Berea: Discover Art, Craft and Trails

When looking for a hotel in Berea, the focus of your planned trip can help guide your choices: crafts and exhibitions, public art, outdoor trails, or local foods. The offerings vary in form. The Kentucky Artisan Center focuses on works and event formats; the trails include both a system with a figure-eight configuration and a shorter loop, as well as a level, paved trail.

Crafts and Exhibitions

At the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea, galleries and exhibitions showcase works by more than 800 Kentucky artisans. Visitors can also take part in special art events, demonstrations, musical performances, and educational programs. So, in addition to viewing the work, events and educational programs are among the experiences on offer. If you are interested in crafts, you can take these different formats into account when planning your trip.

The Berea Public Art Tour covers a different range: sculptures of mythical creatures, brightly painted hands, fountains, stained glass, and historic architecture. The examples span sculpture and painting, as well as glass and architecture. The gallery visit at the Kentucky Artisan Center and the various art forms on the Public Art Tour thus offer different ways to experience Berea’s art scene.

The gallery at the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center is open to the public on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the exhibitions are self-guided. However, the gallery may close without notice due to classes, special events, or Berea College holidays. So, before visiting, check that access is available at your planned time.

Trails with Different Features

The Pinnacle Knob trail system extends for more than seven miles and has a figure-eight configuration. You can hike the entire route or choose the first, two-mile loop as a shorter alternative. This gives you two distinctly different distances to choose from without committing to the full route.

The John B. Stephenson Walking Trail is suitable for walking, running, strollers, bicycles, and wheelchairs. It is level and paved, with benches and picnic tables along the trail. While Pinnacle Knob offers two route options—the full route and the shorter loop—the John B. Stephenson Trail’s surface, permitted uses, and places to take a break are practical features to consider when planning.

Local Foods and Seasonal Offerings

The Berea College Farm Store offers local, seasonal foods and meals. It also sells fresh eggs, produce, and meat from Berea College Farm. The foods are described as seasonal; meals are also part of the offering. The Farm Store thus complements the art and trail offerings with a connection to local foods and products from the college’s operations.

Festival and Local History

The Berea Craft Festival takes place every year and welcomes more than 100 artists and artisans. Local food and a remarkable entertainment program are also part of the event.

Berea’s L&N Depot reopened as the Berea Welcome Center in 1987. A section of the Boone Trace approaching present-day Berea was developed into a shared-use trail.

For the broader travel overview: Madison County.