My Old Kentucky Home State Park: ‘It’s a symbol of hospitality. It’s a symbol of history’

My Old Kentucky Home State Park is located in Bardstown in Nelson County.

“It’s a very unique place because we’re in the right in the middle of the bourbon industry, but it’s a sanctuary in the middle of Bardstown,” said park manager Jeremy Riggs. “It’s a symbol. It’s a symbol of hospitality. It’s a symbol of history.”

The former home of the Rowan family was one of the sources of inspiration for Stephen Foster’s “My Old Kentucky Home.”

“Stephen Foster was a distant cousin by marriage to the Rowan family who owned Federal Hill, as the house was then known,” mansion supervisor Richard Blanton explained.

The state purchased the home from the Rowan family in 1923, Riggs said.

“So we’re excited to be over 100-years-old and still be open to the public and doing all the great things that we do,” he added.

During the summer season, tours of the mansion are offered every hour — and tour guides sing the Kentucky state song.

“In addition to the home and its natural beauty, simply hearing the stories of the family and their struggles, and the guide singing ‘My Old Kentucky Home’ is a highlight of every tour,” Blanton said.

▪ My Old Kentucky Home State Park is located at 501 E. Stephen Foster Ave, Bardstown, Kentucky.

This story was originally published June 6, 2024 at 12:00 PM.