Danville (Kentucky)

Danville is a small city in Boyle County in the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky.

Understand

A replica of the first district courthouse

Danville was part of the settlement area around Harrod's Fort (now Harrodsburg) which was the first English permanent settlement in Kentucky. Walker Daniel, Kentucky's first District Attorney, bought land on the Wilderness Road and had it surveyed for a town in 1783-1784. The Virginia legislature established Danville on December 4, 1787.

Get in

Visitors can access Danville by automobile. US 127 is the main north-south highway, and US 150 provides access from the east and west. KY-52 passes through some scenic landscape and can be used if travelling from Richmond to the east.

Get around

See

The Governor's Circle at Constitution Square Historic Site

• 🌍 Constitution Square, 134 S. Second St.. Open 7 days a week. Hours 9AM-5PM. Location where the first Kentucky constitution was signed. Visit Governor's Circle, a memorial for Kentucky's governors. Free. Group guided tours available for $1.50/person.  
• 🌍 Jacobs Hall at the Kentucky School for the Deaf, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-F 10AM-noon and 1PM-3PM. A museum of the history of the Kentucky School for the Deaf. 18 exhibit rooms. Parking behind Jacobs Hall. Adults $3, 6-18 $1, under 6 free.  
• 🌍 Perryville Battlefield, 1825 Battlefield Rd. Perryville (12 miles from Danville), ☎ [phone]. A park preserving the largest Civil War battle fought in the state of Kentucky. 
• 🌍 The McDowell House Museum, 125 South Second Street, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M–Sa 10AM-noon, 1PM-4PM; Su 2PM-4PM; Nov-Mar: closed Mondays. The former home and office of Dr. Ephraim McDowell where in an 1809 historic operation, he removed a 22 pound ovarian tumor. Partially accessible to visitors in wheelchairs. 2nd floor and apothecary shop viewable by video. Closed captioned video available for hearing impaired. Adult $7, senior $5, students $3, children $2. Discount groups rates available.  
• 🌍 Wilderness Trail Distillery, 4095 Lebanon Rd, ☎ [phone]. Part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, this distillery produces bourbon, vodka, and rum from locally sourced grains. Open to the public for tours Thursday through Saturday. (updated Nov 2017)
• 🌍 Centre College, 600 West Walnut Street, ☎ [phone]. Founded in 1819, Centre is a 4-year, liberal arts college that is home to about 1400 students. It offers a broad range of academics and NCAA Division III athletics. The football team has an especially unique tradition—"Dead Fred", a portrait of late Chief Justice of the United States Fred Vinson, a Centre alum. The portrait normally hangs in the hallway of the chapter house of Vinson's old fraternity, but members take the portrait to all Centre home football and basketball games, plus other major university events. "Dead Fred" has been present at every Centre home football game since Vinson's death in 1953. (updated Oct 2018)
• 🌍 Great American Dollhouse Museum, 344 Swope Drive, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tu-Sa 11AM-5PM. Over 200 dollhouses, miniature buildings, and room boxes, populated with tiny people at work and play. Adults ok $8, seniors $7, kids 4-12 $6, under 4 Free. (updated Nov 2017)

Do

Pioneer Playhouse

• 🌍 Pioneer Playhouse, 840 Stanford Rd., ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Performances nightly Tuesday-Saturday (Indoors in case of rain) from June 8 – Aug 18. Dinner & show – 7:30PM. Show starts at 8:30PM. An outdoor theater and campground. Every two weeks, a different show all summer long. Adults: theater only $16; dinner and show $28. Children (12 and under): theater only $9; dinner and show $15. Groups (of 10 or more): theater only $14; dinner and show $26.  
• 🌍 The Great American Brass Band Festival, Downtown Danville, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Great American Brass Band Festival the first and second week in June. Chautauqua Tea and Presentation. Gallery Hop. Brass Symposium. Concert at Shaker Village. Great American Balloon Race. Bayou and Brass. Evening Concerts. Run for the Brass 5-K. Main Street Parade. Free concerts on 2 stages at Centre College and in Weisiger Park. Great American Picnic.  
• 🌍 Norton Center for the Arts, 600 West Walnut Street, ☎ [phone]. Located on the campus of Centre College, the facility provides several theaters for local and touring performers. (updated Nov 2017)
• 🌍 Millennium Park, 1000 Cunningham Drive, ☎ [phone]. 126-acre park containing 3.5 miles of walking trails, baseball fields, soccer fields playgrounds, a skateboard park, a dog park, and covered shelters. Free. (updated Nov 2017)

Buy

• 🌍 Elmwood Inn Fine Teas, 135 N 2nd St, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-F 09:00-5:00. Elmwood Inn Fine Teas imports, blends and packages teas for hotels, retailers, gourmet grocers, restaurants, tea bars, coffee shops and museums across North America, while Benjamin Press is now the largest publisher of tea books in America. (updated Nov 2017)

Eat

• 🌍 Bluegrass Pub and Pizza, 235 W Main St. Suite 100, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tu 11AM-9PM, W-Sa 11AM-10PM. Brick oven pizza. Salads. Sandwiches. Draft and bottle beer. Wine by the glass or bottle. 
• 🌍 Jane Barleycorn, 130 S 4th Street, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Kitchen: Tu-Th 5PM-8:30PM; F Sa 5PM-9:30PM. Bar: Tu-Sa 3:30PM - close. Restaurant and market. Frequent local entertainment. (updated Nov 2017)
• 🌍 Melton's Deli, 247 East Main St., ☎ [phone]. Lunch. 
• 🌍 Red Rooster Café, 118 E Main St, ☎ [phone]. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Country-style home cooking. 
• 🌍 Hub Coffee House and Cafe, 236 West Main St., ☎ [phone]. M-Th 6:30AM-9PM; F 6:30AM-11PM; Sa 7AM-11PM; Su 8AM-8PM. Free wireless Internet access. Crepes, omelets, wraps. Meals $5-10. 
• 🌍 Tut's, 415 W. Main Street, ☎ [phone]. Tu-Th 11AM-3PM, F-Sa 11AM-8PM. Authentic Egyptian food. (updated Nov 2017)

Sweets

• 🌍 Burke's Bakery & Delicatessen, 121 W. Main St., ☎ [phone]. Doughnuts & pastries made fresh daily. Special occasion cakes. 
• 🌍 Bluegrass & Buttercream, 115 N 3rd Street, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tu-Sa 10AM - 5PM. Delicious and affordable treats for any occasion, from specialty cupcakes to royal iced cookies, (updated Nov 2017)

Drink

• 🌍 Beer Engine, 107 Larrimore Ln, ☎ [phone]. M-Th 4PM-11PM; F Sa 4PM-midnight; Su 4PM-10PM. A micro-brewery & tap room. 

Sleep

Bed & Breakfasts

• 🌍 The Cottage Bed & Breakfast Suite, 2826 Lexington Rd., ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Single two-room suite in a cottage on a 200-acre farm. Sleeps 4 people. Deck with farm views. Air conditioning. Satellite TV. Wireless Internet. Continental breakfast. 
• 🌍 Pasick's Bed & Breakfast, 132 E. Lexington Ave., ☎ [phone]. One bedroom with in Victorian home in the historic district within walking distance to downtown and Centre College. Wi-Fi, fireplace, whirlpool tub. 
• 🌍 The Farm, 450 Waterworks Road, ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone]. 7 suites and a cottage on a working farm. (updated Nov 2017)

Campgrounds

• 🌍 Pioneer Playhouse Campground, 840 Stanford Rd., ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone]. 35 campsites. All sites have water and electric hookups. Picnic tables are provided. Firepits are located in the lower campground, only. 90 acres of wooded trails, adjacent to the campground. RV sites $25 per night, $150 per week, $400 per month. Tent sites $10 per night. Dump station (if not staying overnight) $3.  

Hotels

• 🌍 Best Western Danville Inn, 210 Brenda Ave, ☎ [phone]. 
• 🌍 Comfort Suites, 864 Ben-Ali Dr., ☎ [phone]. 
• 🌍 Hampton Inn, 100 Montgomery Way, ☎ [phone]. 
• 🌍 Quality Inn, 96 Daniel Dr., ☎ [phone]. 
• 🌍 Stay Over Danville, 235 W. Main St., Danville KY 40422, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Overnight loft retreat that overlooks Main Street in downtown Danville. (updated Nov 2017)
• 🌍 Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 200 Shannon Way, Danville, KY 40422, ☎ [phone]. (updated Sep 2018)

Connect

Go next

• Bardstown - Home of several bourbon distilleries and is part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
• Harrodsburg - The oldest city in Kentucky.
• Lexington - Kentucky's second largest city.
• Richmond - Home of Eastern Kentucky University.

Routes through Danville

Frankfort ← Harrodsburg ←	N  S	→ Russell Springs → Crossville
Louisville ← Bardstown ←	W  E	→ Mt. Vernon → END