A border state where battles were often fought brother against brother, Kentucky’s complex Civil War history is preserved at sites across the Commonwealth.
Kentucky played a key role in the Civil War, as the site of the decisive Battle of Richmond, the bloody Battle of Perryville, and as home to one of the largest African-American recruitment and training centers in the nation, Camp Nelson.

Below, explore Kentucky Civil War sites including trails, museums, cemeteries and battlefields, where you can learn more about this difficult chapter of Kentucky's – and America's – history.

Trip Inspiration

Explore Civil War Attractions in Kentucky