Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Bowling Green, KY
Year Listed: 2006
Just an hour outside Nashville and two hours from Louisville, Bowling Green, Ky., is a thriving community with a history defined by the railroad, the river and an ancient cavern that sits in the center of the city. The 68-acre Lost River Cave and Valley is an urban nature reserve, home to 130 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and, at one point, both Union and Confederate soldiers and reportedly the outlaw Jesse James. Today, cave visitors can take an underground float tour to learn about the cave's history while enjoying a respite from the urban bustle above.
Kentucky Main Street in Bowling Green, Kentucky
Credit: Bowling Green-Warren County Historic Preservation Board
One of the most interesting and vibrant cities in the Bluegrass State, Bowling Green, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Main Street Community, is reputed to be named for the green on which lawyers and court officials enjoyed lawn bowling in the 19th century. Surrounding the late 1800s historic downtown square are a multitude of National Register-listed properties including residential neighborhoods; an Italianate historic house museum, Riverview, named for its ideal perch on the Barren River; and numerous Civil War sites. Though Bowling Green never officially left the Union, it's home to a number of landmarks that are featured in a Civil War driving tour, including forts, homes, markers and museums.
For those who prefer to walk, the city has developed several historic walking routes that include the 1925 L & N Depot, a revitalized train station with restored cars, and the Oakland community, which includes the post-Civil War African-American settlement of Freeport.
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