Simpson County: History, Art and Bourbon

In Simpson County, topics range from historic architecture and museums to art, bourbon and sports. When planning your trip, it helps to choose a clear focus: Would you like to compare architectural history, plan a tour of bourbon production, or center your visit on art and sports? Franklin has historic districts and a courthouse on the town square; other places and attractions explore different themes.

Franklin: Architecture and the History of Building Use

In Franklin, the town square and the Italianate-style courthouse built in 1882 shape the townscape. The city has three historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This offers two different scales for exploring architectural history: the courthouse is a single, dated building; the listing covers three historic districts.

The Simpson County Archives and Museum is located in the historic Jailer’s Quarters, which were used as a jail from 1830 to 1879. Octagon Hall was built in 1847 as the home of the Andrew Jackson Caldwell family. The Sandford Duncan Inn was built in 1819 and began operating as a road inn in 1822. The dates for the inn refer to different stages—construction and the start of its operation as an inn. Together, these places represent different historic functions: a home, former use as a jail, and a road inn.

Museums, Heritage and Art

The Simpson County History Center is a museum with artifacts from Franklin’s history. The African American Heritage Center is a cultural and educational institution that shares African American history and heritage and preserves them for future generations. The institutions have different thematic focuses: the History Center is devoted to Franklin’s history, while the Heritage Center shares and preserves African American heritage.

The 2025 visitor guide presents the Gallery on the Square as an exhibition venue for works by more than 90 artists from Kentucky and Tennessee who belong to the Simpson County Guild of Artists and Craftsmen. It also describes exhibitions that change every six weeks and shows featuring all art forms. If you’d like to include the Gallery in your trip plans, check the current exhibition schedule.

Murals, Bourbon and Sports

The Simpson County Murals consist of eight realistic murals on a 200-foot-long retaining wall along US Highway 31W near Exit 2 of I-65. The wall is next to the office and visitor center of the Simpson County Tourism Commission. The scenes depict 200 years of Simpson County history.

At Dueling Grounds Distillery, tours explain how Small-Batch-Linkumpinch bourbon is made. Kentucky Downs is the only European-style racetrack in the country. Kenny Perry’s Country Creek Golf Course offers views of Drake’s Creek from holes 12 and 13. The sports attractions have different points of interest: for Kentucky Downs, it’s the racetrack’s style; for the golf course, it’s the specific views from two numbered holes.

Town Life and Travel Information

Franklin’s Historic Downtown District includes shops and boutiques selling art, antiques, clothing and jewelry. For regional context, Franklin, Kentucky, is located on I-65 between Nashville, Tennessee, and Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The Summer Nights Concert Series offered free concerts on Friday evenings in 2025 on the town square in Franklin, Kentucky. If you’d like to plan a future trip around the series, check the event dates for your travel period.

Discover more destinations: Franklin, Union County, Clark County, Ohio County, Morgan County, Knox County, Hancock County, Boone County

For the regional travel overview: Kentucky.