Photo courtesy Greater Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau

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Visitors can tour this c. 1790 Georgian mansion at Louisville's historic Locust Grove.

Photo courtesy www.kentuckytourism.com

Locust Grove, Louisville, KY

Tour the historic grounds of one of Louisville’s oldest homes

by Carrie Daut | September 22, 2011

In visiting Locust Grove, you join a pretty impressive guest list. Presidents James Monroe and Andrew Jackson came here. President Zachary Taylor grew up on the farm next door. In November of 1806, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark stopped by when returning home from their famous Pacific Expedition.

Today, Locust Grove is a National Historic Landmark located in eastern Louisville. Built by William and Lucy Clark Croghan (their son, John, would later own the famous Mammoth Cave), the home is a circa 1790 Georgian mansion. Restored and furnished to its original appearances, it still sits on 55 acres of the original 694-acre farm.

Visitors to the site can see the main mansion, an original smoke house and 8 other stone and log farm buildings. There are formal gardens, as well as acres of peaceful meadows. The house is furnished with Kentucky-crafted furniture, portraits, textiles and artifacts belonging to the original family.

Insider Tip: The hands-on tours of Locust Grove are great for kids. They can try their hand at churning butter and check out 19^th century clothing!

Throughout the year, Locust Grove also hosts several special events. This fall, look for the Fall Antiques Market (Sunday, September 25) and the 18^th Century Market Fair (Saturday – Sunday, October 29-30). Both can be paired with tours of the home.

Locust Grove is open Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults and discounted for seniors and children. (Additional AAA discounts available.) Tours are offered every hour from 10:15 to 3:15 (or 1:15 to 3:15 on Sundays) and include a video and tour of the grounds. Tours last approximately 1 hour.

Insider Tip: In addition to the tour, allow at least 45 minutes to visit Locust Grove’s permanent exhibit A Country Worth Defending: Land & Family in Early Kentucky -- a look at the American Revolution in the region.

Locust Grove is located 6 miles upriver of downtown Louisville at 561 Blankenbaker Lane. To get there, take Interstate 71 North to Zorn Avenue. Turn left onto Zorn Avenue, right onto River Road, then right onto Blankenbaker Lane. The entrance to the Locust Grove parking lot will be on the left. For more information on historic Locust Grove, visit locustgrove.org.