Exploring Rich History and Culture on the Kentucky African American Heritage Trail

One of the many wonderful things about the Kentucky African American Heritage Trail (KAAHT) is that it does not need to be traveled in any precise order. There are more than 50 trails sites spread throughout the commonwealth and each one of them deliver unique insight into Black Kentuckian culture and contributions throughout history.  They can be visited in any order at the convenience of traveler over days, months, or years.  

This itinerary starts and finishes at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport and takes travelers to KAAHT sites around central and southwestern Kentucky. 

Day 1: Louisville to Russellville 

 From Louisville , the drive to Russellville takes about two hours and allows for a scenic transition into the Central Time Zone. Russellville is home to the SEEK Museum, which takes an in-depth look at slavery in the 19thcentury as well as the struggles for freedom and equality in the century after the Civil War.   

The Seek Museum consists of two separate, but related sites. There is the historic Bibb House, which discusses the lives of enslaved people who lived at the house through 1865. A few blocks away is the SEEK Museum at the Bottoms, which discusses the strength and resilience of the people of color residing in the Bottoms neighborhood during the post-Civil War reconstruction and on into the Civil Rights era.  

Tours of either or both Museum sites are available Tuesday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. by appointment 

Russellville to Bowling Green 

From Russellville , head east to Bowling Green, which is about a half-hour drive. There you will find Shake Rag neighborhood, which grew from a 19th-century public square into a thriving hub for a professional and middle-class Black community. 

Be sure to stop by the Bowling Green Visitor Center and grab a Shake Rag walking tour guide. The guide highlights key historic sites in the area such as the State Street Baptist Church and the Underwood-Jones Home. The former is a beautiful church built in the Victorian Gothic Romanesque Revival style and is home to Bowling Green’s oldest black congregation. The latter is an Italianate mansion, purchased by Dr. Z.K. Jones, a prominent Black physician, who ran his practice out of an office on the first floor and lived on the second floor of the home until 1977. 

After a full day of traveling and learning, check into the The Lodge at Olde Stone before enjoying dinner at 440 Main, one of Bowling Green’s premier fine dining establishments.  

Day 2: Bowling Green to Hodgenville to Louisville 

Begin with an early departure for Hodgenville, which is a little more than an hour north, crossing back into Eastern Time.  

Hodgenville is home to the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park. There is a quiet gravity to this site. The park’s main attraction is the first Lincoln Memorial, which consists of a replica of the log cabin, in which Lincoln was born. This replica housed inside a pink granite and marble building that resembles the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.  

In addition to the memorial, the park features multiple miles of accessible hiking trails as well as educational programs and events put on by National Park Service rangers.   

After learning about the origins of the Great Emancipator, head to Louisville, about an hour drive, and grab lunch at EST 1927 by Marigold at the Speed. This black-owned restaurant is attached to the Speed Art Museum and features locally sourced fine dining in a vibrant and creative atmosphere.  

From there, visit the Muhammad Ali Center. More than a museum, the Center is an architectural tribute to a man who embodied a belief in the greatness found in all people. As you explore the exhibits dedicated to the Louisville native, you see Ali not just as a heavyweight champion, but as a global humanitarian guided by faith and a pursuit of justice. 

Just five minutes away, visit the Roots 101 African-American Museum next. Since 2020, Roots 101 has provided a space where you can see yourself in history. Exhibits such as “Faces of Africa,” “The Roots of Music,” and “Protest to Progress” help convey African American history and culture in its entirety and gaining a deeper understanding of the community’s achievements and cultural contributions. 

Make a final stop at the hallowed grounds of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum. Be sure to check out the "Black Heritage in Racing" exhibit which discusses Black jockeys, trainers, and grooms who have contributed so much to not only the Kentucky Derby, but to the sport of horse racing as a whole.  

Check-in at the historic Brown Hotel for the evening, and grab dinner four blocks north at Brendon’s Catch 23, an upscale seafood restaurant in the heart of downtown Louisville.  

After a good night’s sleep, you will find yourself a quick seven-minute drive from the airport, so be sure to grab a quick breakfast from Dizzy Whizz Drive-Through on the way.