Bowling Green
Uncover the beauty and attractions of Bowling Green. Explore charming downtown shops, indulge in local eateries, or dive into outdoor adventures.
1
Beech Bend Raceway Park
Experience the sights and sounds (not to mention the smell of burning rubber) of racing the quarter-mile at Beech Bend, one of America's most historic and longest-operating drag strips. Nestled among the beech trees in a bend of the Barren River (hence the name), hundreds of acres of rolling farmland surround this legendary attraction that includes an amusement and waterpark, all just minutes from downtown Bowling Green. Visitors are greeted by black plank fencing and horse barns along the scenic road into the park. Beech Bend Raceway hosts dozens of national automotive events each season that combine racing with a traditional “Show and Shine” car show. Two events in particular offer a perfect slice of Americana — the Wally Parks Nostalgia Nationals, featuring everything from rat rods to fuel altered and funny cars, and The Tri-Five Nationals, celebrating the iconic 1955-57 model year Chevrolets.
Beech Bend Raceway opens for the season each March and runs through the end of November with additional spectator opportunities like NHRA drag racing on Sunday afternoons and Fun & Grudge racing on Tuesday and Saturday nights (when another major weekend event is not occurring). With the family-friendly amusement and water park visible from the Raceway, visitors of all ages can feel like a kid on rides including the Bluegrass Breeze swings, an old-fashioned carousel, the twisted, wooden Kentucky Rumbler roller coaster, and the Sea Dragon ride acquired from Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch.
For generations Beech Bend has offered two attractions in one that add up to classic, Americana-themed fun.
2
Aviation Heritage Park
A memorial to distinguished aviators who have called South Central Kentucky home, Aviation Heritage Park currently features seven restored military aircraft with distinct, compelling ties to local aviators as well as their own interesting stories. The outdoor park and new indoor 12,000 sq. ft. museum are free to the public with donations accepted for ongoing restoration efforts.
The ceterpiece of the collection is a F-4D Phantom II 550, a plane with historic significance. Brigadier General Dan Cherry, a Bowling Green native, was at the controls of this very plane on April 16, 1972 when he shot down a North Vietnamese Mig-21 during the Vietnam War. Also on display is a Grumman F9F-5 Panther, a representation of the plane Kentuckian Johnny Magda, Commander of the Blue Angels and Korean War hero, flew.
Visitors can also peer at a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star honoring the Strategic Air Command during the Cold War, a UH-1 Huey Helicopter on loan from the National Museum of the USAF, a NASA T-38 Talon used for training by NASA, and a USAF F-111 honoring a Bowling Green native who led the 1986 USAF raid on Libya.
Displays and educational artifacts inside the museum space include a suspended Piper Cub honoring Glasgow, Ky. native Willa Brown, the first African-American woman in the U.S. to earn a commercial pilot’s license and who also trained many members of the Tuskegee Airmen.
3
National Corvette Museum
The Corvette isn't just America's favorite sports car. It's also the longest-running automotive nameplate in the nation's history, with the country’s largest single-marque museum dedicated to it. It’s no wonder enthusiasts and visitors alike are entranced by the National Corvette Museum, located just off I-65 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the “Home of Corvette” since 1981.
This top-rated, 115,000 sq. ft. museum features over 70 Corvettes, most on loan by private donors, showcased in a diverse array of exhibits that include mint classics, prototypes, rare finds and racing champs. Highlights include the breathtaking Skydome, where eight Corvettes were swallowed by a sinkhole in 2014, now featuring a nearly 300-foot-long LED video wall. (Rest assured all eight were rescued from the abyss.)
For families, a 2,000-square-foot education gallery provides state-of-the-art learning experiences geared directly to the next generation of Corvette enthusiasts, engineers, designers, and more. Groups can book special tour packages including VIP Museum tours, a four-course meal, live music & dancing.
Additional on-site experiences include curated, special-engagement galleries, the Stingray Grille, featured on Guy "Flavortown" Fieri's Guy’s All-American Road Trip TV series, plus the Corvette Store gift shop and two Corvette Simulators where adrenaline junkies can command a modified Corvette to compete in a virtual reality experience.
If a museum tour doesn’t start you dreaming about your own Corvette, perhaps watching someone take delivery of their new ride in the lobby, straight from the GM Assembly Plant just across the street, will do the trick. Or catch Corvette fever with a ride in one at the adjacent NCM Motorsports Park, a 3.1-mile high performance driving track.
Art Imitates Life
Horror film director John Carpenter grew up in Bowling Green and is a Western Kentucky University graduate. He even paid homage to it in his movie Halloween, naming the sanitarium “Warren County-Smiths Grove Sanitarium”.
4
Downtown Fountain Square Park
Experience a classic American downtown scene in Bowling Green at historic Fountain Square Park. The heart of the city, Fountain Square Park is a place where history and charm blend seamlessly, creating the feeling of stepping back in time. This enchanting green space, dedicated in 1872, is now a vibrant hub for locals and visitors alike, providing a picturesque setting for leisurely walks, group photos, or simply enjoying a quiet moment on one of the many benches. Beautiful flowerbeds, shrubs, trees, arches and statues encircle the centerpiece, a two-tier, ornamental black-iron fountain.
The central park is surrounded by unique small businesses housed in historic buildings, some pre-dating the Civil War. Boutique shopping and delightful dining options appropriate for group meals make this an ideal area to explore. Stroll around the square to enjoy the Heritage Walk, where you’ll discover fascinating stories about the surrounding architecture, from former roller-skating rinks and department stores to the roots of local novelists and supposed hauntings.
Throughout the year, Fountain Square Park comes alive with seasonal events, including summer concerts and holiday festivities, where the park sparkles with lights and décor. Groups can catch Minor League Baseball just a few blocks from Fountain Square Park with the Tampa Bay Rays High-A affiliate BG Hot Rods, or perhaps take in a touring Broadway show or concert at the adjacent state-of-the-art SKyPAC: the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center.
5
Chaney's Dairy Barn
Rolling farmlands, gorgeous Jersey cows and the best ice cream in Kentucky according to USA Today are only the beginning at Chaney's. Take a guided or self-guided farm tour before settling in for lunch or dinner and enjoy a full array of favorites with homemade soup, hot sandwiches, and of course desserts. Choose from a wide selection of Kentucky-made products in the gift shop and let the kids let off some steam on the massive playground with monster slides, a tower structure, a Ten Spin and a huge jumping pillow.
Agriculture enthusiasts and city slickers alike are mesmerized by the Lely robotic milker. Chaney's was only the third farm in Kentucky to have this state-of-the-art technology that keeps the cows more comfortable and content (and productive) all day and night. Drive or walk down to our new barn featuring multiple viewing windows or make arrangements in advance to hear from farm proprietor Carl Chaney himself as your group takes a hayride down to the milking barn.
Special events include family-friendly “Ice Cream & A Moovie” nights where films are screened on the side of the venue throughout the summer. Ample group dining space can be reserved inside, or use the enclosed outdoor pavilion to make Chaney’s the perfect group outing. Once you've met the cows and seen the ice cream being made, you won't be able to resist a sample -- and of course all our flavors are packaged for you to take and enjoy at home.
This Takes the Cake
BG was home to the actual Duncan Hines, probably one of the greatest influencers in American kitchens over the past century.