical homes in Texas shaped like oversized Western wear.

  • Byers, Colorado

    Shooters Smoking Gun

    A giant gun-shaped smoker.

  • The catfish arrives perfectly seasoned.

    Asheville, North Carolina

    Good Hot Fish

    Chef Ashleigh Shanti serves up a classic Appalachian fish fry.

  • Look, Ma, no Golden Arches.

    Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

    Martinstor McDonald's

    Located in a heritage building, this Mickey D's is missing its Golden Arches.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.