Old Frankfort Pike Historic and Scenic Byway

Story of the Byway

The Old Frankfort Pike Historic and Scenic Byway extends over 15 miles through a memorable historic landscape of Kentucky's Bluegrass Region. Many Bluegrass roads provide enjoyable scenic moments, but Old Frankfort Pike welcomes travelers on an extraordinary drive through miles of countryside that was once typical of Kentucky's Inner Bluegrass, but survives today in very few places with such cohesion and integrity. Here, traditional diversified agriculture and the international Thoroughbred industry thrive and coexist in a unique landscape that has evolved over the past 250 plus years.

Since early exploration and settlement, agriculture has dominated and transformed the Bluegrass region. This notably distinct topographic and geological area known as Karst rests here in the Commonwealth center. The region is a gently rolling plain of deep loam soils atop phosphate-rich limestone, wild with springs that flow for miles only to sink underground or disappear into caves. It is one of the richest agricultural areas in the world, renown as the birthplace and home of the Thoroughbred horse.

Lexington, Kentucky's second largest city, forms the hub of the Bluegrass region, with roads radiating outward to the surrounding county seats like spokes of a wheel. Old Frankfort Pike, connecting Lexington with the state capital at Frankfort to the east, is one such spoke, with the distinction that along either side of the road, as far as the eye can see, lay some of the most productive lands in the region – even by Bluegrass standards.

Old Frankfort Pike passes through six National Register Historic Districts along its relatively short length and by numerous individually significant historic properties. In all, thousands of historic buildings, structures, sites, and landscapes encompassing over 20,000 acres are contained within these distinctive historic areas and this National Scenic Byway links them all. This unusual and fortunate concentration of historic resources along Old Frankfort Pike elevates the scenic drive into a singular and unique experience. While the ages of the significant resources span centuries and illustrate multiple historical subjects, each District and property expresses one or more distinct facet of Bluegrass history including: the influence of geology, water, and soil on the landscape, agriculture and people; agricultural prosperity, diversity, and transformation over 225 years; the Thoroughbred Horse, the legacy of the blooded horse in Kentucky, America, and the world, from local origins to international prominence; the challenges of farmland conservation and historic preservation in an increasingly urban environment.

Travelers can take a leisurely, non-stop drive along Old Frankfort Pike from US 60 near Frankfort eastward to the Visitor Viewing Area near Lexington (or vice-versa) in about ½ hour. The entire route is two lanes with signed speeds of 35-55 mph. There is one four-way stop at the intersection of Midway Road (US 62, a Kentucky Scenic Byway). The Byway passes through a series of distinct rural landscapes, including railroad stations, small communities, an unforgettable two-mile road section canopied by trees and shouldered by historic dry-laid limestone fences, a historic tavern from the late 18th century, rural churches, and cemeteries. Roadside vistas open to historic homes, barns, stables, and double-fenced fields where Thoroughbred horses thrive on bluegrass and limestone-rich water. Along the Byway are opportunities for dining, museum visiting, joining a horse farm tour, or taking a short side trip to neighboring attractions like Keeneland Race Track National Historic Landmark, Weisenberger Mill, and the historic railroad town of Midway. Near the east end of the Byway at the Alexandria Drive roundabout, view the inspiring statue of Triple Crown winner, Secretariat, and stop to learn about the history of the Pike and the surrounding neighborhood at the self-guided walking loop at the Old Frankfort Pike Visitor Viewing Area. Finally, before entering Lexington, the McConnell Springs Visitor Center and Nature Sanctuary marks the original 1775 encampment where the town was named. This city park located off Old Frankfort Pike contains hiking trails through the nature preserve, archaeological remains, sinks, and springs, an amphitheater, and an education center.