Dinsmore Homestead in Burlington, Kentucky, offers a glimpse into 19th-century plantation life and the African American experience. This Greek Revival home showcases original artifacts from five generations of the Dinsmore family. Visitors can explore the stories of enslaved people through preserved slave quarters, tools, and records. Learn about their work weaving baskets, making wine, and farming. Guided tours are available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons.

Second Baptist Church has provided a house of worship for the local Black community since 1855. Near the birthplace of military hero Brigadier General Charles Young, the church provided a spiritual home for his family through the 19th century. It also played a key role in guiding enslaved people along the Underground Railroad. The current white clapboard church building was erected in 1913, and still celebrates faith and African American heritage within its walls and in the wider community.

Barriers meant little to Brigadier General Charles Young—the third Black West Point grad, first Black US Army colonel, military attaché, and National Park superintendent. Born to enslaved parents, he spent his early years in the one-room log cabin now known as the Charles Young Birthplace in Mays Lick. Tour this 19th-century home, featuring a brick fireplace, sleeping loft, and era housewares. Guided tours available by appointment only.

Built by the U.S. Coal & Coke Company, the Lynch Colored School once provided education for Black children in the Lynch Coal Camp during segregation. It remained vital to the community until 1963, when integration and shifting job opportunities led many families north. Today, the historic building serves as the Kentucky chapter of the Eastern Kentucky Social Club, keeping the town’s connections alive. While access is limited, on-site monuments honor the school’s impact on education & community.

Tucked in Mays Lick, KY, the Rosenwald Mays Lick Negro School honors Black educational progress. Built in the 1920s through a partnership between Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington, it was one of nearly 5,000 schools for Black children in the segregated South. Funded by Rosenwald and the local community, it operated until desegregation. Today, visitors can explore its story and artifacts by scheduled tour.

This historic site is the earliest recorded cemetery in Lexington owned and managed by African Americans and a lush arboretum with over 400 native trees. You’ll find markers for 19th-century Buffalo Soldiers, WWI Harlem Hellfighters, and WWII veterans among the headstones. Also interred are pillars of the equine industry, including five Kentucky Derby-winning jockeys. Download a self-guided walking tour from the cemetery's website, like the Notable Women or Horse Industry Tour.

Once home to 19th-century statesman Henry Clay, Ashland explores both his political legacy and the lives of 120 enslaved people who lived on the 600-acre estate. The Traces: Slavery at Ashland tour centers voices like Charlotte Dupuy, who sued Clay for her freedom. A new memorial, Breath of My Ancestors, will soon honor their legacy. Additional tours cover women’s history and Clay’s life. Some areas are wheelchair accessible; upstairs exhibits are available in photo form.

In downtown Lexington, Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park hosts weekly events like the Lexington Farmers’ Market and Thursday Night Live—an outdoor happy hour with music and vendors. The lawn and glass pavilion offer a welcoming space under historic architecture. Named for Henry Tandy, born into slavery and later a successful masonry entrepreneur, the park honors his legacy. Look for his company’s stonework throughout Lexington, including the nearby Old Fayette County Courthouse.

In Lexington’s historic East End, the Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center honors African American arts and culture. Once a key stop on the “Chitlin’ Circuit,” it welcomed legends like James Brown, Tina Turner, and B.B. King. Featured in the Green Book, it offered a safe, vibrant space for Black performers and audiences during segregation. Today, the Lyric is more than a theater—with performances, a museum, gallery, and programs, it uplifts Black heritage and creativity.

In a 13-acre park stands Waveland, an 1848 Greek Revival mansion built by Daniel Boone’s great-nephew. Tour the house for insight into 19th-century plantation life, then see the slave quarters, smokehouse, icehouse, and mill. The six-room slave house holds a re-created kitchen plus exhibits on those enslaved here. Gardens, footbridges, a spring, and a playground dot the grounds. Tours run April–October or by appointment.

Opened as a US Army supply depot, Camp Nelson soon became a massive Civil War recruitment hub and a training center for the United States Colored Troops (USCT). It also sheltered war refugees and enslaved people escaping to freedom. Tour the Civil War exhibits at the Visitor Center and explore reconstructed Army barracks to learn about the USCT’s military service. Outside, hiking trails lead you past fortifications and historic markers.

The peaceful grounds of Camp Nelson National Cemetery provide a solemn place for reflection and reverence. Walk among the stones of over 21,000 service members and their families dating back to 1861, including many of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) and 1,247 unknown Civil War soldiers. Union soldiers originally buried elsewhere in Kentucky were re-interred here after the war to honor their sacrifice. Find specific graves at the grave locator on the porch of the administration building.

Frankfort’s Greenhill Cemetery is a notable African American heritage site, providing a resting place for Black Civil War veterans, educators, and community leaders. Established in 1865, this historic location is a burial ground for many United States Colored Troops. It’s also home to the only monument specific to Kentucky’s Black Union soldiers—the impressive ten-foot-tall African American Civil War Memorial engraved with the names of 142 Black veterans. Open daily from dawn to dusk.

Established in 1886 to train Black teachers, the State Normal School for Colored Persons began with just three educators and 55 students. Additional programs were soon added to expand opportunities for Black students in agriculture, mechanics, and home economics. Accreditation followed, and by 1972, the school became Kentucky State University. Walk the tree-lined campus of this historic HBCU to spot the original Jackson Hall building and state-of-the-art research facilities.

Historic Locust Grove in Louisville explores Kentucky’s past while honoring the enslaved African Americans who built and sustained this 18th-century estate. Once home to the Croghan family and George Rogers Clark, it connects to stories beyond Louisville—from Mammoth Cave to Louisiana plantations. Tour the house, gardens, kitchen, distillery, and outbuildings where enslaved people lived and worked. Through tours, audio, and programs, visitors gain insight into slavery’s impact on Kentucky.

Louisville’s Oxmoor Farm evolved alongside Kentucky, from the early pioneer days to the antebellum years to today. Beyond the 1791 mansion and its many additions, 13 original outbuildings—including slave quarters—still stand here to give you a unique look into the life of the enslaved people who worked in the house and the hemp fields. Don’t miss the 10,000-volume library, added in the early 20th century. Tour the house, outbuildings, and gardens, and check their calendar for onsite events.

Founded by African American citizens in 1886, Louisville Cemetery is the final resting place of notable Black Louisvillians from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Wander the headstones to find the marker for William Walker, Sr., an accomplished jockey and Kentucky Derby winner, plus Dr. Robert B. Scott, cofounder of the Louisville Red Cross Hospital which served the Black community. Look for Kentucky Historical Society Marker #1992 on Poplar Level Road during your visit.

Founded in 1879 as the Kentucky Normal and Theological Institute for Black students, Simmons College of Kentucky is now recognized as the state’s first HBCU. Under the tenure of its second president, Dr. William J. Simmons, the school grew to over 150 students and offered degrees in theology, medicine, and law. The college was renamed in honor of Dr. Simmons in 1918, and today offers both general and theological education. Prospective students can schedule a campus tour to learn more.

Initially, this library for African Americans occupied three rented rooms in a private home. But thanks to pressure from the Black community and funding from Andrew Carnegie, 1905 saw the opening of the nation's first free public library run by and for Black Americans. Schedule a tour of the African American Archives Reading Room to see the papers of pioneering librarian Rev. Thomas F. Blue and poet Joseph S. Cotter, Sr., plus photos, pamphlets, and clippings from the Black experience.

Explore the birthplace of President Abraham Lincoln, who preserved the Union and ended slavery in 1863. Climb the steps to the Memorial Building to see the Symbolic Birth Cabin, a replica of his one-room birthplace. Nearby, visit a historic cabin on the farm where he lived until age eight. Hike wooded trails and see the “sinking spring,” the family’s water source. Two visitor centers feature exhibits and video on Lincoln’s early life.

Founded in 1855 by a Kentucky abolitionist, Berea College was the first Southern college to welcome students of all races and genders. As a tuition-free school, Berea offers a quality education to those with limited means, often first-generation college students. Take the free student-guided Historic Tour to view 19th-century architecture and learn about college history. Or see examples of handmade student work on the Crafts Studio Tour. On weekends, look to the stars at the college planetarium.

After the Civil War, Henry and Preston Sleet established Sleettown, a thriving African American community near Perryville Battlefield. From 1865 to the 1930s, families built homes, ran businesses, and created a close-knit community rooted in resilience and fellowship. Despite segregation, Black and white neighbors worked and socialized together. By 1931, residents relocated to Perryville, and Sleettown faded, but its legacy remains. Today, visitors can walk a grass trail to explore the site.

Housed in a 1905 mansion, the Filson Historic Society in Old Louisville preserves regional history and supports research. Its African American History Initiative showcases Black heritage in Louisville and the Ohio River Valley through artifacts, art, and records. Tour exhibits like People, Passage, Places, featuring stories from Indigenous roots to Reconstruction. Free guided tours of the historic property are offered Monday–Thursday.