Bowling Green

Aviation Heritage Park, located at Basil Griffin Park, is an ongoing project designed to showcase seven remarkable hand-picked aircraft that honor local military aviators.

The collection currently has five aircraft on display, including a Phantom 550, a Grumman Panther F9F, a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, an F-111 Aardvark and, most recently, a NASA T-38 Talon.

The Talon has been flown by every Mercury and Gemini astronaut and every man who’s ever walked on the moon. The park is raising funds to restore a BG Huey and add it to the collection.

They also honor the first African American Tuskegee-trained female commercial pilot Willa Brown in a new exhibit.

1825 Three Springs Road, Bowling Green, KY, Phone: 270-421-4885

Beech Bend Amusement Park & Raceway opened its gates to the public in 1898 and has been entertaining families ever since. Today, it’s a combination of amusement park, drag raceway, and campground all rolled into one.

The amusement park features rides and attractions for the whole family, from a giant wooden rollercoaster to a waterpark.

There are seven thrill rides, 19 family rides and attractions, and 11 children’s rides. Splash Lagoon includes seven amazing water attractions.

Seasonal drag racing events offer thrills all summer, with drivers competing to be Season Point Champions.

Beech Bend Campgrounds offers 500 gorgeous wooded campsites, half of which have full hookups. Wi-Fi is available and free throughout the campgrounds.

798 Beech Bend Road, Bowling Green, KY, Phone: 270-781-7634

Attractions for Couples

The Baker Arboretum and the Downing Museum sits on 115 acres of rolling hills outside Bowling Green. Visitors will find a variety of trees – magnolias, dogwoods, Japanese maples, and others – in a carefully landscaped architecture that pleases the eye and soothes the soul. The seasonal landscaping rewards visitors with nature’s splendor all year round. Spring and summer blooming trees give way to colorful Japanese maples in fall and hardy conifers in winter. Its Western Kentucky University location keeps the educational research on these ornamental trees alive. The Downing Museum at the arboretum is dominated by the spectacular artwork of international contemporary artist Joseph Dudley Downing. Other exhibitions include the works of regional Kentucky artists.

4801 Morganstown Road, Bowling Green, KY, Phone: 270-842-7415

Drake Vintage Music & Curios is located 20 minutes outside Bowling Green in Drake, Kentucky. Country music lovers will enjoy this museum, which showcases the history of country music fan culture in the 20th century. Freeman Kitchens, founder of the Carter Family country music fan club, began collecting and selling country songs from his store in Drake, Kentucky, in the 1940s. Today, visitors to the shop will get a lesson in early country music history as Freeman guides them through his collection of photos, music, and artifacts. This grassroots documentation of the music and lives of the Carter country music singers spans the generations.

7487 Plano Road, Drake, KY, Phone: 270-843-9376

Recommended Activities for Families

Sports car enthusiasts will be elated to tour the General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant & National Corvette Museum to see how America’s sportscar is built. Bowling Green has been home to the Corvette assembly line for over 60 years. Unfortunately, plant tours are suspended until June 2019, but visitors can tour the National Corvette Museum on the plant’s 55-acre campus. Museum visits usually take 1 to 2 hours to complete and are available 7 days a week. Real enthusiasts can reserve a ride in a Corvette at the museum admissions desk, where they’ll be able to choose from a couple classic Corvette convertibles. This option is only available March through October.

350 Corvette Drive, Bowling Green, KY, Phone: 270-745-8019

The L & N Depot was first built in 1925 and provided service to over 20 trains per day. Most routes connected Louisville, Kentucky, with Nashville, Tennessee. The museum galleries include information on railroad history and offer kids hands-on learning activities. There are 450 feet of railway track behind the museum displaying seven cars, each with its own story, which have been available to visitors since 2002. Each car has been meticulously restored to its former glory. Cars are available for guided tours on the hour. Another way to explore and enjoy the railcars is via an escape room experience on either the caboose or hospital car.

Historic Railpark and Train Museum, 401 Kentucky Street, Bowling Green, KY, Phone: 270-745-7317

Western Kentucky University is home to the Kentucky Museum. The museum has numerous permanent and temporary exhibits for public viewing. Temporary exhibits have included A Culture Carried: Bosnians in Bowling Green and Korea through Kentucky Eyes. Other museum exhibits address the history of quilting, common objects used in extraordinary work, the 18th century slave trade, the Civil War, and prehistoric Kentuckians, among others. Art and artifacts are included in themed exhibits. Visitors may take self-guided tours of the museums, although docents are on hand to answer questions and offer insights. Tours last approximately 90 minutes. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday.

1444 Kentucky Street, Bowling Green, KY, Phone: 270-745-2592

Lost River Cave is a Bowling Green natural landmark that includes 70 acres of wetlands, meadows, a restored prairie, and the famous cave that started it all. Visitors will definitely want to take the Cave Boat Tour, the highlight attraction here. It begins with a hike to the cave while a guide recounts historical tales. Guests set off across still waters on the underground boat tour through a cathedral-like cavern. The hike and boat tour take 45 minutes to an hour. Another exciting, albeit muddy, adventure is the guided 2-hour Discovery Cave Crawl, where participants follow the same passageways as Civil War soldiers. Families will discover numerous other activities at Lost River Cave.

2818 Nashville Road, Bowling Green, KY, Phone: 270-393-0077

Stop by and visit this massive 105-acre farm filled with thousands of fruit trees. Open to the public from April through November, Jackson’s Orchard & Nursery welcomes visitors to tour their hundred-year-old working farm consisting of apple, peach, and cherry trees. They offer several activities for visitors depending on the time of the year including educational tours that include hayrides and free snacks. There’s also a playground for young kids along with a retail apple barn selling fruit preserves, apple cider, pies, and more. Special activities include apple picking in the fall, and weekend pumpkin festivals featuring a petting zoo, hayrides, pumpkin patch, corn maze, and more.

1280 Slim Island Road, Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101; Phone: 270-781-5303

Where to Eat

Novo Dolce Gastro Pub created the consummate partnership of upscale dining with a casual pub ambience. The trendy restaurant has concrete floors, a marble top bar, neutral color palette, floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the space with light, subdued recessed and track lighting for evenings, and contemporary furnishings. Diners can expect an Italian-inspired menu with caprese, Greek, and panzanella salads, six scrumptious pizzas including a build your own option, eight delicious sandwiches, and three pasta dishes. The food, ambience, and location combine to make a comfortable and delectable dining experience. Novo Dolce is open from lunch to late night, 7 days a week.

651 US-31 Bypass #101, Bowling Green, KY, Phone: 270-904-3300