Things to Do in Danville, Kentucky

This free open-air museum downtown marks where Kentucky talked its way out of Virginia and into statehood in 1792. The post office is original, the first west of the Allegheny Mountains. The courthouse, jail and meetinghouse are 1942 replicas, set among early 19th-century buildings like Grayson’s Tavern and a brick schoolhouse.

★ Good to know The grounds are open during daylight all year. The cabins open only in the warmer months, so plan on April through October to go inside.

On Christmas morning 1809, Dr. Ephraim McDowell removed a 22.5-pound ovarian tumor from Jane Todd Crawford in this house, with no anesthesia. She had ridden 60 miles on horseback to get here, recovered, and lived another 32 years. The National Historic Landmark has period furnishings, the apothecary shop, old medical instruments and gardens.

★ Good to know Docents lead tours Tuesday through Saturday at set times, so book a slot online before you go; it sits right across from Constitution Square.

Col. Eben Henson founded Kentucky’s oldest outdoor theater in 1950, building it largely from salvage. The beams came from a 200-year-old Danville livery stable, and the box office is a train station set from the MGM film Raintree County. His children, Heather and Robby Henson, run it now, with shows under the stars all summer.

★ Good to know Dinner is served before the show on some nights, and it’s the classic way to do it; check the schedule for which nights.

The Battle of Perryville was fought on October 8, 1862. The battlefield, west of Danville, is one of the least-altered in the country. About 2,500 acres were named a National Historic Landmark in 1960. There’s a museum, a picnic shelter and an interpretive trail you walk on foot.

★ Good to know The big reenactment and commemoration happen each October, around the battle’s anniversary.

This is the Kentucky Bourbon Trail’s official 18th stop, on Lebanon Road just outside town. The tour walks you through its sweet mash fermentation, the science behind its bourbon and rye, and ends with a tasting. There’s also a hands-on smoked Old Fashioned class.

★ Good to know Tours are free for active military and veterans; groups of more than six should call ahead.

Centre College was founded in 1819 and hosted vice-presidential debates in 2000 and 2012. Its Norton Center, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation architect William Wesley Peters, brings Broadway tours, comedians and concerts to Danville. It has two stages, Newlin Hall and Weisiger Theatre.

★ Good to know Look at the season calendar before you book a weekend; a good show can anchor the whole trip.

More than 200 dollhouses, miniature buildings and room boxes tell American social history in miniature. One room holds a whole 1910-era town, with a mansion district, factories and a Shaker village. There’s also a fantasy wing with a walk-in dragon cave and a miniatures store.

★ Good to know It’s closed in January and February and keeps a Wednesday-through-Saturday schedule the rest of the year.

The art center fills two buildings on West Main Street, with galleries, a studio and classes. Admission to its museum and exhibits is free. It also runs Fern, a gift shop with work by regional artists.

★ Good to know It’s an easy walk from Constitution Square, so pair the two.