What to Do in Kentucky as a Wheelchair User

Kentucky may be famous for horse racing and bourbon, but the state offers so much more than those incredible highlights. In Kentucky, you will find that there are unlimited things to do as a person who uses a wheelchair, and you will be able to enjoy sharing these moments with your friends and family by your side. We hope that as you visit and explore the plethora of accessible adventures in Kentucky, you will take home not only souvenirs from your trip as a momento, but also the everlasting memories of your time spent in this great state. Here are some of the best things to do in Kentucky as a wheelchair user.

Enjoy Kentucky’s Music and The Arts

• Rupp Arena - Rupp Arena, located in Lexington, Kentucky, is one of the largest arenas in the state, with a maximum capacity of 23,500. Accessible seating can be found throughout the arena in designated seating areas and can be purchased at the Box Office by calling 859.233.3535, and also through Ticketmaster. This arena welcomes service animals and provides accessible restroom stalls with hand rails on each side of the toilet.
• Central Bank Center - The Central Bank Center is located in Lexington and is an 11-acre site that includes entertainment, convention center, and a sports complex. It is also home of Rupp Arena and the Lexington Opera House. This area offers accessible parking spaces, accessible restrooms, and is committed to each patron having an enjoyable experience. 
• Rowan County Arts Center - Located in Morehead, KY, the Rowan County Arts Center features monthly art exhibits, live performances, and classes. Here, you will find easy access at the back of the building with a ramp to enter the building and elevators inside, a wheelchair accessible restroom, and also accessible parking near the building. 
• Mountain Arts Center - The Mountain Arts Center, located in Prestonsburg, is an awesome place to bring the entire family. It is home to a 1,050-seat music venue, an art gallery, the Ranier Racing Museum, and the Coal Miners Exhibit. The MAC has wheelchair accessible parking and designated accessible seating areas on the lower level. They also offer accessible restrooms. For more information, you can call them at 606.886.2623. 
• Lexington Opera House - The Lexington Opera House has been restored to its 1887 historic look and offers something for everyone. Here, you will find ballet, opera, comedy, national Broadway tours, and so much more. Wheelchair accessible seating is offered on Level One, and patrons are asked to order wheelchair seating in advance. You will also find accessible restrooms here and  some of the most stunning architecture. For more info, call 859.233.4567.
• Kentucky Folk Art Center - The Kentucky Folk Art Center is known to be one of Kentucky’s most unique places to visit. This center houses over 1,400 pieces of regional folk art and is administered by Morehead State University in Morehead, KY. Here, you will find an accessible entrance with a ramp on the left side of the building and there is an accessible restroom inside.
• Woodford Theatre - Located in Versailles, the Woodford Theatre hosts the most incredible live theatrical performances with both plays and musicals. This gorgeous theatre is also wheelchair accessible with seating available and accessible restrooms in house. To book your accessible seats, call the Woodford Theatre at 859.873.0648. 

Tour Some of Kentucky’s Best Museums

• Kentucky Derby Museum - The Kentucky Derby Museum is located in none other than Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. This spectacular museum offers accessible parking near the entrance and smooth easy-to-roll-on flooring inside. Here, you can watch films, enjoy interactive exhibits, and also take part in a tour of Churchill Downs to learn the famed Kentucky Derby race story. 
• National Corvette Museum - At the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, you can experience the legacy of the American Sports Car, the Chevrolet Corvette. The entire museum is wheelchair accessible and they also offer wheelchairs free of charge if needed, at the ticketing counter.
• National Quilt Museum - Recognized by USA Today as one of the world’s top quilt displays, this epic museum in Paducah, Kentucky features quilts from around the world. Housed in a 27,000 square-foot structure, the three galleries prominently displaying award winning quilts are all wheelchair accessible and on one level. There are accessible restrooms available and the entrance is complete with automatic doors.
• Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum - Opened in 2002 in Mt. Vernon, KY, the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum honors Kentucky’s rich musical heritage with live music events and exhibits. Its gorgeous red exterior stands out upon arriving, as it was once the original riding stables of John Lair, the founder of Renfro Valley Entertainment. The entire complex is wheelchair accessible with elevators to all levels of the building. If you desire to take the historic RCA Studio B tour and use a motorized wheelchair, you will need to transfer into a provided manual wheelchair due to weight restrictions with the bus lift. Family restrooms are available on all floors of the museum and the CMA Theater.
• Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum - Located in Central City, Kentucky, The Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum is street level with a small step at the main entrance, but there is a smooth wheelchair accessible entrance at the side of the building. Once inside, the displays are on smooth flooring and it is easy to maneuver around with a wheelchair. 

Learn the History of Kentucky

• The Lincoln Museum - Dedicated to the life and presidency of Abraham Lincoln, The Lincoln Museum in Hodgenville, Kentucky is wheelchair accessible. The tours are self-guided and you can easily roll throughout the exhibits and the museum has a lift to get standard sized wheelchairs to the second floor. 
• Lincoln Square - Presidential Statue Island - Located in the heart of downtown Hodgenville, Kentucky, Lincoln Square is home to statues of an adult Lincoln and also a young boy Lincoln. These are located across from the Lincoln Museum in the middle of the traffic circle. Wheelchair users can easily roll around the town square and view these statues. There is also the option of a downtown walking/rolling tour and you can download the route via a pdf on the website lincolnmuseum-ky.org. This tour should take about an hour to complete.
• Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park - The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park is located in Hodgensville, Kentucky and includes many wheelchair accessible things to do. Here, wheelchair users can access the Memorial Building via a wooden boardwalk that leads to the accessible entrance at the back door of the building. The Visitor Center is accessible and includes accessible restrooms as well. You will also find a cement sidewalk that leads to the Sinking Spring from the parking lot. This served as the water source for the Lincoln family farm.
• Abraham Lincoln Boyhood Home at Knob Creek - Although the Boyhood Home cabin requires one step to enter into the cabin, there is a path to the cabin that is fully accessible. From the pathway, wheelchair users can get up close views of the exterior of the Abraham Lincoln Boyhood Home in Hodgensville, KY. This is where Lincoln lived from the time he was two and a half until he was almost eight years old.
• Lexington History Museum - The Lexington History Museum, also known as LexHistory is located in Lexington, Kentucky. This museum showcases the rich history of Lexington and is wheelchair accessible with a ramped entrance at the back of the building. Inside, you will find exhibits that you can easily maneuver around and enjoy while learning about the rich heritage of Lexington. There is an accessible restroom inside with a pull-under sink and a toilet with grab bars. 

Savor the sips at Kentucky’s Distilleries

• Buffalo Trace Distillery - Buffalo Trace Distillery is known to be the world’s bourbon destination and sits in Frankfort, Kentucky. The Visitor Center and Gift Shop are both wheelchair accessible with smooth entry ways. The Trace Tour is complementary and is wheelchair accessible. This tour, as well as all the other tours, should be booked in advance of your visit online. Wheelchair users can roll alongside the bourbon barrels, smell the bourbon in the warehouses, and even participate in the tasting of their award-winning products. 
• Evan Williams Bourbon Experience - The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in Louisville, KY is easily entered from the sidewalk in front of the store. The entrance is smooth and once tickets are purchased, you can roll through the artisanal still, listen to the tour guide explain the history of bourbon and how Evan Williams came to fruition, and enjoy a tasting of several of their distinct flavors. There is an elevator to access between floors. This tour lasts approximately one hour and then you can visit the gift shop for all of those souvenirs or maybe even something for yourself. 
• New Riff Distilling - Visiting New Riff Distilling in Newport, Kentucky is both wheelchair accessible and easily maneuverable. This distillery has accessible parking near the entrance and the massive glass building is eye-catching for those photo ops. The Tasting Room is wheelchair accessible, so don’t miss out on a tasting tour. Customers using wheelchairs are able to access all levels and the rooftop from the elevator, as well as the gift shop on the bottom floor.
• Woodford Reserve Distillery - Located in Versailles, KY, the Woodford Reserve Distillery boasts as a National Historic Landmark. This tour has an accessible pathway that is easy for wheelchair users to enjoy, by rolling through this distinct bourbon experience. Service animals are also welcome on the tours and other experiences, and this Distillery even offers a pet relief area in the Visitor’s Center grass lot.
• James E. Pepper Distillery - This historic bourbon distillery, James E. Pepper, located in Lexington, KY, offers wheelchair accessible tours and tastings of their award-winning whiskeys. Accessible parking is near the entrance and tours include time in the museum, a visit to the working distillery, a tasting, and a complimentary whiskey glass.
• Bluegrass Distillers - Bluegrass Distillers, located in Lexington, creates bourbon from both organic and local ingredients. Wheelchair users can participate in a tasting and history tour of the distillery, and savor and see how this award-winning bourbon is made. 

Get Outdoors in Kentucky’s Parks

• Cumberland Falls - Known as the ‘Niagara of the South’, Cumberland Falls in Corbin, Kentucky stands at 125-feet tall and the views of the rushing waters are breathtaking. This is the only place in the Western Hemisphere where a moonbow regularly occurs. This happens when a full moon and clear skies are present over the falls. There are accessible parking spaces near the falls with a paved pathway that leads you to the viewing platforms. These are easy to get to and allow  wheelchair users to sit and enjoy the breeze, and feel the mist of the incredible display of water. 
• Mammoth Cave National Park - Mammoth Cave is not only the longest cave system in the world, it is also known as a Unesco World Heritage Site. What makes this cave even better, is the fact that it is wheelchair accessible to enter the cave! By booking a wheelchair accessible tour either online or at the Visitor’s Center, wheelchair users are able to meet at the Visitor’s Center with a park ranger at a designated time and date, and follow him in their private vehicles to the accessible entrance to the cave. Once here, he will explain details of the cave and assist each guest with accessing the elevator. This private elevator will take wheelchair users 26 stories down to the floor of the cave. Once there, a well lit and smoothly paved trail will lead both the guide and guests using wheelchairs about a half of a mile into the cave. The tour takes about two hours.
• Sand Cave Trail - Located in Mammoth Cave National Park, Sand Cave Trail is a 0.2 mile raised, boardwalk trail that takes wheelchair users throughout nature. At the end, you can enjoy an accessible lookout point and see the opening to Sand Cave.
• Echo River Spring Trail - Mammoth Cave National Park is home to Echo River Spring Trail. This wheelchair accessible boardwalk trail is 0.6 miles long and begins at the Green River Ferry parking lot.
• Sloan’s Crossing Pond Trail - Located in Mammoth Cave National Park, Sloan’s Crossing Pond Trail is wheelchair accessible.This boardwalk trail takes wheelchair users 0.4 miles on a journey throughout nature. 

Ignite Your Love of Animals

• Kentucky Horse Park - Known as a working horse farm, international equestrian competition venue, and an educational theme park, Kentucky Horse Park is located in Lexington, Kentucky. The entire complex is wheelchair accessible with wide, paved pathways throughout the park. Wheelchair users can enjoy the museum exhibits, pet the horses, roll through the stables, enjoy a horse show, and even ride a wheelchair accessible horse-drawn carriage. This carriage is complete with a ramp that is folded out by a staff member, and the carriage takes guests around the property for a guided tour. There are also wheelchair accessible restrooms in the main building of the ticket office and accessible parking near the entrance. 
• Dutch County Safari Park - Open each year from April through October, Dutch County Safari Park is located in Horse Cave, Kentucky. This park is wheelchair accessible, as guests are allowed to remain in their private vehicles and drive-thru the safari park. Some of the animals that you can encounter are zebras, camels, kangaroos, goats, and turtles.
• Newport Aquarium - Newport Aquarium is located in the area known as Newport on the Levee in Newport, Kentucky. This spectacular aquarium is home to thousands of aquatic animals and is wheelchair accessible throughout the exhibits. Guests can access all levels via elevators as needed and the exhibits are spacious with smooth flooring. There are wheelchair accessible toilets. Guests can also request to use a manual wheelchair free of charge on a first come, first serve basis by inquiring at the ticketing counter at the entrance.

Even though this list of accessible things to do in Kentucky is quite lengthy, we’ve not even scratched the surface! Kentucky is filled with accessibility and is a welcoming destination to all. People who use wheelchairs will feel welcome and fulfilled as they visit this incredible state. Start planning today for your next visit to Kentucky!