BOURBON COUNTY
County Offices
301 Main Street
Paris 859-987-2135
http://www.bourbonky.com/
Chamber of Commerce
525 High Street
Paris 859-987-3205
https://parisbourbonchamber.com/
Nestled in the heart of Kentucky’s famous bluegrass region, Bourbon County covers 292 square miles of breathtakingly picturesque countryside featuring green pastures, rustic stone fences, stately homes, and new development. This area is justly proud of its reputation for quality agricultural products and the equine industry but also the historic role it played in developing “bourbon” whiskey, distinguished by its unique corn distillation process and flavor. Scores of beautiful horse farms dot the rolling landscape, including the iconic Claiborne Farm where Triple Crown winner Secretariat continued his record-breaking impact as a champion sire of broodmares. Famous horse farms and other tours like Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Kentucky Bluegrass Trail, and Kentucky Heritage Hemp Trail maintain a lively tourism business.
Today, Bourbon County is attracting new business and industry with advantages like a 105-acre industrial park and a strategic location near Interstates 75 and 64 at the center of a 31-state distribution area. Access to air travel is available at Blue Grass Airport in nearby Lexington as well as Georgetown-Scott County Regional Airport, Louisville International Airport, and Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport. Home to nearly half of the county’s population, the city of Paris provides a hub of business, commerce, education, and government for the surrounding rural area. One of the downtown storefronts is for the Paris-Bourbon County Farmers Market, offering local jellies and jams, eggs, honey, quality meets and freshly baked pastries along with seasonal fruits and vegetables. Newcomers will discover the delight of small-town and rural living just 30 minutes from the bright lights and expanded attractions in the Lexington-Fayette County metropolitan area.
Services
Newcomers will appreciate easy access to some of the finest healthcare institutions in Kentucky, several of which consistently earn national recognition for clinical excellence. Bourbon Community Hospital and its specialty clinics meet most healthcare needs close to home with 24-hour emergency care, heart care, hospitalist program, imaging services, orthopedics, therapeutic interventions, sleep center, behavioral health, rehabilitation services, general surgery, and wound care. When advanced medical services are needed, nearby Lexington serves as statewide hub of premier healthcare systems including UK HealthCare, CHI Saint Joseph Health, and Baptist Health Lexington. Featuring Eastern and Central Kentucky’s only Level I Trauma Center, UK HealthCare Albert B. Chandler Hospital was ranked No. 1 in Kentucky and the Bluegrass region in recent rankings of Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. The UK Health system also includes Kentucky Children’s Hospital and UK Good Samaritan Hospital. Saint Joseph Hospital under CHI Saint Joseph Health is recognized for its pioneering work and treatment in cardiology, orthopedics, and stroke. Along with an award-winning medical, research, and education center, Baptist Health Lexington operates a 434-bed tertiary care hospital. Lexington is also home to the Lexington VA Health Care System, a Shriners Hospitals for Children Medical Center, and Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital.
First-rate educational opportunities from preschool through professional degrees are available in and near Bourbon County, beginning with Bourbon County Schools and Paris Independent Schools. Parents who want to explore alternative educational approaches will find private and parochial schools in Paris with expanded options in nearby Lexington. The flagship campus for Bluegrass Community College is less than 30 minutes from home, a location that also features the exclusive North American Racing Academy at the Thoroughbred Training Center. Nearby Lexington is the proud home of the state-supported University of Kentucky, where more than 30,000 students are engaged in 200 academic programs across 16 degree-granting colleges. UK is one of only eight institutions in the country with a complete set of liberal arts, engineering, professional, agricultural, and medical colleges. Several UK graduate programs have been ranked among the nation’s finest by U.S. World & News Report and the University has earned nearly 100 rankings for excellence in academics, research, healthcare, and economic development. Lexington is also home to the private colleges of American National University and Transylvania University, the latter founded in 1780 as Kentucky’s first university.
Lifestyle
Bourbon County offers the best of all worlds: the charm and simple pleasures of country living in close proximity to one of Kentucky’s most vibrant metropolitan centers. Local recreational adventures include kayaking and golf, YMCA activities and amenities, horseback riding, and the expansive Bourbon County Park with its walking track, sports leagues, playground, Legion Hall rentals, and fairgrounds. During the warmer months, Bourbon County Drive-In becomes a major attraction—one of the few drive-ins left in Kentucky. Just minutes from home, Lexington offers more than 100 parks that expand the opportunities to enjoy the Bluegrass region’s four-season moderate climate and natural beauty. One of the most popular is the 734-acre paradise of Raven Run, offering a nature sanctuary with 600 plant species and 10 miles of woodland and meadow hiking trails. Newcomers will enjoy exploring the rich architectural and historic legacy of this area, where tours have been established for National Register of Historic Places, Historic Markers, Downtown Paris Architecture, and the Horse Walk of Fame. Throughout the countryside, agricultural attractions offer peaceful settings, family adventures, and pick-your-own farms. Reed Valley Orchard is a local favorite with its historic Stagecoach Trail used by the notorious Jesse James and a nature trail along a rippling creek.
Cultural enrichment starts close to home at Hopewell Museum with changing art and history exhibits. Traveling and loaned materials dramatically enhance the scope of these displays with materials from influential sources like the Smithsonian Institute, J.B. Speed Museum, Whitehall Shrine in Richmond, and the Kentucky Folk Art Center. Families enjoy the associated Mary Spears Van Meter Learning Center, with activity spaces that allow children to imagine living in a small town 100 years ago. Other points of pride include the Colville Covered Bridge, recently renovated and opened to traffic, and the original 1792 Cane Ridge Meeting House, now encased in a protective stone superstructure. Built in 1788, Duncan Tavern predates Kentucky’s statehood and claims such famous visitors as Daniel Boone. Just 30 minutes from home, Lexington hosts a full calendar of events and performances, including the 23,000-seat Rupp Arena that hosts the biggest names in the music industry. For a more intimate experience, the 1,000-seat Lexington Opera House offers an elegant ambiance for a wide range of opera, dance, music, and theater performances including family shows, comedy, and children’s productions. Another regional treasure is the Lexington Philharmonic, providing more than 200 orchestra concerts, education, and community programs throughout the year. Newcomers to Bourbon County will be amazed at the wide variety of home styles and settings, from well-kept older homes in the heart of Paris to modern construction on sweeping lots and multi-million-dollar manors on generous acreage. Those who desire the finest of country living in a close-knit community within minutes from big-city advantages will discover the ideal home in Paris-Bourbon County.
Paris
Municipal Offices
859-987-4640
https://www.paris.ky.gov/
Chamber of Commerce
859-987-3205
https://parisbourbonchamber.com/
Serving as rural Bourbon County’s center of business, commerce, education, healthcare, and government, the city of Paris blends a reverence for tradition with a progressive attitude. Paris is home to nearly half of the county’s population, located just 18 miles northeast of Lexington on a fork of the Licking River. In spite of its comparatively small size, the self-proclaimed “Thoroughbred Capital of the World” blends architectural charm and historic treasures with a progressive attitude toward sustainable development, innovation, and enhanced amenities. Residents take advantage of the expanding library resources and local healthcare services anchored by Bourbon Community Hospital. The quaint downtown district with its lively and charming Main Street ambiance is a focal point of community life, featuring a medley of restaurants, antique shops and boutiques, retail establishments, breweries, and service businesses. In the middle of it all, the Paris-Bourbon County YMCA attracts residents of all ages to organized programs, indoor and outdoor pools, fitness centers, and studios that encourage individual expression. With unique attractions from the Paris Train Depot and Trackside Restaurant to the downtown Farmers Market, antique barber shops and small-batch bourbon, Paris has emerged as a regional day-trip getaway as well as a friendly and thriving hometown community.
