About: Lexington, Kentucky, known as the "Horse Capital of the World," is located in the heart of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It is the second-largest city in Kentucky, after Louisville. In 2005, the population estimate given by the U.S. Census Bureau was 268,080.
Lexington is home to the Kentucky Horse Park, Keeneland race course, the Red Mile race course, a Jif peanut butter plant which produces more peanut butter than any other factory in the world, and the University of Kentucky (UK). The area code (859) spells out UKY.
Weather: Lexington's weather in early March is still cool. Daffodil and crocus can be seen peeking their heads, but you will still need a coat. Expect cool nights around freezing with daytime temperatures between 40 - 60 degrees
Transportation:
- Public transit: The Brown N0.2 route passes closest to the Embassy Suites hotel. Please consult Lextran for schedule and maps.
- Taxi: 24-7 Taxi, (859) 255-2227, Yellow cab (859) 231-8294. A taxi ride from the Bluegrass Airport to the Embassy Suites will cost about $20.
- Shuttle: As of Sept 2006 the hotel does not have a shuttle.
- Airport: Bluegrass Airport (LEX) has many links to Lexington related travel advice.
What to do:
---- See the Horses ----
Kentucky Horse Park
4089 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511
Phone (859) 233-4303, Toll Free (800) 678-8813
General Park Information - info@kyhorsepark.com
---- Local Flavor -----
The Woodford Reserve Distillery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm year round,
and on Sunday, 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm from April through October. Our "Woodford Reserve Bourbon
Discovery Tour" is offered every day except Monday. No reservations are required for groups of
less than ten persons.
Tours start at 10:00, 11:00, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 (Eastern Time). Tours generally last one hour
and fifteen minutes. There is a $5.00 charge per person for all tours, and children under the
age of 18 will be admitted free of charge. Please note that, due to Kentucky State laws, we
cannot offer samples or sell Woodford Reserve on Sunday.
The Woodford
Reserve Distillery is located in the heart of Kentucky's scenic Bluegrass region and is
surrounded by beautiful thoroughbred horse farms. For more information about the Distillery,
please call 859-879-1812.
---- Visit the Library ----
Lexington Public Library
140 East Main Street
Lexington, KY 40507
Phone 859-231-5530
---- Tour ----
Ashland
Henry Clay Estate
120 Sycamore Road
Lexington, Kentucky 40502
(859) 266-8581
Email: info@henryclay.org
---- Visit ----
Lexington Convention
and Visitors Bureau
for many other ideas
Restaurants: Trip Advisor Restaurant reviews.
Lodging:
History: Lexington was founded in June 1775 in Virginia (17 years before Kentucky became a state). A party of frontiersmen, led by William McConnell, camped on the Middle Fork of Elkhorn Creek (today called Town Branch and rerouted under Vine Street) at the location known today as McConnell Springs. Upon hearing of the colonists' victory in the Battles of Lexington and Concord, on April 19, 1775, they named their campsite Lexington after Lexington, Massachusetts. Due to the danger of Indian attacks, permanent settlement was delayed for four years. In 1779, Colonel Robert Patterson and 25 companions came from Fort Harrod and erected a blockhouse. Cabins and a stockade were soon built, making the fort a place of importance. The town of Lexington was established on May 6, 1782, by an act of the Virginia General Assembly.
By 1820, it was one of the largest and wealthiest towns west of the Allegheny Mountains. So cultured was its lifestyle, Lexington gained the nickname "Athens of the West." One early prominent citizen, John Wesley Hunt, became the first millionaire west of the Alleghenies. Slaves were widely held and used as laborers, field hands and domestic servants in Kentucky. In 1850, 1/5 of the state's population were slaves, and Lexington had the highest concentration of slaves in the state. However, the state attempted to remain neutral during the Civil War. Not only were both Abraham Lincoln and Confederate President Jefferson Davis born in Kentucky (less than one year and 100 miles apart), but both had spent time in Lexington. Davis attended Transylvania University in 1823 and 1824. Lincoln visited the city several times with his wife, Mary Todd, after their marriage in 1842.
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