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All the United States Kentucky

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Kentucky

87 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Kentucky

Updated June 12, 2025

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Waverly Hills Sanitorium
Louisville
Lexington
Cave City
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Grave of Daniel Boone
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A sad sight for car collectors everywhere
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  1. Bardstown
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  3. Burlington
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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

11 Out-of-This-World Places You Can Reach in Your Car

Sponsored by GMC Terrain

The best road trips are those that seem to take you to new worlds: surreal-looking beaches, wondrous parks, and roadside oddities that make you do a double take. For instance, in Wisconsin, a local plumber has rigged a natural aquifer into a series of ice sculptures; in Utah, erosion has created a series of rock formations that look like something between an army of goblins and a series of abstract landscapes; and in New Mexico, rippling white sands stretch out to the horizon as far as the eye can see. The best part? You can reach these—and eight more—places by car (with the occasional walk from the parking lot). So pack some snacks, pull up this itinerary, and hit the road.

View Itinerary
The painted hills create a natural colorscape in Oregon’s desert.

Unusual Attractions in Kentucky

Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

Mammoth Cave

The world's longest known cave system.
Waverly Hills Sanitorium

Louisville, Kentucky

Waverly Hills Sanatorium

This former tuberculosis research hospital endeavored to cure the dreaded disease with fresh air and positive attitudes.

Cave City, Kentucky

Dinosaur World

Prehistoric animals decorate this popular outdoor park.

Williamsburg, Kentucky

Cumberland Falls State Park

Moonbows over Kentucky.
Wigwam Village No. 2. (Wikimedia Commons)

Cave City, Kentucky

Wigwam Village #2

One of the few surviving "Wigwam"-themed motels.
Castle Post

Versailles, Kentucky

Castle Post

This modern castle sat empty for decades before a fire inspired its builders to complete its luxury halls.

Louisville, Kentucky

Colonel Sanders' Grave

The grave of the iconic Kentucky Fried Chicken mascot features a bust of the man behind the goatee.
Witches’ Tree - Louisville, KY

Louisville, Kentucky

The Witches' Tree

Locals place their offerings on this nightmarish gnarled tree so the witches won't summon another storm.
See All 87 Things To Do in Kentucky

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

Colonel Sanders' Grave

The grave of the iconic Kentucky Fried Chicken mascot features a bust of the man behind the goatee.

Corbin, Kentucky

Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum

The first KFC is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Royal red shrimp are a seasonal delicacy found along the Florida coast and the Mississippi Delta.

Louisville, Kentucky

North of Bourbon

The menus here are a love letter to the culinary history of New Orleans.
Names on the bartop.

Cave City, Kentucky

The Dive

A watering hole where regulars who have ordered 500 beers have their names etched on the bar in gold.
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Kentucky

Museums 15
Architecture 7
Cemeteries 7
Roadside Attractions 6
Hotels 6
Shops 6
History 6
Ecosystems 5
Geology 5
Animals 5
Architectural Oddities 5
Places To Stay 5

Kentucky Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. thomasharper
    5
  2. Virginia Brown
    4
  3. J Ginsberg
    2
  4. shehangsbrightly
    2
  5. Rachel
    2
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Kentucky.

Places Edited

  1. Collector of Experiences
    16
  2. nbj914
    9
  3. PushingUpDaisies
    9
  4. Sawyerma
    8
  5. Molly McBride Jacobson
    8
Join the Ranks!
Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

  1. thesteelefamily239
    45
  2. brianp3119
    44
  3. zac40511
    37
  4. probablyamber
    36
  5. LouKYgreen
    35

Recent Kentucky Activity

  • elemenope

    wants to go to Clive

  • elemenope

    wants to go to Hierophany and Hedge

  • nunesamy

    wants to go to The Dive

  • AndyFoggy

    has been to Golden Statue of David

  • anaiis c94d5fad

    wants to go to Waverly Hills Sanatorium

Stories About Kentucky

Podcast: Vent Haven Museum

Here lies the world's largest collection of ventriloquist dummies.
by The Podcast Team
March 25, 2024
A illustration depicts the Hopkinsville Goblins incident from 1955, when a group claims they were assaulted by aliens of some sort.

The Long, Surprising Legacy of the Hopkinsville Goblins

Or, why families under siege make for great movies.
by Colin Dickey
February 8, 2024

The World’s Only Ventriloquism Museum is in Northern Kentucky

Vent Haven is a must-see for lovers of oddity museums, quirky collections, or off-the-beaten-path places.
Sponsored by Meet Northern Kentucky

Gastro Obscura’s Guide to the Northern Kentucky Bourbon Tour

10 worthy stops along The B-Line® to sip and savor spirited whiskey.
Sponsored by Meet Northern Kentucky

Podcast: Thomas Merton’s Hermitage

This little house in Kentucky is where the famous rebel monk tried to get away from the world.
by The Podcast Team
February 23, 2023
The Alaska box often includes indigenous food, ingredients, and art.

These 7 Local Food Boxes Offer a Taste of Travel

Get New Orleans pralines, Jersey Shore sea salt, and other iconic treats delivered to your door.
by Laura Kiniry
June 11, 2020
Ingredients that underpin the cuisine include pitseed goosefoot (left), a type of physalis known as ground cherries, among other names (center), and sunflowers pressed into oil (right).

The Cherokee Chefs Bringing Back North America’s Lost Cuisine

Researching traditional foods led them to the revelations of an archaeological dig in Kentucky.
by Eric J. Wallace
June 4, 2020
The meat shower, here shown falling on Mrs. Crouch, caused confusion across the nation.

The Artist Trying to Explain Kentucky's 'Meat Shower' of 1876

A historical head-scratcher inspired the world's worst jelly bean flavor.
by Marina Wang
February 7, 2020

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