My Old Kentucky Home Campground

The Great Outdoors

Camp in an RV near Bardstown and join a guided tour of My Old Kentucky Home’s historic mansion, which is beautifully decorated with paintings, vintage furniture, and antiques. Admire the Federal-style architecture as you wander through the formal gardens and explore the outbuildings that include a smokehouse, a carriage house, and the original kitchen. A highlight of the tour is hearing the song “My Old Kentucky Home” sung by your guides while wearing period costume, followed by a performance of the “Stephen Foster Story” on the scenic grounds.A short drive northwest of My Old Kentucky Home Campground is the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, which sprawls across 15,625 acres near Clermont. It was founded in 1929 by a German immigrant, Isaac Wolfe Bernheim who was a successful distiller of whiskey and gifted the arboretum to the people of Kentucky in trust. It was designed by the world-renowned landscaping firm of Fredrick Law Olmstead, with a Research Center, an Education Center, and a Garden Pavilion among its structures. Don’t miss a visit to the environmentally friendly and award-winning Visitor Center or the Intergenerational Grisby Shelter within the Children’s Play Garden.Camping at My Old Kentucky Home Campground is also a good base for visiting the Vernon Douglas State Nature Preserve, a 730-acre protected area of mature second-growth forest. Around 4.5 miles of hiking trails access its valley and dry ridges, with the wildflower displays particularly impressive during the spring months. Admire the stands of sugar maple, beech, and tulip poplar as you explore, with a bird’s-eye view of the Younger Creek valley on offer at “The Pinnacle.”

Exploring the City

Bardstown campers can stock up on grocery supplies in one of the city’s supermarkets, with numerous gas stations also available if you need to fill up your RV rental. There’s a wide selection of restaurants and fast-food eateries if you want to dine out, as well as banks, a post office, and all the services you need.While in Bardstown, don’t miss a visit to the Women's Civil War Museum, which is the only museum in the United States focusing solely on the role of women during this significant period of American history. Learn about female nurses, spies, and writers who played their part while browsing the vintage artifacts and old photographs on display. Also nearby is the main Civil War Museum, which boasts the United States’ largest collection of Civil War artifacts of the Western Theater. A highlight of the museum’s collection is the flag of the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry that was captured from John Hunt Morgan.The Civil War Museums are located adjacent to Old Bardstown Village, a collection of original 18th and 19th-century log structures that have been relocated here. The General Hal Moore Military Museum also stands nearby and details conflicts dating from the American Revolution to the battles of the Middle East that have taken place in recent years. The museum places particular emphasis on the Kentuckians who served during the war and the legacy of Bardstown native Lt. General Hal Moore, a Vietnam and Korean War hero.If whiskey’s more your thing, head to the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History that’s one of the numerous locations along the American Whiskey Trail. Objects on display include Abraham Lincoln’s liquor license, old whiskey bottles, and advertising posters, as well as prescriptions outlining the medicinal use of alcohol during the Prohibition years. After visiting the museum, head to the family-run Bourbon Heritage Center where you can tour the Heaven Hill Distillery and learn about Bardstown’s history of bourbon production before tasting the finished product.Whether you want to discover the Civil War history of Bardstown or tour the mansion of My Old Kentucky Home, book an RV in Nelson County and start planning your next vacation.